Frequently Asked Questions

·        What is "Chandler Youth Baseball"?

·        What is "PONY Baseball"?

·        Are players allowed to play in an older age bracket?

·        Are players allowed to play in a younger age bracket?

·        Can 3 & 4-year-olds play in CYB?

·        How is a player's age bracket determined?

·        How are teams formed?

·        When is registration?

·        What is required to be a coach?

·        Does CYB need coaches?

·        When does the season start & end?

·        How many games are there?

·        Where are the games played?

·        When are the games played?

·        When & where are the practices?

·        Are players awarded trophies?

·        Are uniforms provided?

·        Do players have to live in Chandler to play in CYB?

·        What is involved in sponsoring a team?

·        Can girls play in CYB?

·        Is insurance provided for players?

·        Can a player request to be on the same team as another player?

·        Can a player play in CYB if he/she is playing in another league?

·        How can I find out what type of bat or glove to purchase for my child?

What is "Chandler Youth Baseball"? (return to top)

Chandler Youth Baseball (CYB) is a locally run, non-profit baseball league for kids, ages 3 thru 18, formed in 1969. In 1998 CYB became associated with PONY Baseball of America. CYB is run by an all-volunteer Board of Directors elected annually by its members. See the CYB By-Laws for more details.

What is "PONY Baseball"? (return to top)

PONY stands for "Protect Our Nation's Youth". PONY Baseball of America is a non-profit corporation started in 1951 and is a national competitor to the better known "Little League".

Are players allowed to play in an older age bracket? (return to top)

In general the answer is "yes", as long as the parents feel that their child is ready and realize that he will be playing against children at least two years older. Players requesting to “play up" more than one year require full board approval.

Are players allowed to play in a younger age bracket? (return to top)

Unfortunately, mostly due to liability constraints, we generally do not allow players to play in a younger age bracket. Requests for an exception must be made to the division coordinator and the approval of the board is required.

Can 3 & 4-year-olds play in CYB? (return to top)

Yes, we offer a "Pee-wee" division for ages 3 & 4. However, players must be at least 3 years old by January 1 for the spring season or July 1 for the fall season. 4-year-olds are allowed to play in the Shetland division if the parents feel that their child is mature enough to play with 5 & 6-year-olds.

How is a player's age bracket determined? (return to top)

For the spring season a player's age for the season is determined by what his age will be on April 30 of that year. For example, if a player's 11th birthday is on April 15, he must play in the Bronco division - even though he will only be 10 when the season begins. For the fall season the cutoff date is December 31 of that year.

How are teams formed? (return to top)

For the Pee-wee, Shetland & Pinto (ages 3-8) divisions, teams are formed either by coach request or by neighborhood.
For the Mustang & Bronco (ages 9-12) recreational divisions in the spring, coaches may protect three players (plus one more if they recruit a sponsor) and the remainder of the team is drafted (see below).
For the Pony & Colt (ages 13-18) recreational divisions in the spring, coaches may protect up to 9 players and the remainder of the team is drafted (see below).
For the Mustang, Bronco, Pony, & Colt competitive divisions in the spring, coaches bring in a full team of 12 players.
Tryouts/Draft: All registered, non-protected players are requested to attend a tryout session which the coaches use to evaluate the players. The coaches then draft the players onto their teams. (Note that no players are cut at these tryout sessions; all registered players are placed onto teams.)
"Protected" players are those who are automatically placed on a team based on the team formation criteria above. Protected players must be requested by a coach AND the players must agree to play on that team. For the FALL SEASON, there are NO TRYOUTS OR DRAFT. Coaches may request or bring in as many players as are needed to fill a team.
In both the spring and fall seasons we honor any requests for two players who wish to play together on the same team.
Players may request a particular coach and/or to play on the same team as a friend by indicating this in the special request section of the registration form.

When is registration? (return to top)

Registration is held in January for the spring season and in July for the fall season. The exact dates for registration sessions and deadlines will be posted on the web site.
Note: You must be registered and pay in full by the end of the registration period for CYB to GUARANTEE that your player is placed on a team.

What is required to be a coach? (return to top)

All coaches need to complete the coaching application for each season that they are interested in coaching. No special training is required to coach in CYB. However, we usually provide training for coaches prior to the spring season and strongly recommend that they take advantage of it. Also, the City of Chandler requires that all coaches go through a background check and the link to it can be found on the volunteer website. The fee for the background check is paid by CYB. Please contact us if you have additional questions.

Does CYB need coaches? (return to top)

Yes, we are usually in need of coaches, especially for the younger age divisions. Please fill out a Coaching Application online (click Log In on the menu) and/or check the box (either Head Coach or Assistant Coach) on the registration form if you are interested. A division coordinator will be in contact with you regarding the next steps. Please call or email if you are considering coaching and would like more information.

When does the season start & end? (return to top)

See the League Information page.

How many games are there? (return to top)

See the League Information page.

Where are the games played? (return to top)

See the League Information page.

When are the games played? (return to top)

Games are generally scheduled randomly on weekday evenings and on Saturday mornings. Pee-wee games are normally on Saturday mornings at 8:00. All evening games for the Shetland division start at 5:45. Each field usually has two games scheduled each night or Saturday morning. Please see our League Information page for more information regarding game length, field location, etc.

Where & when are the practices? (return to top)

Practice location, frequency and times are up to the individual coaches. Generally, they are held on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings or afternoons. Depending on the age level teams will usually practice two or three times per week before the season starts, then possibly once a week during the season.

Are players awarded trophies? (return to top)

Trophies and/or other awards are given out in the spring season only. All players in the Pee-wee, Shetland, & Pinto divisions (ages 3-8) receive participation awards at the end of the spring season. In the older divisions (9 and up), awards are usually given to the 1^st, 2^nd, & 3^rd place teams* and to the 1^st & 2^nd place teams in the post-season tournaments*.
(* - depending on the number of teams in the division)

Are uniforms provided? (return to top)

Yes - shirts and hats are provided for all players and up to three coaches per team in all divisions.

Do players have to live in Chandler to play in CYB? (return to top)

By agreement with the City of Chandler, we are allowed to register three players per team who live outside of Chandler. These are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. We are also restricted to a maximum of 10% non-Chandler residents for the league as a whole so we recommend that non-residents register as early as possible. For the purposes of this rule players who live outside of Chandler but attend school within the City of Chandler are considered residents.

What is involved in sponsoring a team? (return to top)

CYB needs local businesses to sponsor our teams to help keep our registration fees low. Please see the Sponsorships section on our website for more information.

Can girls play in CYB? (return to top)

Absolutely - and a number of girls do play in CYB every year, especially in the younger divisions. For those girls who prefer softball, we recommend Chandler Girls Softball.

Is insurance provided for players? (return to top)

Yes, CYB purchases supplemental insurance for all of our players. Any players injured during practice or games are covered.

Can a player request to be on the same team as another player? (return to top)

Yes, as long as the players are registered by the deadline. All such requests are honored for the Pee-wee, Shetland, & Pinto divisions (ages 3-8) - and in all divisions in the fall season, whenever possible. For ages 9 and up in the spring season, two players may request to be drafted together by the same coach (sorry - no more than two players).

Can a player play in CYB if he is playing in another league? (return to top)

CYB has no restrictions regarding a player playing in other leagues at the same time. However, we do ask that the player notify his CYB coach so that the coach is aware of possible conflicts, etc. - and if that player is a pitcher he is expected to work with his coaches to avoid excessive pitching which could cause injury.

How can I find out what type of bat or glove to purchase for my child? (return to top)

These links should help… Baseball Bat Guide & Baseball Glove Guide .