Frequently Asked Questions
General
I have seen several terms used including Hobgood Park Youth Association (HPYA), Hobgood Baseball, CRPA.
What do all of these acronyms stand for and what are the relationships with the entities involved?
Hobgood Park Youth Association (HPYA) is a non-profit volunteer organization that runs both the facilities and baseball program at Hobgood Park.
HPYA leases the property that the park is operating on from Cherokee Recreation and Parks Authority (CRPA) and the Cherokee County School System
for the use of Hobgood Baseball.
Who maintains the facilities at Hobgood Park?
Hobgood Park Youth Association maintains the park and its facilities. All park improvements and general maintenance are the burden of the association.
The association bears the burden and expense related to the upkeep, maintenance and improvement of Hobgood Park.
How many fields are at Hobgood Park?
Hobgood has a total of 10 fields. There are 9 fields at our main facility in Towne Lake. Our 10th field is on the Carmel Elementary School property.
This field, “The Carmel Field,” is used primarily for practices and games are not routinely scheduled on this field.
My son has no baseball experience, but wants to play baseball. Can he play at Hobgood?
Hobgood is open to players of all skill level and ability. In every age group there are players at all levels of play. The team selection process is
setup to distribute the talent pool across all teams.
How many players play at Hobgood Park?
During our spring season we have approximately 1100 players of which ~950 are rec players.
Registration
Why is registration so expensive?
Registration fees cover expenses incurred for items such as lights, water, fertilizer, field maintenance, fencing, uniforms, umpires and general
up keep and repair. The Baseball program is funded and run by HPYA (Hobgood Park Youth Association). Registration fees cover the vast majority
of the expenses associated with running the park. The county does not provide us with any financial assistance for day to day expenses. The
county may from time to time assist with special projects.
What is a founder member?
When the park was created the concept of a Founding Member was incorporated in the by-laws of the park. This membership was offered to raise the
needed funds to build the program and offered Members several privileges.
The benefits to founder membership include:
- Guaranteed slot to play in our rec program provided registration is completed by the deadline.
- Voting privileges for electing the Board of Directors.
How old does my son have to be to play baseball at Hobgood?
Our youngest age group is 4YO T-Ball. Players who are 4 on or before April 30 of the coming year play in this league.
Players who are 3 on April 30 can play in this league as well.
How do I determine which league my son will play?
When players register they are placed in a league based on birth date as of April 30 of the coming year. Answering the
question, how old will my son/daughter be on April 30th of the coming year, gives the league he plays in. So for example if Sam turns 10 on
February the 4th, he will be 10 on April 30 and play in the 10 year old (YO) league. Another example, if the registering player is 7 at time
of registration and will turn 8 on May the 5th, he will play in the 7 YO league, as he will be 7 on April 30 of the coming year.
Can I register my daughter to play baseball at Hobgood?
Girls are allowed to play baseball at Hobgood. Generally, there are very few who play and the majority of the girls that play do so at an
early age (4-6). Of the girls that play, most all will transition into softball at 6 or 7 years of age.
I would like my son to play-up, is this possible?
We allow players to play up one age group. So for example a player whose birth date places him in the 7YO league is allowed to play up in the
8YO league. We will not allow players to play up more than one age bracket and will not allow a 11YO to play in the 13/14s and a 13YO to play in the 15/16s.
If I register by the registration date can my son play?
We have a limited number of slots in each league. Only Founder Members are guaranteed slots provided they register by the registration deadline.
All other slots are on a first-come first-serve basis.
The registration date has passed, can I still register?
It may be possible for a player to register after the registration deadline. We will continue to register players provided we have open slots.
There is an additional $25 per player charged for all late registrants.
I have two sons, can they play on the same team?
Provided the players are playing in age appropriate divisions, they will be placed or drafted on the same team. Here are a couple of examples:
- We will allow a 9YO to play up in the 10YO league so that he can play up with his with his 10YO brother.
- Brothers, who based on birth date, are in the same league will be drafted together.
- We do not would allow a 7YO to play up with his 10YO brother for the purposes of being on the same team.
- We do not allow players to play down for any reason including the desire for siblings to be on the same team.
Season / Team
When do the seasons start and end?
For specific dates see the web-site.
Spring registration starts in December and ends the first of January. Teams are selected towards the end of January and play begins the first weekend in
March. The final games will be played just before school is out for the summer.
All-Stars begin play immediately after the rec season. Dates vary based on age, and generally go to the middle or end of July.
Fall registration begins in the late July/early August. Games begin the end of August and are completed around the first week in November.
What programs are offered at the park?
We offer two programs, recreational baseball (which includes All-Star baseball) and travel baseball.
Recreational Baseball
Recreational baseball, rec baseball, is open to anyone who registers to play and is offered to players of all skill level and ability.
