The Warren Park Youth Baseball Little League (WPYBLL) All Star program is designed for players who want additional instruction and to play games against similarly skilled players in the Chicagoland area.  The program is currently targeted for players ages 8-12 and that play in the WPYBLL house baseball league.

Q: Who is eligible to try-out?
A: Any player looking to supplement his or her house league play with a more competitive level of playing is welcome to try out. All All Star team members are required to play in the Warren Park house program in addition to their all-star team. Age requirements for the All Star teams are aligned with the National Little League Age Divisions, noted on the attached chart.

Q: What is the time commitment for a Warren Park All-Star Family?
A: The Warren Park All Stars play in a regional league against other teams in the city and suburbs. Typically, these leagues schedule 16-18 games and target half to be home and half to be away games. League play is typically on Saturdays and/or Sundays. During the summer season, there is usually one game and one team practice weekly and house league games are scheduled to avoid conflicts. The teams will also play in 2 holiday weekend tournaments – 1 on Memorial Day weekend and 1 on the 4th of July weekend in which the number of games is dependent on team success. If selected to be on an All Star team, your family is accepting the commitment to prioritize attendance to games, practices, winter training sessions, and both holiday tournaments. While we understand that players can have other activities, the team rosters are chosen to maximize playing time and opportunities. If players do not show up for practices or games, it becomes more challenging for the team to bond and work together. Illnesses cannot be planned, but family vacations, sleep away camps, and other activities should be scheduled around the All Star schedule. Typically, the season would end in early to mid-July, leaving plenty of time to enjoy other summer activities.

Q: Is there additional training and coaching provided?
A: There are 10 weeks of winter training provided at a local indoor facility. This training consists of both athletic training as well as fundamental skills training and occurs twice weekly. Coaches are chosen by the house league and will provide in and out of game support for the team.

Q: What is the cost for the program and what is included in that price?
A: The cost for the whole program, from January through July, is $750. This price covers the cost of the winter training, the cost of the league the teams play in, the entrance fees for the tournaments, uniform costs, as well as the equipment and admin cost for the All-Star team. It would not include lodging costs for tournaments, which is a completely optional choice for families.

Q: How does the selection process work?
A: The players will be evaluated at try-outs, then invitations will be sent to the players selected by Warren Park representatives. The families who receive invitations will receive instructions on what they need to do to accept and place a down payment. Once all positions have been filled, emails will be sent to all who tried out to let them know they have not been chosen. This will not happen until after the make-up date.

The All Star program is for players in 12U and younger, and follow the age ranges of the Lakeshore Feeder Baseball League.  While we hope to field at least one team in each of 8U, 9U, 10U, 11U and 12U that will depend on player and coach availability.

Q: What is an alternate?
A: An alternate is a player who is not on the regular game roster but would be eligible to play in games where the team is shorthanded due to illness, injury, or other conflicts. These players would reap the benefits of participating in the winter training sessions and in-season practices. They would also pay a reduced price of $395. The option to have alternatives will be determined by the team coaches and WPYBLL administration.

Q: Is there equal playing time?
A: All players in attendance take their at-bats in the games. If there are more than 9 players at a game, players will alternate playing in the field. The innings spent on the bench are not equal, but much like house, kids would not sit more than 2 innings/game unless there were issues involving injury or discipline. The All Star teams are set-up to complement the existing house league and provide an avenue for dedicated, talented players to benefit from some additional training and games. This is not a full-time travel program that results in 30-40 additional games and tournaments. Those programs can be too much for the younger players and families. The games can be a bit more competitive, but players, families, and coaches are expected to act in a manner representative of what we expect from WPYBLL families.