Little Hawks Baseball Club 2025 Season Tryouts
Tryouts for the Little Hawks Baseball Club 2025 season will be held on Saturday, August 10th, 2024
Location
Mercer Park, 1317 Dover St, Iowa City, IA 52240
Rain Date
If we have rain or wet fields, tryouts will be held the following day, on Sunday, August 11th.
Makeup Tryouts
We ask all players to attend tryouts on Saturday, August 10th, but understand this is a busy time of year for family vacations or other potential last minute conflicts. If your player is not able to attend tryouts on August 10th, you can request a makeup tryout when you complete your registration. Make up tryouts will be the week of August 12th.
Age Divisions
New players to the Little Hawks Baseball Club should register for the age division that corresponds to the grade level they will enter in the fall of 2024.
6U (Kindergarten/Pre-K)*
7U (1st grade)
8U (2nd grade)
9U (3rd grade)
10U (4th grade)
11U (5th grade)
12U (6th grade)
13U (7th grade)
14U (8th grade)*
*6U - We do not hold tryouts for our 6U age division. This is our NEW Development Program designed for kids in Kindergarten. Click here to learn more about this exciting program! (Coming Soon)
*14U- We do not hold tryouts for our 14U age division as 8th graders who will attend City High are able to tryout for the City High freshman baseball team next spring. Players interested in our 14U age division should register (no fee required) and an informational meeting will be scheduled at a later date with all families to discuss and plan for the 14U season.
Players who wish to tryout for an older age division
We do not advocate for players to play on a team that is an older age division than their grade level, however, certain exceptions may be made with club approval. Please email us if you are new to our club and would like your player to tryout for an older age division. Players can register and tryout for one (1) age division. In the event the player is not selected for a team at the older age division, we will make efforts to place the player on a team in the the age division at their grade level.
Players who are eligible to play for a younger age division
Players who are young for their grade and have a birthday on or after May 1st may be eligible to play on a team that is a younger age division than their grade level. We discourage this with certain exceptions for brand new players in our youngest age divisions. Please email us if you are new to our club and would like your player to tryout for a younger age division. To determine if your player is eligible for a younger age division, use the USSSA player age calculator link below.
Tryout Schedule, Saturday, August 10th
Ages 7U-9U are from 8:30am-10:30am (arrive at 8:15am for check in)
Ages 10U-13U are from 10:30am-12:30pm (arrive at 10:15am for check in)
Tryout Preparation Practice Sessions
Tryout preparation practice sessions are for ages 7U-13U. We will focus on preparing players for the skills they will be evaluated on at tryouts. These sessions are optional, but players are encouraged to attend so they can have the best tryout possible. Players do not need to be registered for tryouts to attend a session, but must be registered before the day of tryouts. Practice sessions will be held at Mercer Park on the following dates and times.
- Thursday, August 1st - 7U-10U from 5:30pm-7:00pm and 11U-13U from 7:00pm-8:30pm
- Tuesday, August 6th - 7U-10U from 5:30pm-7:00pm and 11U-13U from 7:00pm-8:30pm
- Thursday, August 8th - 7U-10U from 5:30pm-7:00pm and 11U-13U from 7:00pm-8:30pm
Tryout Format
During tryouts, players are evaluated on the skills below. Additionally, players will interact with coaches who will assess their interactions with other players, resilience, coachability, and baseball IQ. As Little Hawks, building character is equally as important as building baseball skills.
- Speed & Agility
- Hitting
- Infield
- Outfield
- Pitcher - For all players ages 8U-10U, optional for non-pitchers for ages 11U-13U, and no evaluation for 7U.
- Catcher - Optional for non-catchers for ages 11U-13U, and no evaluation for 7U-10U. All players who attend the tryout preparation practice session on August 1st will go through catcher drills with Coach Bob Hall.
What to bring to tryouts and other important instructions
- Players should bring their baseball glove, baseball bat, batting helmet, and a water bottle.
- Players should wear baseball pants and baseball cleats.
- Players will receive a t-shirt to wear during tryouts.
- Please arrive 15 minutes early to check in.
- Parents are welcome to stay at Mercer Park if they would like to watch tryouts. If parents leave, please return 30 minutes before the end of tryouts in case we finish early.
How to Register
All players must complete online registration before the day of tryouts. Click register at the bottom of the page to enter the registration portal. There is a non-refundable $25 tryout fee that is paid during the registration process, and is non-refundable.
Announcement of Tryout Results
Parents will receive tryout results via email approximately two weeks after make up tryouts. Players selected for a team will complete a parent/player contract and pay club fees of $175 within 48 hours of being notified. A payment plan will be available for families. While it is our goal for all players to be placed on a Little Hawks Baseball Club team, some players may not be selected. Parents of players not selected for a team will be notified approximately two weeks after makeup tryouts.
Fees and Expenses
- Tryout Fee - All players who participate in the tryout process pay a non-refundable fee of $25.00. This money is used to pay for the expenses associated with tryouts.
- Club Fee - Club fees are paid per player, per season. Club fees for the 2025 season are $175.00. This money is used to pay for the club’s operating expenses including indoor and outdoor practice field rental, team insurance, team training equipment, and other miscellaneous operating expenses. Club fees are due immediately after being notified of placement on one of our teams.
- Team Fee - Team fees are paid per player, per season, and are paid after January 1st. This money is applied directly to the player’s team account and is used to pay for the team’s tournament registrations, league fees, and other minor team expenses. Team fees are currently set at $150.00 for 7U, and $250.00 for 8U-13U. These amounts typically do not cover the team’s total expenses, which vary by team based on the number of tournaments played. Most teams will need to participate in club organized fundraising, obtain sponsorships, or organize team fundraisers to raise the additional funds needed for their team.
- Uniforms & Equipment - Players are also responsible for the purchase of the required uniform and gear. The uniform includes 2 jerseys (1 for 7U), pants, belt, socks, and hat. Approximate cost for the uniform is between $125 and $200. Players also provide their own cleats, glove, bat, helmet, bag, etc.
Scholarships
The Little Hawks Baseball Club offers scholarships to players who are in need of financial assistance. For more information on our scholarship program please email us.
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