Pleasant Valley High School’s state title-winning baseball program is hosting its annual Winter Youth Baseball Clinic on Jan. 6 at the PV Junior High main gym.

The camp is for players in grades 2nd to 8th. Cost is $50 for the half-day clinic with proceeds benefitting PVHS Baseball. The registration deadline is Jan. 5, but there is a 100-camper limit.

The camp runs 9 a.m. to noon, with the clinic focusing on the fundamentals of throwing, hitting, baserunning, infield and outfield work, and pitching and catching.

Campers will be grouped by age and positions. Instruction provided by PV baseball’s coaches and players.

Check-in runs 8:30-8:50 a.m. the day of the clinic. Entrance to the camp is the east side door by the cafeteria. In case of inclement weather delaying the camp to another day, you will be notified by your registration email.

All campers should wear a hat/shorts/sweatpants/baseball pants
with a t-shirt and should bring a batting helmet, tennis shoes, glove and bat. Catchers may bring catchers equipment.

Online registration is available at https://pleasvalia.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/pleasantvalley.jsp.

If your camper does not attend a PV school, you can still attend the camp by registering with PVHS athletics secretary Johanna Pridemore at pridemorejohanna@pleasval.org.

A camp flyer is attached to this email. Please email PV coach Derek Stecklein with any questions at steckleinderek@pleasval.org.

Bettendorf High School Baseball is hosting its 5th annual fundraising Wiffle Ball Tournament on Dec. 28 at Middle School.

This fun holiday tradition offers both an adult division and several youth divisions — 3rd/4th grade, 5th/6th grade and 7th/8th grade.

Each team consists of 5 players. Registration is $20 per player or $100 for a team.

The event flyer is included in this announcement and contains a registration form. Please make sure to list your email and team roster on the registration form. Any tournament communication will be sent to participating email addresses — including the game schedule by Dec. 26.

Please make checks payable to the Bettendorf Baseball Club. Team or individual checks can be dropped off at the check-in/registration table the day of the tournament. Proceeds benefit the BHS baseball program.

To register, or for more questions, email Bettendorfbaseballclub@gmail.com.

Bettendorf-Pleasant Valley Youth Baseball is hosting a free umpire clinic from 6-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13 at Saldivar Field at Devils Glen Park.

Local high school umpires are again the chief clinicians for the annual fall training session.

BPV’s youth umpire program boasts nearly 100 participants with the best trained and most experienced of the crew graduating in recent years into the high school officiating ranks themselves.

Clinic participants will be grouped together by age and experience levels so rookies, less experienced and more experienced umpires all can gain knowledge and further their training.

Part of the clinic also addresses how the BPV operates and offers a team atmosphere for the umpire crew.

No advance registration is necessary. Coaches from every BPV division are invited to attend to get a perspective on the training and learn how to best work with umpires.

However, if you or your child are interested in umpiring during the 2023 BPV Fall Ball season, please plan to attend — and send an email expressing interest with the umpire’s name, cellphone number and email address to tappasteve@gmail.com.

In the event of inclement weather and the need to change plans, umpires will be contacted by email.

BPV Fall Ball games begin the weekend of Aug. 19-20. The Fall program runs to mid-October with no games scheduled Labor Day weekend.

Umpires are compensated for their work on a scale that depends on the day/division worked.

Online registration is now open for Bettendorf-Pleasant Valley Youth Baseball’s fall ball program.

Please visit:
https://active.leagueone.com/Olr/pages/welcome.aspx?clubid=14196

The fall baseball program features seven weekends of scheduled games from Saturday, Aug. 19-Sunday, Oct. 8.

Games are on Saturdays for the three youngest divisions at the Crow Creek Park 4-Plex, as well as nearby as needed at CC#6 and Tyler Hurd Field at Scheck Park. (Game dates: Aug. 19, 26; Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30; and Oct. 7).

Games for the oldest division (ages 14 and over) are Sundays at Devils Glen Park, Smitty Field at Crow Creek #5 (and if necessary at Castro Field at Paul Norton School/Kiwanis Park). Game dates: Aug. 20, 27; Sept. 10, 17, 24; Oct. 1 and 8).

There are no scheduled games the weekend of Sept. 1-4 because of the long Labor Day holiday weekend.

The weekend of Oct. 14-15 is set aside as a possible rain date in case weather impacts too many weekends of game play. Otherwise, the program is designed to simply play (and practice) as much baseball as possible around school commitments.

