Lakes Area Recreation Association

New for 2012.  All Head coaches of our baseball and softball programs will receive a $40 gift card, for each team you coach, at the end of the season after all equipment is handed in.  T-ball coaches will receive a $20 gift card.

This incentive program is intended to reward coaches for their time and help league coordinators get volunteers to coach the teams.

LARA is looking for someone to assist with field scheduling for baseball and softball for  2012 and beyond.   We will provide all of the training and support needed.  This is a great way to volunteer and give back to your community.  Please e-mail lakesarearec@frontiernet.net if interested.

Please note:  Baseball and softball programs are scheduled after teams are created.  Each league may start and/or stop a week or two earlier or later than posted depending on weather conditions.  You will be contacted by your coach prior to your first practice.

Practice Season may begin as early as May 1st.  Depending on the field conditions and the availability of practice fields.  Please be prepared to begin practices in early May.  The season listed above is the game season.

Saturday, April 28th, beginning at 9:00 AM equipment will be handed out at the CL Hockey Arena.  A coaches clinic will take place in the arena.  The time will be posted soon.

LARA has added a 10U traveling team this season.  If your child wants to play a more competetive level of baseball, please register for the 10U traveling team.  Information is available in the Traveling Sports part of the website.

When will we hear what team our child is on? I sent the registration in the first week.

We will begin making teams in April after we have all the "on-time" registrations. It will take a week or two to divide the forms into teams, find coaches for every team and type up the rosters - (we have about 1000 children participating in our baseball, softball and t-ball leagues and it's all done by volunteers). If all goes well, coaches will be notified and given rosters by the end of April and can begin calling their kids the first week of May.

I missed the registration deadline. Can my child still play?

No – We need to close registration to create teams and give coordinators engough time to prepare for the season.  

Can I request that my child be on a team with his/her friend or with a specific coach?

Our program is growing fast. Please understand that we've had to make a few changes this year to accommodate the growth and keep our volunteers sane. Each year we receive hundreds of special requests for specific teams, teammates, and coaches for a large variety of reasons. There is, however, no way we can honor all of those requests, be fair to everyone, and maintain balanced teams. In an effort to be fair to everyone, we ask that you refrain from making those requests, as we will be unable to honor them this year. Please stress to your children that summer ball is a great opportunity for them to expand their social life and make new friends.

Can my child play “up” a level?
 

No. All children must register and play at their current grade level. Each year we receive many requests for children to play up a level for multiple reasons: ranging from being big for their age, highly skilled, held back a year in school so really is older, want siblings on same team, dance or other activities conflict with the game night for their own level, all the neighborhood kids are on the older team and their child will feel left out if not on that team, needing transportation from someone on an older team, and wanting to be on same team as friend or neighbor who is older, as well as many variations or combinations of these.
While this was allowed in the past at times, we received many complaints that some children were allowed to move up and others weren't. People were rightfully upset that some were allowed to play up and others weren't. The board decided that if one person is allowed the opportunity to “play up”, it needs to be allowed for everyone. We then run the risk of “watering down” each level resulting in a dramatic increase in requests for children to move up. With involvement of approximately 1000 youth, on 100 teams at 10 different age levels this can quickly become unmanageable. Again, in an effort to be fair to everyone, we ask that you refrain from making those requests, as we will be unable to honor them this year.