FAQs

  • Anyone aged 4 through 12 years old who wants to play baseball!

  • We divide players up into divisions based on their age:

    • Tball - 4 years old

    • Rookie - 5-6 years old

    • AA - 7-8 years old

    • AAA - 9-10 years old

    • MAJORS - 11-12 years old

  • Your child’s age is determined by how old your child is on May 1st of the season you’re registering for.

    • Example my child's birthday is June 1, 2016 and he will be turning 7. But on May 1st he is still 6. You would register your child for the rookie league.

    • If you have questions about what league you should be signing up your child please fill out the contact us form and we will be happy to assist you.

  • An instructional league is designed for all skill levels of players with a focus on teaching the players the basics of playing baseball. The goal is to learn and have fun playing baseball.

  • No. Crystal Lake Baseball does not have any boundary restrictions and no differences in cost based on where you live.

  • When registration is open, the link can be found on the clbaseball.com homepage.

  • Clinic dates are messaged out through email to all registered players and are also updated on our website.

  • The season starts in April and ends in June. This includes a 12-16 game season depending on your athlete’s division and the weather may play a role in total games.

  • Games are typically on Monday or Wednesday and then a game on Saturday each week. Weekday games start at 5:30pm or 7:30pm (for older leagues). Saturday games range from 9am to 2pm.

  • Yes. Practice schedules are determined by the individual team coaches but typically are one per week or one every two weeks.

  • Children in AA through Majors will have an evaluation day. This helps the league and coaches distribute players evenly based on skill. Evaluations are traditionally done in March at Trinity Training Center.

  • All AA and higher games have a paid umpire through Fox Valley Blues.

  • Yes. We want to enable as many kids to play baseball as possible. If you need financial assistance please fill out our contact form here.

  • Yes, the registration website allows different payment options.

  • Crystal Lake Baseball plays at Canterbury Yards Baseball Fields, located behind Canterbury Elementary School at 875 Canterbury Drive Crystal Lake, IL 60014

  • Yes! We have concessions open for most games and offer everything from pre packaged goods to cooked hot dogs, burgers and warm pretzels.

  • Crystal Lake Baseball is a 503c not for profit organization. All money generated through registration, donations, concession, etc., goes directly into the leagues. This covers all costs for uniforms, umpires, field maintenance, equipment, etc.

  • Yes! We have a special Bulldogs program just for this. Additionally, we partner with the Phenom national league for high competition travel baseball.

  • The Crystal Lake Bulldogs Baseball Program was designed to provide in-house players the opportunity to experience more competitive baseball, on a part-time travel basis. (More about our Bulldogs Program here.)

  • No, they need to attend evaluations and be drafted like all in house players at AA, AAA, and Major levels.

  • Please fill out the contact form on the website or talk with a board member or your child’s coach. CLB has many levels you can volunteer at.

  • All coaches are volunteers.

  • All coaches and assistant coaches must go through a background check and follow a coaches code of conduct.

    • Help ensure that the kids are learning the game of baseball and having fun.

    • Organize your individual team for any practices (typically 1 per week or every other week) and manage the team for all games.

  • We’ve all been there. As long as the kids are having fun and learning, that’s the goal.

  • Just like how players work as a team, coaches work as a team. Our goal is for all teams to have a head coach and two assistant coaches. This will help cover times when one coach is unavailable.

  • Head coaches are responsible for the team and the assistant coaches are there to support the head coach. The head coach determines who they want to be their assistant coaches.

  • All coaches will be given baseballs, catcher’s gear, helmets and a duffle bag to carry the equipment in. Additional practice aids can be requested.

  • Coaches will have guidance on what to coach for each age group provided to them by the league. Coaches can then use their best judgment on what is best to focus on for their team and player skill level.

    • The schedule and field availability is managed by the league. If you need a place and time for your team to practice, reach out to the in house manager.

    • This year we have been working with the Crystal Lake Park District to secure and reserve more facilities to make finding a place to practice easier. We’re also working creating options for coaches for indoor practices in the event of consistent bad weather.

  • Fill out the contact form on our website and we’ll reach out to answer any questions or fill in next steps.