NOTE: The game/site schedule is determined by the number of teams/participants, but the usual time format used on Saturdays has featured game starts at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Normal Sunday game starts are noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and (if necessary) 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 23 is the first day of the 2022-23 school term for both the Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley School Districts.

Before school and the fall games start, practice time is available to the individual teams beginning as early as Aug. 1. After school starts, practice time remains up to the individual teams and the preferences/schedules of their families.

For the youngest divisions, it is suggested teams try and practice at least one night each week once the fall games/school year begins, but other sports and extracurricular activities may impact plans (and should take precedence) as BPV hopes to help grow well-rounded student-athletes for the future.

Games also can be scheduled during the week on a team-by-team basis because of rainouts or special request.

SPECIAL FALL DIVISIONS:

— Rookie: Ages 5-8 as of Sept. 15, or grades K-3 suggested. Coach Pitch rules are followed. This is a great place to start and build experience for next season! NOTE: A recommendation (but not a requirement) for all players is to have already played a season of tee ball.

— Single-A: Ages 8-10 or Grades 3-5. A chance for Coach Pitch and Kid Pitch players/teams to get used to the next-level rules in the Minors division. NOTE: If your son or daughter has played in our Intro to Kid Pitch division — or is considering to do so next season as an Advanced Coach Pitch player — it is recommended to play Single-A in the fall to preview the next level. COACHES: If your team wants to play doubleheader each week (or more weeks), please advise the program director. ALSO: If there are enough players and individuals wishing to prepare for next spring/summer’s Intro to Kid Pitch/Rookie Division, we can break those teams into their own sub division.

— Double-A: Ages 11-13 or Grades 5-7. A chance for Minors players/teams to preview the Majors division style of play with Majors rules followed. NOTE: Teams intended to play doubleheaders for extra game action as the schedule allows. COACHES: If your team wants only to play once-per-week, please advise the program director.

— Triple-A: Ages 14-17 or Grades 8-12. A smash up for our Juniors and Seniors division to allow Juniors players/teams a chance to look ahead to the future on a full-sized diamond, and Seniors division players to remain active and work on baseball and leadership skills. NOTE: Teams intended to play doubleheaders for extra game action as the schedule allows. COACHES: If your team wants only to play once-per-week, please advise the program director. ALSO: AAA-plus division is possible if enough players ages 18-20 are interested, otherwise those participants again will be incorporated into the entire Triple-A division to provide leadership for the overall program. AND: If we have enough players/teams register wishing to play on an 80/54 diamond to prepare for Juniors Division play, we can create a special division for those teams and players.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Registration is $75. (NOTE: There also is a nominal $3 online registration fee paid by each registrant for our shared use of the registration management system).

Registration by Monday, Aug. 7 helps in getting teams formed and out practicing before games begin.

The registration deadline is midnight Sunday, Aug. 13. For late registration, please contact tappasteve@gmail.com to assure roster space remains. (Participants have registered as late as Labor Day weekend).

Financial assistance is available by filling out an application located at BPVBaseball.com. Or request a financial aid form from tappasteve@gmail.com.

Summer BPV teams are encouraged, but not required, to stay together. For instance, if there are 2-3 or more kids/coaches wishing to play together, please let us know on your registration and send a follow up email to tappasteve@gmail.com. Teams can be grouped together to play in the fall.

If planning on rejoining a spring/summer team, or perhaps jumping in with friends/neighbors/classmates to create a special fall squad, please note this request on your registration, too. There is a prompt asking if you have any special requests.

All interested coaches, especially those with full or near-full teams, should contact Steve Tappa as soon as possible at tappasteve@gmail.com.

All registrants are placed on a team. Every effort is made to fulfill requests or group players by school. However, this is not a promise for registrations after Aug. 8.

Those wishing to sponsor a fall team to provide new uniforms for their team should contact the program director prior to Aug. 1. Otherwise, existing team jerseys are worn to provide additional exposure for spring/summer sponsors (new players on those teams are asked to wear a similarly colored hat & t-shirt/baseball sleeves).

Game balls and umpires provided. Team catching equipment and batting helmets also are available upon request.

For questions, please contact Steve Tappa at tappasteve@gmail.com or 563-676-8111.

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY:

Fall Ball is intended to be a great bridge to the next level next season! The emphasis is not on winning, but rather developing skills and experience by playing (and practicing) as much extra baseball as possible.

