Select Baseball

Our first level of competitive baseball, Leaside's highly successful Select program focuses on commitment, instruction of skills and implementation of strategies beyond those encountered in House League.

Select
Leaside Leafs Logo - high res

Our Select teams play in the fun and highly competitive Toronto East Select loop.

LEASIDE LEAFS 2024 SEASON SELECT TEAMS

 

13U | 2011 birth year | Coach: Steve Orchard

12U | 2012 birth year | Coach: Marcus Dikler

11U | 2013 birth year | Coach: Darrin Pruss

10U | 2014 birth year | Coach: Brian Dooley

9U | 2015 birth yearCoach: Andrew Vlasman

8U | 2016 birth year | Coach: Mike Loizides

Select Champs

Just a handful of our 2022 Tournament Champions!

By leasidebaseball | August 16, 2022

A small tribute to all those working so hard to develop young talent through Leaside Baseball. Bravo, and Thanks!   – Howard Birnie

15U Select Back to Back TBA Champions!

By leasidebaseball | August 16, 2022

Leaside Girls Finish First!

By leasidebaseball | July 14, 2019 |

Leaside Girls Baseball Summer Mosquito Team takes FIRST PLACE at the 2019 Royal York Girls Baseball Mega Tournament – Congrats on bringing home the GOLD!!!!  Thank you Royal York Baseball Association for hosting a great Girls Baseball Tournament!

Leaside Rookieball Selects are 2018 City Champions!

By leasidebaseball | August 12, 2018

The Leaside Major Rookieball Selects (9U) team peaked at the right time and swept through the TBAs — going 6-0 en route to the City Championship.  The road was not easy as they had to beat their three toughest competitors in the same day including a spectacular come from behind effort against East York, eventually…

Leaside’s Mosquito Selects Win TBA Crown!

By leasidebaseball | August 12, 2018

After a gruelling full day of baseball, Leaside went into Saturday night facing a well rested and top ranked North Toronto A’s.  The Leafs were tired and were down 8-4 late with time running out.  The Leafs then summoned the energy, sent up 13 batters in the final inning scored 8 runs to win one…

ABOUT LEASIDE LEAFS SELECT BASEBALL

Q: What is Select baseball?

A: Select baseball is typically the next level of increased competition and commitment up from House League baseball.  Rep baseball is typically another level of competition and commitment up above Select baseball.

Q: What is the official season for Rep and Select baseball?

A: The Select regular season typically starts the last weekend in May and ends in mid-August.  There are typically 9-10 regular season games (split between home and away) as well as a small handful of exhibition games.  Additionally, Select teams play between one and three weekend tournaments during the season (including the TBA playoffs in mid-August).  The number of tournaments and exhibition games is set out by the head coach in consultation with parents in the winter.  Additionally, Select teams practice once or twice per week.

About half of all tournaments are travel tournaments, requiring overnight hotel stays for the team players and families.

Select teams typically (but not in all cases) play their regular season games on Sundays.

Q: Where will we play in the summer?

A: The Leaside Leafs try our very best to have home games as close to the community as we can.  However, due to the incredible interest in the Rep and Select programs we are forced to have home fields spread from within Leaside to the Beaches to just north of the 401.  We are doing our best consolidate our home field permits closer to Leaside.

Select teams play in the TBA East circuit and play their away games throughout the central and eastern part of Toronto.

Our practice fields are typically within or closer to Leaside than game fields as they do not require the same standard of upkeep and facilites.  Almost all practice fields are inside Leaside or within a 15 minute drive from Leaside.

Q: What is the commitment required for Select baseball in the winter?

A: Select teams training in the winter is typically determined on a team-by-team basis but generally starts on a weekly schedule in early January.

Teams typically train in the winter in local school gyms, as well as turfed sports domes and batting cages around Toronto

Q: My child plays other competitive sports, such as skiing and hockey. Is this a problem?  What is the expectation on commitment to the team?

