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Overview
CBA offers a competitive alternative for players who demonstrate the ability to play at a higher level. This program is known as Select. CBA formed this competitive program due to an increased number of players interested in a higher level of competition. Because CBA’s core focus is our Recreational Baseball Program, CBA limits the number of competitive teams it forms to players who demonstrate the ability to perform at a Select AA level or above. CBA is committed to ensuring the Recreational Baseball Program remains a strong and vibrant program.
Select teams at each age group are selected through a tryout process before each fall and spring season for 8U through 12U, although older age groups may form Select teams if enough interest and talent exists. Guidelines described herein are specific for 8U through 12U and rules for older age groups may vary based on a variety of factors. Players that are determined by experienced, independent Select-level evaluators to have the ability to perform at a Select AA level or above will be eligible to be selected to a CBA Select team. CBA will only form Select teams that are composed entirely of players determined to be Select-level players. Typically, the CBA Select Baseball Program rosters two teams per age group from 9U to 12U and one team at 8U. It is tradition for the 11U teams to travel and play in the Omaha Slumpbusters Tournament and for the 12U teams to play in the Cooperstown Dreams Tournament.
Alternative options to Select exist and consist of the CBA Recreational Baseball Program, Premier League Program (see Premier League page), and Summer All Stars (see Tournament Teams page).
Commitment
The Select program time commitment is significantly higher than the Recreational and Premier league programs. The fall season is considered to be instructional and is more relaxed. CBA supports young athletes playing multiple sports, especially in the fall. Given this, schedule conflicts with other activities in the fall are expected and accommodated to the degree practicable. In the spring, a Select player’s primary athletic commitment is expected to be baseball.
The financial commitment for Select is also higher than for the Recreational and Premier league programs, although the costs remain far lower than privately run travel teams in the area. Additional costs for Select teams relative to Recreational league costs include uniforms, tournament fees, private instruction, travel expenses, equipment, and other related expenses. CBA Select teams are provided access to Coppell fields for practices and games.
Although the exact number of games played from season to season or team to team fluctuates, Select teams typically play 15-25 games in the fall and 40-60 games in the spring and summer. Most games tend to come from tournament play, but some also come from play in the Texas Elite Baseball Association (TEBA) League. TEBA is a regional association of similar city select programs that compete against each other close to or at their home parks. TEBA games are typically played as doubleheaders on the weekends or, occasionally, single or doubleheader games on some weeknights.
At 11U, CBA Select teams traditionally travel to Omaha, Nebraska for the Slumpbusters Tournament, which is held concurrently with the College World Series. At 12U, the top two CBA Select teams travel to Cooperstown, New York for the Dreams invitation-only tournament that includes more than 1,300 teams from across the nation. The Cooperstown trip requires significant expenditures, so CBA has arranged for the teams to conduct tournament fundraisers to offset the costs to players’ families. Both the Omaha tournament and the Cooperstown tournament are lifetime experiences for the players and families alike, and CBA is extremely proud of our teams’ continued participation in these special events.
Coach Selection
- Interested candidates must submit a completed coach application to the CBA Director of Select Teams by the posted deadline to be considered for coach selection.
- The Coaches Selection Committee, comprised of the Director of Select Teams and at least one CBA Board Member (assembled by the Director of Select Teams), will interview each candidate. Coaches must agree to abide by the rules, protocols, expectations, and philosophies of CBA in order to be considered, which also includes expectations for parent/team communications and applying for and playing in the Omaha and Cooperstown tournaments at 11U and 12U. Full compliance is required upon acceptance of a coaching position. Non-compliance with CBA policies and/or guidelines can result in termination.
- All coaches who have opposition by another candidate must participate in the interview process.
- At the discretion of the Director of Select Teams, a returning Select team coach whose position is not being challenged may not be required to interview.
- The Coaches Selection Committee will consider each applicant, including returning unopposed coaches, and the Director of Select Teams will inform the CBA President and Executive Director of its recommendations/selections.
- Once finalized, Select coaches will be notified.
- Coaches will remain in their positions for the fall and following spring/summer season, but can be terminated at any point during a fall or spring season for policy non-compliance as mentioned previously.
Team Formation
- A tryout at each age group will be held for all positions and roster spots prior to each season (typically early August for fall season and mid-November for the spring/summer season). Exceptions may apply to 12U and above, as mentioned elsewhere.
- A player must try out to be eligible to be drafted. Players are expected to be registered to attend a tryout. Payment is not required until a player has been drafted to a team. If a player does not make a Select team and does not want to play in the CBA Recreational league, a refund will be processed. Although technically protected, the head coach’s son(s) is required to participate in the tryout and be scored like others who attend the tryout. It is possible that the head coach’s son might be a “bubble” or “on the edge” player, which is acceptable in many cases, as CBA focuses on the larger good for purposes of selecting who the head coach should be from the pool of individuals who apply.
- If a player cannot attend a predetermined tryout or tryout make-up, the player cannot be considered eligible for a Select team unless the Director of Select Teams has granted an exception.
