Frequently Asked Questions for Baseball and Softball
Have a question not answered below? Email us at office (@) bsasports.org
Q: Is there practice during the week?
A: There is one evening practice per week for children in our baseball and softball leagues. There are no weeknight practices for tee ball. Tee ball leagues play on Saturdays or Sundays at the International School of Brussels.
Q: Where are the practices held and on what nights?
A: Practices are at ISB and St. John's. Volunteer coaches will determine the time, night and location for practice. All practices will begin at 18:00 or later. We cannot accept special requests for practice locations because certain leagues may only practice at one location.
Q: What if there are certain nights when my child cannot practice?
A: When you register you can select one night (Monday - Thursday) that you are not available for practice. Our teams do not practice on Fridays.
Q: How are children assigned to teams?
A: There will be a skills evaluation for children aged 9 and over on the afternoon of February 27th. Please note: Some children who played baseball or softball last year have already been evaluated and will not need to attend the skills evaluation day. We will send out further information about this before February 27th. Coaches will develop balanced teams based on the results of these evaluations. We cannot accommodate special requests for team assignments. If you need help with transportation, we will provide contact information for other families on your child's team.
Q: What equipment should my child have?
A: Every child should bring a baseball glove and should wear cleats (boots). BSA has a limited number of baseball pants that will be available for sale at the start of the season. We will need volunteers to help sort and sell these pants. BSA provides caps and jerseys to all players.
Q: Where can we purchase baseball/softball gloves and equipment in Belgium? A good supplier is The Cage in Antwerp. For more information go to www.thecage.be.
Q: Is it necessary to stay with my child during games and practices?
A: BSA requires a parent or guardian to be present at practices and games for all children age 8 and under. For children aged 9-12 you must accompany your child to the field to be sure that a coach is present before leaving your child.
Q: Why is it necessary to travel to US and NATO military facilities to play games?
A: For children in tee ball, baseball and softball there will be occasional games at the Brussels American School in Sterebeek. Baseball and softball teams will also occasionally play at US and NATO facilities in Belgium and the Netherlands (ages 10 and over). We are fortunate to have this opportunity to play other teams and use other facilities, since we have only limited access to school fields on weekends. Children are expected to travel to these away games; often families arrange carpools. These teams travel to Brussels, so we must travel to them in return. For games at the Brussels American School and at SHAPE, families will be asked to provide passport and vehicle information at least 7 days prior to the game.