The season’s not over, yet
Local youth athletes will have an opportunity to have a ball this fall through competitive weekend baseball tournaments being offered through a local athletic association.
The Council Rock Newtown Athletic Association, an organization that offers Little League and other baseball opportunities to area youth, will hold the weekend tournaments for baseball players ages 13 to 15.
This is the first year that the association is holding the competitive fall tournaments. Paul Jacob, postseason director of the Council Rock Newtown Athletic Association, hopes the tournaments will provide an opportunity for teen baseball players and fill a void that he said is present in the fall for the sport.
“After speaking with individuals in the association, we realized that there was nothing in the area during the fall that was tournament-based,” Jacob said.
Jacob said there are abbreviated-season fall baseball leagues available to athletes in September and October, outside of the athletic association, but no specific competitive tournaments.
Each tournament has a ten-team maximum. The teams, who are made up of about 15 players, manage their own tryouts, and enter the tournament already formed.
Players can be male or female, though Jacob said the league is mostly male. “We may have teams from Northampton and Horsham and all over. The shared interest is just a love of baseball,” he said. “Invitations went out to everyone, we didn’t limit it.”
Invitations were sent out to surrounding leagues in the area, including Northampton, Council Rock, Newtown, Doylestown, Horsham, Pennsbury, Levittown, Bristol and leagues from the nearby parts of New Jersey area.
Jacob hopes the tournaments appeal to ball players who would typically be interested in playing competitive traveling tournaments against teams in other states.
According to Jacob, the appeal of the Newtown Classic Tournaments would be that teams would play against other teams in the local Philadelphia suburban area.
The range of play depends on the amount and geographic region of teams that sign up. “It’s a good opportunity for teens out there to participate in something local. Other tournament teams sometimes have to travel outside the area, which most likely involves overnight stays and excessive travel,” Jacob said.
“That can be costly, and it adds up,” he added. “We were focused on giving a more affordable option.”
The nonprofit Council Rock Newtown Athletic Association has an entry fee of about $325 per team for the tournaments.
Jacob said the association set the fee at a lower rate than a typical tournament, which usually runs at about $500 or more.
The Green Parrot Irish Pub in Newtown are sponsoring the tournaments, which Jacob said helps to keep the cost to players down.
“We are trying to keep the entry-level fee at a price where everyone can bring teams into the tournament. We are just looking to cover costs of the umpire, field usage and equipment,” Jacob said.
The Newtown Classic Tournaments will be held in September and October. Tournaments for players on 13-and-under teams will take place Sept. 12 and 13, tournaments for 14-and-under teams will occur Sept. 26 and 27, and 15-and-under tournaments will be held Oct. 17 and 18.
“There seems to be a growing trend of kids who are serious about baseball. It’s not just a spring sport, because a lot of kids play on teams that stay together all year round.
This just presents another opportunity for the kids to play in a competitive environment,” Jacob said.
Tournaments are tentatively planned to be held at Pickering Field in Newtown’s Helen Randle Park, across from Bucks County Community College and at two Council Rock North High School fields.
For more information or to register your baseball team, visit the Web site at www.crnll.com.
This is the first year that the association is holding the competitive fall tournaments. Paul Jacob, postseason director of the Council Rock Newtown Athletic Association, hopes the tournaments will provide an opportunity for teen baseball players and fill a void that he said is present in the fall for the sport.
“After speaking with individuals in the association, we realized that there was nothing in the area during the fall that was tournament-based,” Jacob said.
Jacob said there are abbreviated-season fall baseball leagues available to athletes in September and October, outside of the athletic association, but no specific competitive tournaments.
Each tournament has a ten-team maximum. The teams, who are made up of about 15 players, manage their own tryouts, and enter the tournament already formed.
Players can be male or female, though Jacob said the league is mostly male. “We may have teams from Northampton and Horsham and all over. The shared interest is just a love of baseball,” he said. “Invitations went out to everyone, we didn’t limit it.”
Invitations were sent out to surrounding leagues in the area, including Northampton, Council Rock, Newtown, Doylestown, Horsham, Pennsbury, Levittown, Bristol and leagues from the nearby parts of New Jersey area.
Jacob hopes the tournaments appeal to ball players who would typically be interested in playing competitive traveling tournaments against teams in other states.
According to Jacob, the appeal of the Newtown Classic Tournaments would be that teams would play against other teams in the local Philadelphia suburban area.
The range of play depends on the amount and geographic region of teams that sign up. “It’s a good opportunity for teens out there to participate in something local. Other tournament teams sometimes have to travel outside the area, which most likely involves overnight stays and excessive travel,” Jacob said.
“That can be costly, and it adds up,” he added. “We were focused on giving a more affordable option.”
The nonprofit Council Rock Newtown Athletic Association has an entry fee of about $325 per team for the tournaments.
Jacob said the association set the fee at a lower rate than a typical tournament, which usually runs at about $500 or more.
The Green Parrot Irish Pub in Newtown are sponsoring the tournaments, which Jacob said helps to keep the cost to players down.
“We are trying to keep the entry-level fee at a price where everyone can bring teams into the tournament. We are just looking to cover costs of the umpire, field usage and equipment,” Jacob said.
The Newtown Classic Tournaments will be held in September and October. Tournaments for players on 13-and-under teams will take place Sept. 12 and 13, tournaments for 14-and-under teams will occur Sept. 26 and 27, and 15-and-under tournaments will be held Oct. 17 and 18.
“There seems to be a growing trend of kids who are serious about baseball. It’s not just a spring sport, because a lot of kids play on teams that stay together all year round.
This just presents another opportunity for the kids to play in a competitive environment,” Jacob said.
Tournaments are tentatively planned to be held at Pickering Field in Newtown’s Helen Randle Park, across from Bucks County Community College and at two Council Rock North High School fields.
For more information or to register your baseball team, visit the Web site at www.crnll.com.