- A head coach may choose to have certain players stay behind for additional repetitions at the end of a tryout or invite certain players to a second tryout to ensure the most appropriate selections are made for each team. Head coaches are expected to attend all tryout dates for their age group.
- Each tryout (12U and below) requires an Independent Evaluator to be present to evaluate each player and provide those evaluations to the head coaches for review and consideration. The Independent Evaluator is required to be present for the primary tryout only; however, it is ideal and encouraged to attempt to have the Independent Evaluator attend make-up tryouts if possible. The independent evaluator will have no direct affiliations or connections to the specific age group but must be experienced in the necessary skill level for a player to perform at a Select AA level or above.
- The Independent Evaluator will complete the evaluation form as prepared by the coaches, which will include an assessment as to whether each player who tries out appears qualified to perform at a Select AA level or above.
- Only the head coaches, or volunteers from other age divisions, should facilitate the tryout (i.e., hitting balls, throwing balls, etc.). Parents with kids trying out may assist in keeping kids organized on the field if requested by the head coaches. Any other exceptions should be approved by the Director of Select Teams in advance.
- Independent Evaluator notes/rankings are to be kept confidential and maintained by the head coach for a period of 30 days after rosters have been posted.
- Player selection will be as objective as possible and it is expected players will be selected by the Head Coach based upon ability, attitude, baseball knowledge, and other relevant attributes. This includes consideration for families with a history of causing problems which may create an overall negative experience for the team as a whole. Ultimately, the goal is to draft the best and most qualified players to each team. The top team (or Red Team) will draft first and should be comprised of the most qualified players. Once the Red Team’s roster is set and confirmed, then the bottom team (or Black Team) will draft second from the remaining eligible players. It is strictly prohibited to lock in rosters, for either the first or second teams, from season to season and any exceptions are to be discussed and approved by the Director of Select Teams. The goal of the tryout process and the philosophy of CBA is to provide an opportunity for players to advance over time and to have a chance of making a team above where they’ve played in prior seasons. The only exception allowed by CBA is at the 12U and above age groups. Specific for 12U, at the Red Team coach’s discretion, he is allowed to commit to his players a full baseball season (fall plus spring) given that significant fundraising starts during fall play. This is not required but allowed. Next, the Black Team coach is allowed the same option. If a 12U or older age division coach chooses to commit to a full baseball year, players are not required to participate in tryouts conducted after the fall season concludes. However, all players must participate in tryouts prior to the fall season.
- Assistant coaches will be selected by the Select team head coaches after their teams have been selected. Children of probable assistant coaches cannot be protected or assigned to specific teams.
- All players drafted by a head coach should be contacted by the head coach to discuss expectations, commitment, etc. prior to rosters being posted to ensure the player is truly willing to accept the invitation. Equally as important, any incumbent player bumped from a team (first to second, second to neither team, etc.) must receive a call from the team’s head coach prior to rosters being posted.
- Some head coaches may elect to secure paid coaches to augment the duties of the head coach to ensure appropriate specialized instruction is provided to each player. The plan for this and estimated additional costs must be approved in advance by the Director of Select Teams to ensure reasonableness. Also, this should be disclosed to the families of the players in advance, preferably when the coach notifies the family the intent to draft their child to a team. This only applies to paid instructors contributing in a material way to an entire team regularly throughout a season and does not apply to the occasional addition of paid instructors. This also does not apply to individual private instruction. While it is encouraged that each family make the head coach aware of any private instruction (paid or not) their child is receiving, it is the responsibility and decision of that family to manage individual private instruction for their child.
- CBA has a Parental Appeals Process. The Parental Appeals Process can only be used when a player chooses to move down from the first team to the second team or to decline an offer from the first team. The Parental Appeals Process cannot be used to request a move from the second team to the first team in any instance and with no exceptions. All Appeals should be directed to the Director of Select Teams. If the Director of Select Teams does not approve the parental appeal, the player has the option to play on the first team or to not play in the Select program during that season. CBA has committed to the community the expectation that the first team will be best, most qualified players in the age division. Parents, the coach of the second team, assistant coaches and others should encourage players who are not on the first team to work hard and improve such that they might one day be able to play on the top team. The second team is a “farm team” to the first team and parents cannot use the Parental Appeals Process to, effectively, lock in the roster of the second team before the first team’s roster has been set.
- Each team will be named Coppell Cowboys-Coach Last Name. The top team is commonly referred to as the Red Team and the second team is referred to as the Black Team.
- The number of players to be rostered on each team is at the discretion of the head coach.
- The top team, over time, is expected to play at the AAA or Major level and the bottom team at the AA or AAA level. This is largely based upon the talent and success of each team.
- Coppell has a residency requirement, which means a minimum number of players must: (1) attend school within the Coppell Independent School District, (2) live in the City of Coppell, or (3) have played in the Coppell Recreational Program for at least one season.
Any and all exception requests to the rules described above should be directed to the CBA Director of Select Teams.