The Select program time commitment is significantly higher than the Recreational programs. The fall practice season (varies by coach) is considered to be instructional and is more relaxed. WAVERLY RIPTIDE supports young athletes playing multiple sports, especially in the fall. Given this, schedule conflicts with other activities in the fall are expected and accommodated to the degree practicable. In the spring/summer, a Select player’s primary athletic commitment is expected to be baseball.

The financial commitment for Select is also higher than for the Recreational programs, although the costs remain far lower than privately run travel teams in the area. Additional costs for Select teams relative to Recreational league costs include uniforms, tournament fees, private instruction, travel expenses, equipment, and other related expenses. WAVERLY RIPTIDE Select teams are provided access to Waverly fields for practice and games.

Although the exact number of games played from season to season or team to team fluctuates, Select teams typically play 30-60 games in the spring and summer. Games come from tournament play and from play in weeknight and weekend single and double header games.

Interested candidates must submit a completed coach application/request to the WAVERLY RIPTIDE Board of Directors by the posted deadline to be considered for coach selection.

The Coaches Selection Committee, comprised of at least two WAVERLY RIPTIDE Board of Directors, will interview each candidate. Coaches must agree to abide by the rules, protocols, expectations, and philosophies of WAVERLY RIPTIDE in order to be considered, which also includes expectations for parent/team communications. All of this is discussed during the interview process.

Coaches will be subject to a full background check.

A tryout at each age group will be held for all positions and roster spots prior to each season (typically early July for the following year spring/summer season).

A player must try out to be eligible to be placed on a team. Players are expected to be registered to attend a tryout. Payment is not required until a player has been placed on a team. Although technically protected, the head coach’s son(s) is required to participate in the tryout and be scored like others who attend the tryout. It is possible that the head coach’s son might be a “bubble” or “on the edge” player, which is acceptable in many cases, as WAVERLY RIPTIDE focuses on the larger good for purposes of selecting who the head coach should be from the pool of individuals who apply.

If a player cannot attend a predetermined tryout or tryout make-up, the player cannot be considered eligible for a Select team unless the WAVERLY RIPTIDE Board of Directors has granted an exception.

A head coach or tryout director may choose to have certain players stay behind for additional repetitions at the end of a tryout or invite certain players to a second tryout to ensure the most appropriate selections are made for each team. Head coaches are expected to attend all tryout dates for their age group.

Each tryout requires an Independent Evaluator(s) to be present to evaluate each player and provide those evaluations to the head coaches for review and consideration. The Independent Evaluator is required to be present for the primary tryout only; however, it is ideal and encouraged to attempt to have the Independent Evaluator attend make-up tryouts if possible. The independent evaluator will have no direct affiliations or connections to the specific age group.

Only the head coaches, or volunteers from other age divisions, should facilitate the tryout (i.e., hitting balls, throwing balls, etc.). Parents with kids trying out may assist in keeping kids organized on the field if requested by the head coaches. Any other exceptions should be approved by the WAVERLY RIPTIDE Board of Directors in advance.

Independent Evaluator notes/rankings are to be kept confidential and maintained by the head coach for a period of 30 days after rosters have been posted.

Player selection will be as objective and data driven as possible and it is expected players will be selected by the Coach(s) based upon ability, attitude, baseball knowledge, and other relevant attributes. Ultimately, the goal is to draft the best and most qualified players to each team. The top team (or Blue Team) will draft first and should be comprised of the most qualified players and then the second team (or Orange Team) will draft second. It is strictly prohibited to lock in rosters from season to season and any exceptions are to be discussed and approved by the Board of Directors. The goal of the tryout process and the philosophy of WAVERLY RIPTIDE is to provide an opportunity for players to advance over time and to have a chance of making a team above where they’ve played in prior seasons.

All players drafted by a head coach should be contacted by the head coach to discuss expectations, commitment, etc. prior to rosters being posted to ensure the player is truly willing to accept the invitation. Equally as important, any incumbent player bumped from a team (first to second, second to neither team, etc.) must receive a call from the team’s head coach prior to rosters being posted.

Some head coaches may elect to secure paid coaches to augment the duties of the head coach to ensure appropriate specialized instruction is provided to each player. The plan for this and estimated additional costs must be approved in advance by the WAVERLY RIPTIDE Board of Directors to ensure reasonableness. Also, this should be disclosed to the families of the players in advance, preferably when the coach notifies the family the intent to draft their child to a team. This only applies to paid instructors contributing in a material way to an entire team regularly throughout a season and does not apply to the occasional addition of paid instructors. This also does not apply to individual private instruction. While it is encouraged that each family make the head coach aware of any private instruction (paid or not) their child is receiving, it is the responsibility and decision of that family to manage individual private instruction for their child.

WAVERLY RIPTIDE has a Parental Appeals Process. The Parental Appeals Process can only be used when a player chooses to move down from the first team to the second team. The Parental Appeals Process cannot be used to request a move from the second team to the first team in any instance and with no exceptions. All Appeals should be directed to the WAVERLY RIPTIDE Board of Directors.

Each team will be named ‘AGE’U Waverly Riptide ‘Color’. The top team is commonly referred to as the Blue Team and the second team is referred to as the Orange Team.

The number of players to be rostered on each team is at the discretion of the head coach. 12 maximum unless approved by the WAVERLY RIPTIDE Board of Directors

The top team, over time, is expected to play at a higher USSSA level and the bottom team typically at a lower USSSA level. This is largely based upon the talent and success of each team and ultimately decided by the USSSA system.

Players are able to play at their age on April 30th of the season year. Waverly Riptide does promote players play on teams with their school grade in lieu of playing ‘down’. The reason for this would be if a significant number of players are playing down, they would more than likely opt to play legion baseball their freshman season and potentially leave a 14U Riptide team short players. This will be evaluated on a team by team and player by player basis and decisions recommended based on the best outcome for both the player(s) and the team(s).

Waverly Riptide has a residency requirement, which means players must: (1) attend school within the District 145 School District or (2) live in the City of Waverly or District 145. Non-district residents may be accepted to help fill a roster when numbers allow. Non-district player situations can also be evaluated and approved by the Board of Directors.