With the exception being our 13/14 and 15/16 YO leagues, all games are played at Hobgood Park. During our Spring season, 4s and 5s will play 8-10 games,
6-12s will play 12 games and end the season with a single-elimination tournament. Our 13/14s and 15/16s will play games against other Hobgood teams as well as
play teams from other local parks. The 13-16YO leagues play 16-20 games during their season.
All-Stars
Players participating in the spring rec ball season are eligible for all-stars. We field All-Star teams from all leagues starting in our 6s. Depending on the
league there may be multiple teams. All-Stars is a more competitive environment and the purpose is to put together the best team(s) possible from the pool of
players in the rec league. More details regarding the All-Star selection process can be found on the web-site.
Travel Baseball
Starting at 8 YO we have travel teams within the park. Travel teams play the majority of their baseball games outside of Hobgood Park. These teams play
tournament baseball and/or in a travel league. Players are selected in the fall for the spring season and are invited to play for these teams. Tryouts are held
in August prior to the spring season.
How are coaches selected?
Our League Directors select coaches from the pool of parents who volunteer to coach.
League Directors use several factors including: coaching experience, number of years coaching at Hobgood and prior experience in the league.
How are teams selected?
For ages 4-6, players are assigned onto teams by their League Director. The League Director makes every attempt possible to place players with
requested coaches or on the same team as another requested player.
For ages 6 and above - Coaches have the option of freezing up to three players. All remaining players are put into a draft pool and selected using the
rules of the draft. All players are selected from the pool until all coaches have their max number of players or the player pool is exhausted.
How are All-Star players selected?
For information on All-Stars please see the All-Star selection process document.
How many players are on a team?
- For ages 4 and 5 our target number is 8-9 players with a max of 10 players per team.
- For ages 6-8 our target number is 11 and max at 12 per team.
- For ages 9-12 our target and max is 11 players per team.
- For ages 13-16 counts will vary depending on the number of registered players and number of teams. We make every attempt to
limit the number or players 12 players or less per team.
How many games are played in a season?
Spring Season
- 4s and 5s – depending on the number of Saturdays available 9-10 games.
- 6s-12s – 12 season games plus a single elimination tournament
- 13s-16s – 16-20 games
We registered for t-ball, why are the coaches pitching to the players?
For a player, one of the most exciting aspects of the game is hitting the baseball. At the age of 4 we encourage hitting the baseball off of a tee.
If coaches and players have worked on hitting a coach pitched baseball, we make provisions for this to happen during their games. Emphasis at this age is
placed on introducing each player to the sport, learning very basic skills and having fun. We feel this can be accomplished hitting the ball off of a tee
or the ball being thrown by a coach.
I want my son to play with my neighbor’s son so we can carpool, does Hobgood accommodate?
For 4s and 5s, you will need to make a request to the League Director and/or note on your registration your request. The League Directors
e-mail is listed on the web-site on the League home page.
For all other ages the best course of action is to identify a coach and request that he try and draft both of the players. We do not make special
accommodations and with the draft there are not guarantees that players will be able to play or be selected by a particular coach.
How are the games structured at the different ages?
4s – Hitting is done for the most part from a hitting tee with limited coach pitch. All players bat every inning. Players advance one base on
every hit. No outs are awarded. Games are 2-3 innings in length.
5s – Players are given 3 pitches to hit from a coach. If after three pitches a fair ball has not been hit, players will hit off of a hitting tee.
All players bat every inning. Players advance one base on each hit. No outs are awarded. Games are 2-3 innings in length.
6s, 7s, 8s – Batters are given 5 coach pitches to hit. The third swinging strike is an out. Outs are awarded. Score is kept. 6 runs per inning
max. Length of game is max 6 innings or time limit. Bases are at 60’.
9s, 10s - For the most part MLB rules with the exception of lead offs (none) and dropped third strike. Bases are at 60’.
11/12s – For the most part MLB rules. Bases are at 70’.
13/14s – MLB rules – 80’ bases
15/16s – MLB rules – 90’ bases
All rec games played at Hobgood are played under the rules of Dizzy Dean Baseball. For more specifics related to the rules please see the Georgia Dizzy Dean Web-Site.
I have a problem with my child’s coach, what should I do?
Please make every attempt to resolve the issue directly with the coach. Please address your concerns with him first prior to speaking with anyone else.
If you are not able to resolve the issue with you coach, please contact your League Director.
I have a problem with an umpire, what should I do?
Discuss this with your Head Coach. If there is a matter that needs to be attended, the Head Coach is responsible for communicating with the umpire.
The umpires are instructed communicate with the Head Coach only. If the Head Coach has a problem or concern that needs to be addressed he will escalate to
his League Director.
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