Amateur baseball is baseball in which the players either are not paid for playing , or (as in Town Team Baseball ) receive only a modest stipend or employment arranged by the team 's boosters . Amateur baseball is played in the United States by players of all ages, from young children to adults .
16-493: Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate from early June to early August. In contrast to college baseball , which allow aluminum or other composite baseball bats , players in these leagues use only wooden bats, hence
32-649: A course, Fundamentals of Coaching. The NFHS has announced that it will offer a National Coach Certification in September 2009. This will enable to coaches to become a Level 1 - Accredited Interscholastic Coach issued by the NFHS. The National High School Hall of Fame is a program of the National Federation of State High School Associations that honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to high school sports or performing arts. Since 1986,
48-735: A non-member that uses NFHS rules. The AHSAA will not allow its members to play AISA schools but the AISA schools do compete with public and private schools outside of Alabama. Iowa has separate governing associations for boys' and girls' sports, including the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union . Only the Iowa High School Athletic Association
64-484: Is a full member of the NFHS; the girls' governing body is an affiliate member. The provincial associations of Canada are affiliate members of the NFHS. The NFHS publishes rules books for each sport or activity, and most states adopt those rules wholly for state high school competition including the non member private school associations. The NFHS offered an online Coach Education Program in January 2007. It released
80-674: Is a full member; the largest association governing non-public schools, the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools , is an affiliate member, while other governing bodies are not NFHS members at any level. Similarly, the Virginia High School League , open only to public schools, is a full member, the state's largest association for non-public schools is an affiliate member, and other governing bodies are not members at all. The case in Mississippi
96-631: Is played throughout the United States. High schools often have freshman , junior-varsity , and varsity teams . Some middle schools offer baseball programs. In the 2014-15 season, 486,567 boys and 1,203 girls played baseball at the National Federation of State High School Associations . American Legion Baseball is popular with junior-high- and senior-high-school students from ages 13 to 19. American Legion also provides regional, state, and national playoffs. College baseball
112-566: Is sanctioned by the NCAA , NAIA , and NCBA . College baseball players, especially professional prospects, often also play in collegiate summer baseball leagues during the off-season. In these leagues, their lodging and meals are provided by their host team, but no money changes hands. Many collegiate summer baseball leagues are affiliated to the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball , National Amateur Baseball Federation or
128-498: Is slightly different; the body governing public schools is a full member, while the body governing private schools is not an NFHS member at any level. In the state of Alabama, the public schools and a handful of private schools compete in the AHSAA ( Alabama High School Athletic Association ) which is a full member of the NFHS. The majority of private schools in the state are members of the AISA ( Alabama Independent School Association )
144-701: The National Baseball Congress . The MLB Draft League debuted in 2021. National Federation of State High School Associations The National Federation of State High School Associations ( NFHS ) is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States . NFHS's headquarters are located in White River State Park in Indianapolis , Indiana. Over 19,500 high schools belong to associations that are members of
160-822: The "National Youth Baseball Champion." The tournament organizer is the Major Youth Baseball Alliance, LLC, which was formed by eight major national youth baseball organizations, whose programs have more than eight million participants. The eight organizations are: AABC (American Amateur Baseball Congress), AAU (Amateur Athletic Union of the United States), Babe Ruth Baseball, Dixie Youth Baseball, NABF (National Amateur Baseball Federation), Pony Baseball, Super Series Baseball of America, and USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association). From 1998 (or earlier) through 2010 (or later), there has been an annual, national all-stars tournament each June —
176-529: The NFHS. Most high schools, whether public or private , belong to their state's high school association; in turn, each state association belongs to the NFHS. However, in states that have separate associations for public and non-public high schools, only the public-school bodies are full NFHS members. For example, the Texas University Interscholastic League (public schools, with non-public schools generally not allowed)
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#1732800912050192-882: The USA Baseball Tournament of Stars; its predecessor was the National Amateur All-Star Baseball Tournament (NAABT). The tournament features the top 16- to 18-year-old players from various baseball organizations, including the American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC), American Legion, Babe Ruth Baseball, Dixie Baseball, National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF), PONY baseball, Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), and at-large teams from USA Baseball (the governing body of amateur baseball). School baseball
208-495: The collegiate summer season. These draftees can remain with their collegiate summer team until they sign a professional contract. During the season, players are housed by volunteer host families and bussed to and from road games. The leagues vary greatly in their attendances, quality of play, and ability to attract scouts. The Alaska Baseball League (ABL) and the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) are considered
224-701: The common nickname of these leagues as "wood-bat leagues". Collegiate summer leagues allow college baseball players the ability to compete using professional rules and equipment, giving them experience and allowing professional scouts the opportunity to observe players under such conditions. To find a collegiate summer team, players work with their college coaches and prospective teams' general managers. They report to summer leagues after completing their spring collegiate season with their NCAA , NAIA , NJCAA , CCCAA , and NWAC teams. Some players arrive late due to their college team's postseason play, which sometimes runs into early June. In some cases, players are drafted during
240-544: The two premier collegiate summer leagues. This list is organized by federation. Source: Chicago Suburban Baseball League Amateur baseball in the United States Leagues for various skill levels and age groups exist throughout the US. In ascending order of age participation, here are a few examples: Youth baseball is played by elementary -school-age and high-school -age children of both genders . Of
256-539: The various leagues listed below, Little League baseball is the most widespread. The Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, draws participants from around the world and is televised in the US on ESPN. The first annual National Youth Baseball Championships (NYBC) tournament was held in August 2008 for players in two divisions: 10U and 12U. The purpose of the tournament is to recognize one team as
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