Besides batting the entire lineup, as all divisions in BPV follow during the spring/summer season, special rules also are used:

— TIME LIMITS: 1-hour & 45-minute cut offs (10-run rule enforced after 4 innings; 5-run limit each inning; The intention is to play as many innings as the time limit affords).

— PITCHERS: Limited to 2 innings pitched per game & 3 innings per day if doubleheaders are played (goal: use multiple pitchers & develop more hurlers with mound time). Coaches, DO NOT pull pitchers midway through an inning unless in the case of injury. (Otherwise, this needlessly wastes game time for all and wastes the experience/coaching opportunity with the pitcher).

— EACH PLAYER: Should play the infield each game (goal: develop multiple positions).

— SPEED UP: Courtesy runners for catchers & pitchers; replacements ready for catchers making the 3rd out as a hitter (goal: maximize the time allowed).

— SUBS: May borrow other BPV Fall League players to avoid a forfeit, but they should bat last and should not pitch unless the other coach agrees to allow this (goal: play as much as possible; forfeits do no one any good).

The week of July 18-25 is a busy one for Bettendorf-Pleasant Valley Youth Baseball’s weekend tournament teams.

Included are tryouts at every level, with the Bettendorf Baseball Club (BBC) workouts for Bettendorf High School coaches the most comprehensive on Saturday, July 22 at Saldivar Field at Devils Glen Park. Players hailing from Bettendorf Community Schools — or Private School students intending to enroll at Bettendorf High School — can tryout from 8-and-under to 14-and-under.

The other six team tryouts are not restricted to any particular school district — including:

• The new 9U Bombers (Tuesday, July 18, 5-8 p.m. at Crow Creek Park #11); for more information, contact Bob Jurkowski at bpvbombers@gmail.com
• The new 10U Cobras (Wednesday, July 19, 6-8 p.m. at Tyler Hurd Field at Ed Scheck Park); for more information, contact Brian Kim at bpvcobras@gmail.com
• The new 14U X-Men (Wednesday, July 19, 6-8 p.m. at Castro Field at Kiwanis Park/ Norton School) for more information, contact James Ballard at jballard763@gmail.com
• The 12U Thunder (Thursday, July 20, 5-6 p.m., CC#8); for more information, contact Brock Halverson at brockhalverson@aol.com
• The 14U Royals (Saturday, July 22, 10 a.m. to noon at Castro Field at Kiwanis Park/Paul Norton School). for more information, contact Tyler Kulig at BPVRoyals@gmail.com

The BBC tryouts are following this time schedule:

• 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (8-under to 10-under)
• 10:30 a.m. to noon (11-under and 12-under)
• 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (13-under and 14-under)

The rain date for the BBC tryouts is Sunday, July 23 at the same place and times. A makeup tryout for the BBC is Tuesday, July 25 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Crow Creek Park 4-Plex (fields #8 or #9).

If interested in attending the BBC tryout, please fill out our information form at this link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpkQZORQd1_90A-aU86K61oXG-s74T_FqovkHzKBhM58klYA/viewform

To determine age groups, players can not be older than the age listed (8-under, 9-under, 10-under, etc.) as of May 1, 2024.

However, USSSA baseball rules do offer these exceptions:

— A player can still play at 8-U if they turn 9 prior to May 1, 2024 AND they are in the 2nd grade AND don’t turn 10 prior to August 1, 2024

— A player can still play at 9-U if they turn 10 prior to May 1, 2024 AND they are in the 3rd grade AND don’t turn 11 prior to August 1, 2024

— A player can still play at 10-U if they turn 11 prior to May 1, 2024 AND they are in the 4th grade AND don’t turn 12 prior to August 1, 2024

— A player can still play at 11-U if they turn 12 prior to May 1, 2024 AND they are in the 5th grade AND don’t turn 13 prior to August 1, 2024

— A player can still play at 12-U if they turn 13 prior to May 1, 2024 AND they are in the 6th grade AND don’t turn 14 prior to August 1, 2024

— A player can still play at 13-U if they turn 14 prior to May 1, 2024 AND they are in the 7th grade AND don’t turn 15 prior to August 1, 2024

— A player can still play at 14-U if they turn 15 prior to May 1, 2024 AND they are in the 8th grade AND don’t turn 16 prior to August 1, 2024

For more information about the BBC or any of the BPV tournament teams, contact Steve Tappa at tappasteve@gmail.com