The A's Rep Committee has released an update on Player Tryouts, including new tryout guidelines for the 2014-2015 season.
Please note: All players wishing to tryout must register and pay the $25 Rep tryout fee online before the first tryout. No registrations and cash or cheque payments will be accepted at the diamond.
2015 A’s Teams
The Oakville A’s operate teams across 10 divisions. The number of teams will depend on the depth and quality of players at tryouts.
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Age Series
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Age
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Number of Teams
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Birth Year for 2015 Season
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Junior Rookie Ball
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7-8
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2 – Tier 1 and Tier 2
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2007, 2008
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Rookie Ball
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9
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2 – Tier 1 and Tier 2
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2006
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Minor Mosquito
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10
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2 – Tier 1 and Tier 2
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2005
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Major Mosquito
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11
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2 or 3 – Tier 1 and Tier 2
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2004
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Minor Peewee
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12
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2 – Tier 1 and Tier 2
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2003
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Major Peewee
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13
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2 or 3 – Tier 1 and Tier 2
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2002
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Minor Bantam
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14
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2 – Tier 1 and Tier 2
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2001
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Major Bantam
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15
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2 – Tier 1 and Tier 2
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2000
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Minor Midget
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16
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1 – MEL
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1999
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Major Midget
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17-18
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1 or 2 - Tier 1 and/or 2
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1997, 1998
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Junior
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19 -21
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Tier 1
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1994, 1995, 1996
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2015 A’s Tryouts Times and Places
With the exception of our Minor Midget MEL team, tryouts for Tier 1 2015 teams will be September 3 to 12, 2014. Details on tryouts are listed below and can be found at
http://baseballoakville.com/Pages/1779/2015_Rep_Tryouts/.
Minor Midget MEL tryout information can be found at
http://baseballoakville.com/Pages/1791/MEL_Minor_Midget_Tryouts/
Tier 2 tryouts will commence Saturday September 13, 2014. Dates and times will be announced on Monday September 8, 2014.
2015 A’s Tryout Guidelines
All players wishing to tryout must register and pay the $25 Rep tryout fee online before the first tryout. No registrations and cash or cheque payments will be accepted at the diamond.
- Head Coaches are free to select players registered with Baseball Oakville subject to each player meeting the residency, age restrictions and eligibility for the relevant age series.
- Players must be (a) residents of Oakville or an approved import, and (b) play at the level designated by their age in the calendar year of the baseball season.
- All players attending tryouts will receive a fair look for team selection.
- A player must tryout for their age series Tier 1 team first. Players not selected and cut from the Tier 1 team, will have the opportunity to play for any Tier 2 team formed following selection of the Tier 1 team (the availability of subsequent teams depends upon registration numbers and volunteers).
- For the 2015 A’s Rep Tryouts, Section 4.1 of the Rep Manual will be amended as follows: “Fully participate in not less than 2 tryouts to be considered for a team, with a notable exception: a Head Coach can make up to (5) player offers after the first tryout.”
- There will be no Day 1 player cuts. For greater certainty, a Head Coach can make zero player cuts prior to the second tryout session.
- A player will be provided with a Rep A’s Player Offer Letter if an offer is extended to them: (a) If the player is an Oakville resident, they will be provided with 48 hours from the time of the offer to accept by registering online, and then making payment by September 30, 2014, or (b) If the player is from outside of the Oakville community, an import, the player will be provided with 48 hours from the time of a roster spot offer to accept by registering online and making payment.
- Head Coaches will not make statements at the beginning of tryouts, which infer that there are only a few spots open or that any player is assured a place on the team. In short, every spot on the team is open and must be earned.
- Head Coaches will select players based solely on a player’s talent, dedication and coachability.
- Head Coaches will not cut a player for any other reason than a baseball reason.
- Head Coaches will be sensitive to the player's self-esteem when cuts are made.
- Head Coaches will help players by being as specific as possible about the areas where improvement is needed.
- When cutting or offering a roster spot to a player, Baseball Oakville uses the system of calling each player away from the broader group at the end of the tryout and speaking to both the player and their parent to either: (a) inform the player they have made the team, or (b) inform the player that they did not make the team, thanking the player for coming out to the tryouts, and providing feedback regarding where the player needs to improve.
- All players wishing to tryout must register and pay the $25 (this is a change in amount from Section 4.2 of the Rep Manual) Rep tryout fee online before the first tryout. No registrations and cash or cheque payments will be accepted at the diamond.
- As each player confirms their attendance with the registrar at the diamond, a Welcome to A’s Rep Baseball Letter will be handed out.
- Baseball Oakville will allow imports on Tier 1 teams. Tier 2 teams may take an import player(s) only when there is no Oakville resident trying out for the roster spot(s). For greater clarity, the only imports on Tier 2 teams would be those who fill out an incomplete roster. Imports can only tryout with an A’s team AFTER they have a release from their organization. The maximum number of imports allowed is Phase 1: 2 imports, Phase 2: 3 imports, and Phase 3: 5 imports.
- Except in the rare case where a Baseball Oakville Rep team is not hosted at their age group, Baseball Oakville does NOT permit playing up above a player's birth year.
- Each A’s Rep team should carry the number of players as defined below. Tier 1 coaches for Phase I and 2 may consider 11 players as the minimum number so long as the Tier 2 club carries not less than 13 players, and the Head Coach has received approval from the A’s Rep Committee.
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Age Series
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Phase
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Minimum Number
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Maximum Number
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Junior and Major Rookie Ball
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1
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12
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14
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Minor and Major Mosquito
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2
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12
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14
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Minor and Major Peewee
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2
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12
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14
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Minor and Major Bantam
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3
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14
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25
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Minor Midget and Major Midget
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3
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16
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25
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Junior
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3
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16
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25
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Online Registration for A’s Tryouts
To register please go to: http://baseballoakville.com/Forms/1219/2015_Rep_Tryout_Registration/
A’s Head Coach Selection Process
Interviews of Head Coaches for Tier 1 teams are currently happening. The hiring of all Tier 1 Head Coaches will be completed by the Rep Committee and approved by the Board of Directors and then announced on our website Labour Day morning.
Tier 1 Head Coaches will be hired under a 1 or 2-year agreement and will be held to specific metrics during the term of the agreement. A Tier 1 Head Coach will lead the cohort and work with the Tier 2 Head Coach to develop a consistent training and development philosophy for all players. Also, the Tier 1 Head Coach will work with the Rep Committee to select the Tier 2 coach after the Tier 1 team is selected.
Interviews for Tier 2 Head Coaches will take place following the completion of Tier 1 team tryouts.
Tony Busseri
(416) 509-1496
VP Rep and Chair of the Rep Committee