Tee Ball - 5 & 6 Tee
Dorchester Baseball's Tee Ball program is a co-ed entry-level sport designed to introduce emerging players aged 5-6 (league age as of 8.31 of each year) to the game of baseball, to being part of a team and community in a fun and safe environment. We hope to grow a player's love for baseball while planting the seed of fitness and fundamentals into the 10-week season.
Players join tee-ball with varying levels of athletic abilities. We don't expect players to be able to catch a ball at the beginning of a season, this is in part due to the development of 'binocular vision' happening around age 7, so missing a thrown ball at the tee-ball level is not due to lack of athleticism but the hope is that players start to learn the skills for when depth perception develops.
Players will also find interest in other things happening in their environment during games and practices. This does not mean they are not paying attention or having fun. It is perfectly normal for children to explore the world while out in center field. Our volunteer coaches will provide gentle reminders to encourage safety when players get distracted by Grandpa in the stand or a cool bug while in left field.
Everybody hits and plays the field!
Players will learn how to hit off a tee, run bases, and play every fielding position to get players gloves-on knowledge of where all the fielding positions are located (though sometimes children migrate around the field and that is OK!).
Games occur on Saturday mornings at 9:30 and typically last an hour. Each game consists of 3-4 innings and innings change after every player on a team has had a chance to bat.
Do not expect a final score, we do not have "outs" so we can encourage players to learn the fundamentals of the game early on in their baseball development.
Equipment
While soccer or baseball cleats work, any athletic shoe/sneaker will do! The best glove is often the cheapest ($12-$15 at Dick's Sporting Goods) as they tend to be softer, more flexible, and more comfortable. Hand-me-down gloves work great!
Baseball pants look great, but are also not necessary - have your players wear whatever they will be comfortable moving around in.