A: We understand that young athletes are often involved in other sports. In fact, we encourage participation in other sports as it provides cross-training benefits and reduces the risks of single sport physical and emotional burnout.   Through the winter, we ask that players attend as many of the baseball practices as they reasonably can. If players have a regular conflict with winter sports they can consider going to another Leaside team’s non-conflicting practice during the winter or one of our several weekly baseball training clinics.

However, starting April 1, we ask that baseball becomes the priority sport. If players are absent from many games or practices they are letting the team down, they are not developing as baseball players and they are filling a spot on the team that could have been given to another player.  So we ask that only players and families that can make the commitment join these teams.

Generally, starting April 1, coaches expect players to attend at least 80% of all games and practices.  Coaches will set their own guidelines for attendance in the winter based on team philosophy and individual player circumstances.

Q: Is there any break from baseball during the summer? What if we want to go on vacation, to the cottage or away to camp?

A: Select teams generally do not have a "blackout" period where they take a break in the summer.  Having said this, Select teams do often take extra players on the roster to permit flexibility and allow families to take meaningful summer vacation time.  Discuss with your coach what attendance expectations there are for the team and how your family's summer schedule could be accomodated.

Q: What are team fees?

A: Team fees can vary considerably based on two factors: (1) the frequency and quality of winter training facilities selected by the team and (2) the amount of professional and/or semi-professional coaching and instruction the team elects to use.  In most cases the fee ranges are as follows:

Select teams: $1,000 to $1,500

These fees do not include the cost of player’s individual equipment (e.g. baseball glove, cleats), player uniforms and cost of travel.

Q: What equipment does a player need?

A: A player requires the following personal equipment: uniform (fitting and ordering coordinated by the team in the winter), cleats, sliding shorts or jock/jill with cup, baseball glove, batting helmet (some teams provide this), baseball bag (some teams has standardized), bat (most teams can provide this).

Q: How many players are on a team?

A: Generally Select rosters range from 13 to 16 players.

When a Select team is short players for a game they may call-up a player from House League or the Select team in the age group younger.

Q: I don’t really know what level of play my child can play.  Which tryout should we come to?

A: Our recommendation is that if you are not sure of your child’s level of play that you come to the first Rep AAA tryout.  There will be players of many skill and experience levels at that first tryout.  From there parents, players and coaches can make a determination of their comfort level and assess if they should proceed with the Rep AAA tryout path or skip to the first Rep AA or Select tryout.

It is most common that a player with no prior baseball experience above House League, and no supplemental training (such as baseball camp) is ultimately most appropriate for the Select or Rep AA tryout.  Having said this, there are several examples in the younger age groups of special players jumping straight from House League to Rep AAA.

Q: What if I played for a Rep or Select team in a different association last year?

A: If the last Rep or Select baseball that a player played was outside of the Leaside Baseball Association, they player no longer need to produce a release document from their prior association before participating in Leaside Leafs tryouts.  Having said this, should they be offered a roster spot on a Leaside Leafs team they are required to produce a release from their prior association before joining.

Q: Can girls play on the Leaside Leafs?

A: Absolutely!  Some of the finest baseball players in the Leaside Leafs Rep and Select program are girls.

Q: How will I know if my child made or didn’t make a team?

A: Not all players that try out will make a Leaside Leafs Select team.  Within the week following a team’s final tryout the head coach will send an email to the player’s family indicating that the player has made the team, has not made the team, or has not yet made the team but is still being considered.  Many times notice comes much sooner than that.

If a player finds out that they have not made a Leaside Leafs Select team they are invited to participate in the Leaside House League in the spring as well as tryout for a Leaside Leafs Select team next year.  We also encourage kids with a passion for baseball to consider the summer Leaside Baseball Camp and the fall and winter Leaside Baseball Clinics, which has proven to be a highly effective training environment for Rep and Select players.