FAQs

Just speak to a Board member or coach at registration or attend a GJLS meeting. You may also complete a Volunteer Form and return it to GJLS.
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When are GJLS meetings held?

Check the calendar on the GJLS website for meeting dates, times and locations. Board meetings are generally held on the first Monday of the first full week of each month. Board meetings are held throughout the year.
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When does the season start?

Practices for the 2020 Spring season will start on Saturday April 4, and the regular season begins on May 2.
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How long does the season last?

The season will end by July 3.   Near the end of June, all teams compete in a post-season tournament. Generally speaking, you should plan on playing two or more tournament games. The softball seasons may run longer.
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What days do you practice and play games?

T Ball will have a practice on either Monday or Wednesday, with a game on Saturday.  A Minor and AA have a games or practices Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  AMajor and AAA have games or practice Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays.  During the season, the scheduled practice day will also serve as a day to be used for possible makeup games.   If we see a stretch of steady bad weather, teams may need to schedule practices and/or make-up games on Sundays, but Sundays are used only as a last resort.
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How often do you practice or play games?

Plan on practicing and/or playing games at least three times each week, with T Ball practicing or playing only twice a week.  Some coaches may schedule additional practices.
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Where do you practice and play?

Baseball and T Ball generally use the following facilities:  Academy Park, Woodside Green Park, Gahanna Middle School West, Goshen Lane Elementary, and Jefferson Elementary.

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How old do you need to be to play T-Ball?

T-Ball is generally played by five and six year-olds. The child’s attention-span is a key factor in determining if he/she is ready to play. Very few six year-olds play up at the next level (A-Minor, which is sometimes referred to as “Coach-Pitch”).
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Can my daughter play baseball if she doesn’t want to play softball?

Yes, girls are eligible to play in the baseball leagues. However, for safety reasons, boys are not eligible to play in the softball leagues.
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Do I need to buy a uniform?

GJLS provides each player with a Major League Baseball replica hat & jersey. The players must supply their own pants, (black shorts for softball), socks, shoes, and fielders gloves. Most teams wear white pants, however some teams may decide on their own to wear gray or some other color or pattern.  Only high school and Pony baseball players are permitted to wear shoes with metal spikes. All other leagues are limited to shoes with plastic spikes.
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How much are registration fees?

The fees vary based on the level of play. Go to the “Handouts” section of the website to find the registration fees for the various GJLS leagues.
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Who do I make my check payable to?

“Gahanna Junior League Sports, Inc.” or just “GJLS”
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What is a “Non-resident Fee”?

The City of Gahanna imposes and collects a $20 fee for Non-residents of Gahanna. The fee is NOT based on your ZIP Code. It is based on the actual location of your residence. IF you live in a neighborhood that is in Columbus or some other community, you must pay the fee EVEN THOUGH your ZIP code says Gahanna. On the contrary, some neighborhoods that are actually IN Gahanna are not assessed the fee even though they have a New Albany ZIP.
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What is a “tryout”?

A tryout is held for each league except for tee-ball. Tryouts solely for evaluation–the coach’s for that league will evaluate the player’s ability, and decide which players will be on their team in a draft held after the tryout.  Attendance at the tryout/evaluation is extremely important.  The more that players participate in the tryouts/evaluations, the more opportunity coaches have to evenly distribute talent across the teams in your child’s league.  At registration, you will be told if your child needs to attend the tryout for his/her league. The evaluation/tryout is conducted in a school gymnasium–players should were athletic shoes with a nonmarking outsole and bring their glove to the tryout. All eligible players are placed on a GJLS team regardless of ability.
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What does a tryout consist of?

Each player will field a few ground balls and “pop-ups”. After fielding each ball, the player will throw it back to the player/adult assistant. After fielding and throwing, the players will be asked to run to the end of the gym and back. Finally, the players will take three swings with a bat.  Coaches for the league will evaluate your child’s skills as they field, throw, run and swing the bat.
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How does my child get placed on a team?

After the tryout, GJLS will conduct a player draft for the league. Coaches, using their evaluation notes, will take turns selecting players from the pool of eligible registrants. Coaches continue selecting players until all eligible players have been selected. Tee-ball coaches also conduct a draft but will not have any skills assessment notes to work from. Players who do not attend a tryout become “hat-picks” which means they are placed on teams randomly.  At the AAA level, players can be invited to a team by a coach as part of a “pick 6.”  A maximum of six players per coach can be brought to the league as part of a team, with the remaining roster filled out by a draft, and, if necessary, hat picks.
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How do I know what team my child is on?

A few days after the draft, your coach will contact you. Please contact GJLS if you have not heard from your coach by the sixth day following your tryout.
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Will my child be on the same team every year?

