All the information you need to know about our league is found throughout our website. However, if you don't know where to go, or just have some simple questions you need quick answers to, please refer to this list of our frequently asked questions.
How do I register to play?You can register through this website. Create an account by clicking "register" on the top right of the site. Once you have an account you can add a participant. The website will step you through the process. Once you pay for the program you are signing up for, you are officially registered.
Do you offer payment plans or fee assistance?
Yes. For a payment plan, you must complete your registration all the way until the cart page, where you will be given an option for any available payment plans. If a payment plan is not listed, it is not available for that program, or you may have registered too late to qualify.
If you would like to be considered for fee assistance, you must complete our
hardship application. You should complete the registration process online until you get to the cart page, then exit. This will make it easier for us to review your application & applicable fees.
Why am I being charge a late fee? The season hasn't even started yet.We need a lot of lead time to coordinate all the moving parts. Once we have completed our Skills Assessment, we proceed to planning our team drafts, coach assignments, practice fields, uniforms, etc. Adding just 1 or 2 additional players to the mix can really cost us a lot of extra money and work. Therefore, any registrations that come in AFTER the skills assessment are considered late and will incur a $25 late fee.
If I have to cancel my registration will I get a refund?That depends on the situation and when you cancel. If you cancel before the registration deadline, you will be given the choice of a 75% refund, or a 100% credit toward a future season. If you cancel after the deadline, you will be given a credit toward a future season minus the cost of the uniform. If you cancel after games have started, no refunds or credits are available. Should you need a full refund due to a financial hardship, those requests will be evaluated on a case by case basis (a
hardship application must be completed before practices begin).
We will only play for Coach _____ or with player _____ - can you make that happen?
The fast answer is
no, we cannot guarantee that your player will be with a specific coach or teammate. We encourage you to enter your requests during registration, and we will see if it is possible. However, to ensure the competitive nature of the league, we evaluate overall team skill before any requests are considered.
A large percentage of requests are honored every season, but we have never been able to honor all of them. Sorry.
Note: Family members and coaches kids will be automatically placed on that team. Players returning to the same team in the same division are automatically placed on that team. Players not meeting these criteria are enter into the draft and are not guaranteed a spot with any specific coach or player.What is this $50 Volunteer Fee?
Programs like ours have issues getting the volunteers we need to operate the league at a high-quality level. Those that choose to not volunteer will be charged a $50 volunteer fee to cover the costs associated with paying others to operate the league. You can avoid this fee by volunteering for Concessions, as a Team Manager, or a Volunteer Coach.
If you elect to volunteer to void the fee, you will be required to complete at least 4 volunteer hours.
What days do you play?The days played depends on the division you are in and the amount of teams we have in that division. Each division's specific details are listed under the navigational item "Age Groups". All regular scheduled games are during the week, with Fridays set aside for divisions that have an odd number of teams. Weekends are reserved for make-up games, tournaments, and special events. You can plan to play at least a couple weekends throughout the season.
What is the Skills Assessment, and is it mandatory?We like to make sure that all teams are as equally matched as possible. To do this we hold our annual Skills Assessment so we can see at what skill level each player can perform. It is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended that you attend. Players in the 6u and 16u divisions do not participate in our Skills Assessment.
How will I know what size uniform to order?Our uniform suppliers have pretty standard sizes. Pick what you would normally choose if you went to a standard department store. If you really don't know what to choose, just make a good guess. We will have uniforms at the Skills Assessment for you to try on. If you need to make a change to your uniform size, we can do it then.
Are you affiliated with Stateline Sports?No. Stateline Sports is a separate for-profit business in Machesney Park. Our relationship with them is limited to times that we rent their facility.
What does PONY stand for?In the past our league was affiliated with the national youth PONY league. Our name reflected this affiliation. Although we are no longer tied to their league, and have changed our name to Stateline Baseball, the remnants of this might still be seen in a few other things that have not been updated yet.
What is your name, Stateline Youth Athletics or Stateline Baseball?Stateline Baseball. SYA is a now dissolved organization that we operated under along with Stateline Fastpitch and Stateline Fury softball programs. We have since moved away from that joint organization, and are operating autonomously as Stateline Baseball.
Where is your office?We don't really have an office. Currently we do a lot of business out of RyCOM Creative Corp, because that is the office of our President, Ryan Rydell. Makes things easier. If you need to drop anything off, pick anything up, or send us something, use this address: 330 E. Main St. #600 Rockton, IL 61072.
Do you hold tryouts?Yes & No. Depends of the program. Our recreational league is a pay to play league. If you pay the fee, you play. There is a Skills Assessment for rec league, but not a tryout. Our Thunder teams do hold tryouts.
See the details about the Thunder tournament teams for more information.
What is the Stateline Thunder?A competitive travel team system. Its a complimentary program to our rec league. You must play in the rec league, and participate in a tryout to qualify. Players on the Stateline Thunder will play for their rec league team in addition to the Thunder team.
See the details about the Thunder tournament teams for more information.
What equipment does the league supply, and what do I have to buy?The league supplies baseballs and a scorebook for each team, plus each player's uniform. You will need to supply baseball glove, cleats, bat, and a helmet. Catchers will also need a full set of catcher's gear. The league does offer some equipment on loan for the season, but we encourage you to use the Dick's Sporting Goods coupons to purchase your own if you can.
What will the uniform include?10u, 12u, 14u, and 16u divisions will receive: Hat, Shirt, Pants, Belt, Socks
6u & 8u will receive: Hat, Shirt, Pants
What is this Dicks Shopping Day? Dicks Sporting Goods is a great supporter of Stateline Baseball. They give us a special day of the year, normally mid to late March, where our league gets to shop the store at a big discount. Check your emails and our Facebook page for details about each year's day and special offerings.
The website won't let me pick the division for my kid - whats up? Players are automatically registered in the division they are aged into. You MUST register in that division. If you would like to be considered for a "play-up" into a division of higher age, then you must make that request during registration in the "special requests" section.
I asked to "play-up" - when will I know if the request is approved? We have to evaluate the skill of the player before we can approve any play-up requests. This is important for the safety of the player, and the overall experience. You must show up for the skills assessment for the division you want to play in. For instance, if you are a 10u age player, but want to play in 12u, you must show up for the 12u skills assessment.
We will evaluate the player's skill numbers against the rest of the division, and so long as they are within the 40th percentile or higher, they will be approved to play-up. If approved, the website will notify you once we manually transfer the player to the new division. You will be responsible for any additional registration fees.
How does Stateline Baseball handle thunder/lighting?We take your safety seriously. Therefore, we enforce a 30 minute delay for every lighting strike seen or thunder heard. Once thunder or lighting is recognized, everyone should clear the field and find shelter. This may be under the dugout, in a car, under a pavilion, or inside a building - either way, don't remain on the field.
Its important to remember that this applies to lighting AND thunder. Even if the storm isn't directly above you, there is still risk, so we wait the full 30 minutes to be sure the storm has cleared. Here is a quote to help you understand:
“The bottom line is that if you hear thunder, you need to get inside immediately,” said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, director of the NOAA National Weather Service. “Lightning can strike up to 10 miles from a thunderstorm, which is about the distance that the sound of thunder can travel and be heard. All thunderstorms produce lightning, and each lightning strike is a potential killer.”