Below you will find information for the 2022 Junior Lancer Baseball teams.

TRYOUTS

Please Register for the tryout at the "Register Online" page. We like to see how many kids are coming, but it also allows us to contact just the select group of kids if a tryout is postponed or changed.

All teams operate in a a "Londonderry first" model - so priority is always given to Londonderry kids.  

Tryouts are held in late July or early August for the following years team.  We follow the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken age cutoff of April 30th/May 1st, so your childs Jr. Lancer baseball age is their age on April 30th of the League year.  A child that is currently 9 but will turn 10 on or before April 30, 2022 would be trying out for the 10U team.  Another way to put it - April 30th birthdays are always one league year older than May 1st birthdays for the same birth year.  Note that kids must tryout for their age group.  The 9U team will be opened up to 8 year-old players only if there are not enough 9 year-olds to form a roster.

Players must attend one of the tryouts to be eligible.  It is recommended, although not required, that players attend both tryouts.  The Dugout Club/Junior Lancer/LAFA evaluators present will work with the Head Coach to select the team.  Players should come dressed with baseball pants, hat and cleats, and bring their glove, helmet and bat (if they have them).  Coaches may have specific catchers drills, so catchers are advised to bring their gear.

2020 COACHES

ABOUT THE JR LANCERS

The Jr. Lancers is a cost-effective Londonderry-based baseball program that fields teams from 9U to 12U, some years 13U.  The Jr. Lancers try to adhere to a Londonderry-first model, where rosters are formed from Londonderry kids when possible.  Only if there is not enough players in an age group will we allow out-of-towners.  The teams play in the very competitive New England Elite Baseball League (EBL - www.elitebaseballleague.com), which is a travel baseball league, so there is some travel required (NH, southeast Maine, and eastern Mass).  Our teams do request as many home games as possible and host them at the LAFA complex.

The Jr Lancer program is meant to supplement the LAFA recreational baseball season, not replace it, allowing kids to play on Rec teams and qualify to play on the LAFA summer All-Star teams.  Practices are during the winter (January - March) and are run by the coaches to work on baseball fundamentals and team strategy.  Teams typically schedule 6-8 Sunday double-headers during April and May, with EBL playoffs in early June.  The 13U schedule is slightly longer going into early July. 

COST OF THE PROGRAM

Our program is run under the Londonderry Lancers Dugout Club which is a non-profit and coached by knowledgable volunteers, therefore the teams are run at cost.  For more information about the Lancers Dugout Club, go to https://www.lancersdugoutclub.org/.

For the 9u-12u teams, a typical tuition is between $700 and $900, and varies depending on factors such as :

1. Number of kids rostered on the team
2. Total cost of winter workouts (1 or 2 practices per week, field choices, extra practices, etc)
3. Participation in a Spring Tournament

Payments (expected schedule for 9u - 12u)

•     First payment ($250) is due upon signing commitment to secure a roster spot.
•     Second payment ($300) is due by Dec. 21st.
•     Balance is due by Mar. 21st.

Uniform costs are separate from the tuition, and the required items (jersey, hat, pants, practice t-shirt) run about $100.

* New for 2020 - We will not be changing the uniforms for 2021, so players can reuse their 2020 jerseys if the jersey fits and is in respectable shape  (the jersey reflects both the player and the program).  We will ask that all players purchase a new hat since since they typically do not hold up well to a long winter thru early summer beating.

13U/14U (if applicable)

These teams have higher expenses (more games and lots more game balls and higher ump costs, etc) and therefore the tuition is expected in the $1100 - $1300 range depending on number of kids, games, and tournaments.  They also may have a slightly different payment schedule (for example $400, $400, balance).  

EXPECTATIONS/AGREEMENT/CODE OF CONDUCT

* New for 2021 

All kids (and parents/guardians) that join a Jr Lancer team will be required to sign an Roster Agreement (we are not calling it a 'contract') and also a "Player Code of Conduct".

Baseball is a team sport, and the team benefits from all players improving their skills.  We as a program and coaches understand that baseball is not a winter sports, and true winter sports will take priority.  But we do ask that all players attempt to make all practices possible in order to improve themselves and the team. 

As mentioned above, we play our double-headers on Sundays (excluding Easter when it falls during the season).  The two Sundays of April School Vacation comprise roughly 25% of our available spring Sundays for games, so there is some expectation that kids are avilable to play on those Sundays.  LAFA does not play on Memorial weekend, so Jr Lancer teams typically try to play that Saturday to get the games in and let familiies enjoy 2/3 of the holiday weekend.

Also, taking a roster spot and signing the Roster Agreement is agreeing to the players full share of tuition, which is simply (total cost / number of players on team).

Another thing for new parents to keep in mind is that at 9u a single game lasts about 2 hours, so a double-header is over 4 hours, excluding travel and warmup time.  As they get older the games do shorten up to about 90 minutes, but in general the double-headers are a big time commitment.

Also, due to COVID-19, all players will be required to sign a Waiver/Release of Liability.

PLAYING TIME

We play in a competitive travel league, therefore playing time is not guaranteed and is up to the Head Coach. 

OUTLINE

In general the Jr Lancer team timeline is as follows:

    August  : Tryouts for the following spring season (in August, 2020 tryout is for the 2021 spring season)

    September - October : Optional fall league (rare) and/or fall practices (both at coaches discretion)

    November - December : Uniform fittings (if needed), online store orders

    January - March : Winter Practices, usually twice per week, Sunday and weeknight. Days/times should stay constant. 

                                 Currently we expect to hold them at The Sports Mill in Manchester, NH.

    9U-12U Season

    April - May : EBL Season (~8 weekends) -  6-8 Sunday double-headers, weather permitting.

    June (early) : EBL Playoffs - for teams that don't make the primary playoffs, they offer secondary playoffs.

    13U Season

    April - June : EBL Season (12 weekends) -  ~16-18 Saturday and/or Sunday double-headers, weather permitting.

    July (early) : EBL Playoffs - for teams that don't make the primary playoffs, they offer secondary playoffs.

Any more questions about the program please don't hesitate to contact me.

Thanks,

Jr Lancer Program Coordinator