Ordinarily not.  Coaches redraft their entire team, save for the children of the head and assistant coach, each year in T-Ball, A Minor, A Major, and AA.  In AAA, the “Pick Six” is implemented to allow a coach to select 6 players to start his team.  The remainder of the team is then drafted as it was in A Minor through AA.
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How are the age groups divided and what are some of the basic rules for those groups?

Click on the “Leagues” link on the left side of this page to see the various age groups and a brief synopsis for each league in GJLS.
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What is Picture Day?

It is held in late April or early May. Professional photographers come to Gahanna and take individual and team pictures. A variety of pictures and packages may be purchased. Your child will receive a flyer from his/her coach around the middle of April. The program is very similar to what you find in schools. Food, drinks and snacks should be available for purchase on picture day. Players should bring their glove and/or bat for use in their individual picture. All players should attend so that they are included in the team picture.
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Does GJLS honor ride share requests?

No. Ride shares are not permitted in order to prevent abuse of the privilege. Unfortunately, there are too many illegitimate requests involving highly-skilled players. This interferes with the league’s efforts to evenly distribute talented players. Extreme hardship cases may be presented to the Board of Directors for consideration. Sufficient evidence of the hardship must be presented to support the request.
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What is Concession Stand duty?

Every parent/guardian is required to work in the concession stand as scheduled by their coach. Generally, this means that you will work three or four times in the stand over the course of the season. Usually it is only for 3 or 4 innings each time you work. GJLS tries to assign concession duty only to the teams who are playing near the stand. This allows the parents to try to keep an eye on their child when they come to bat or play in the field. Speak to a coach or an “veteran” GJLS parent if you want more information.
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Can I pay an extra fee to avoid working in the concession stand?

No. This option was eliminated prior to the start of the 2003 season. The stands need to be staffed in order for GJLS to survive financially. Allowing parents to opt out by paying a fee meant the other parents on the team had to work more often. Therefore working is mandatory for every parent.
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What is Fall Ball?

GJLS runs a fall baseball program that starts in mid-August and runs into October. Sign-ups begin in June. Look for registration flyers posted at the concession stand or on the website.
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Who pays for the “travel teams” sanctioned by GJLS?

Travels teams pay registration fees to GJLS like all other players. In exchange for the player fees paid, teams receive only diamond space, including bases, diamond dry, chalk, chalkers, grooming equipment including the drags, rakes and tractors, as well as a set of catcher’s gear. Other than the catcher’s gear, all expenses are paid by the teams themselves. This includes uniforms, balls, umpires, insurance, league fees, tournament entry fees and all travel expenses. Because teams pay for their own uniforms, balls and umpires, the registration fee paid to GJLS is reduced by a little over 50%. Teams participate in various fundraisers throughout the year to help offset the expenses incurred by the teams.
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Where can I find out about weather cancellations?

With 11 different playing sites, GJLS is unable to provide a “rain hotline” or to use this website to notify people regarding field playability. Each of our over 20 diamonds drain and dry differently. Therefore, coaches and commissioners will need inspect the fields and decide if they are playable on any given day. After a decision is made, the coaches will contact the players on their team to let them know if there are weather cancellations or delays. Unless notified otherwise, players should presume that their game or practice will take place as scheduled. Any parents who would like to help with phones calls or field assessment should talk to their team’s coach. This is a great way to volunteer and the assistance will be greatly appreciated!
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Why are the fees higher than other youth sports?

To the extent this is the case, the simple answer is that it costs more to operate.

Registration fees cover the cost of playing the season. Uniforms, balls, equipment, umpires, etc. are paid primarily from registration fees. GJLS spends over $7,000 a year for baseballs and softballs alone. Portable toilets and trash dumpsters are some of the less-glamourous expenses that GJLS incurs.

GJLS signs a contract with the school district for use of the fields. The school district provides only grass mowing back to the league. GJLS pays for everything else,from dirt and top soil to to fence and dugout repair/construction. A contract is also signed with the City to use the city parks fields, and a Sport User Fee is paid to the City per player, per season of participation for leagues that play on city fields.  For more information on Sport User Fees, please read the Sport User Fee FAQ. The City Parks/Rec budget provides the league with more support than do the Schools, but not nearly as much as some other Central Ohio suburbs with higher tax bases.

GJLS typically uses fundraiser and concession money for capital expenditures (tractors, building repairs, ice machines, fence repair, etc.). The league also attempts to set aside some funds to help with plans to offset the cost of moving operations out of the City Service Complex. Also, beginning in 2007, the city required GJLS to purchase insurance for all players.

GJLS surveys other Central Ohio programs each year, and GJLS fees are less than almost all of other programs surveyed. In general, the programs that are less expensive than GJLS are ones that are run by their city or that receive significant financial/other support from their parks dept. or school district.
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