FAQ's

REGISTRATION AND COSTS
Q: What is included in the registration fees?

A: The registration fees covers regular season games (10-12 + EOS playoffs in the Spring; 8 + EOS playoffs in the Fall) and uniform costs: cap/visor and shirt. Number of games played is a target only, not a guarantee, and is dependent on number of teams and weather permitting. Other costs incurred by the player throughout a season may include names for uniforms (if not included, but usually are), player equipment, pictures, fundraising events, and pay-to-play tournaments (Pre-Season and Mid-Season).

Q: How are the registration fees determined?
A: Each year the Executive Committee meets to budget for the upcoming year while considering the projected registration numbers, CPYL park maintenance and upkeep, number of games played in a season, umpire fees, and park improvement needs. Since CPYL is run by a group of volunteers (board members, committee members, field directors, etc.), we have managed to keep registration fees as low as possible year over year; however, each year fees are reviewed and set as determined necessary by the Executive Committee to meet our financial budgets. As a reminder, the registration fees paid provide the funds for uniforms (cap/visor and shirt), 10-12 games in the Spring (target, weather permitting), 8 games in the Fall (target, weather permitting), the end of season playoffs, trophies/awards, umpire fees, as well as all of the league's expenses as they are incurred. CPYL is not subsidized by any other organization/public entity and incurs significant costs throughout the year such as utilities and park and facilities maintenance. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all registration, sponsorship, fundraising, and donation dollars go back into the organization and facilities. 

Q: How can I request a refund?
A:  Refunds will be honored if received in writing by the Wednesday prior to Skills Assessments, or date otherwise designated on that season's registration information (clearly posted and highlighted on the registration page), but they will not be granted based on whether or not special requests were met, draft/team assignment outcomes, game or practice schedules, conflicts with other sports or activities, etc. Please understand the commitment required to participate, and ask any questions before registering. By the time of the drafts, uniform orders have already been placed and paid for with registration fees, and cannot be canceled. Note: the Board of Directors may consider partial refunds in the event of special extenuating circumstances such as a season-ending injury (with medical documentation).

AGE DIVISIONS
Q: Is there a 4U T-Ball division in the Fall?

A: Yes, we will attempt to offer a 4U division in the Fall season as long as we have enough players and coaches to make a sufficient number of teams.

Q: How are the age divisions determined?
A: The age for a given Fall and Spring season are determined by the child’s age on January 1st (for softball) and April 30th (for baseball). Please note the year associated with the date and that a player’s age remains the same for consecutive Fall and Spring seasons. For instance, the player’s age as of 4/30/19 is used to determine a players division for the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 seasons. The same applies for softball, though the date is January 1st.

Q: Can my child ‘play up’ to an older age group?
A: No. The most obvious problem is who can be the judge of which kids are ‘good enough’ to move up and which aren’t? Also, if any kids were to  ‘play up’ an age group, that could potentially displace a player who technically belongs in that age group. To accommodate the varying skill sets of players in the league, CPYL offers two (2) levels of competition at 6U and 8U (American and National Leagues), and three (3) levels of competition starting at age 9 for 10U+ (American, National and Select). This policy is in place for the best interest of all players in the league considering various aspects such as space availability, safety, player development, and of course enjoyment of the sport.

AMERICAN LEAGUE VS NATIONAL LEAGUE
Q: What is the difference between NL and AL divisions?

A: While both the AL and NL divisions are recreational, the NL division is generally more competitive and the players often have above average skills for their age group.

TRY OUTS / SKILLS ASSESSMENTS / TEAM FORMATION
Q: What if I miss or cannot attend Skills Assessments?

A: All registered players will be placed on a team through the draft process regardless of their attendance at Skills Assessments (assuming there are enough coaches for registered players). However, because of drafting rules, most NL players that are drafted (not protected) are selected from the pool of players that attended Skills Assessments as coaches are given the opportunity to “assess” the talent and experience of the player. If a player does not attend Skills Assessments (tryouts), then the coaches are not provided an opportunity to assess the player’s experience and therefore cannot make an informed decision on their experience level. Any player who does not attend Skills Assessment will be assigned to a team at the end of the draft process through a blind draft (random assignment). We highly recommend players attend Skills Assessment for this reason.

Q: How can I guarantee that my child is placed on a coach’s team?
A: The only way to guarantee the placement of a player on a specific coach’s team is if the player is listed on his/her “protected players” roster. Each division is allowed to “protect” a specific number of players (depending on the age group/division), but each manager must obtain parent signatures for each “protected” player prior to Skills Assessments. If there is no parent signature, the player is considered available to other managers and will be placed on a team during the draft which is typically held the day after Skills Assessment.

Q: What if my “Special Request” is not granted or my child is not drafted to a NL team, can I get a refund?
A: No. Special requests are considered, but there is no guarantee that a child will be placed on their team or coach of choice. Refunds will be honored if received in writing by the Wednesday prior to Skills Assessments, or date otherwise designated on that season's registration information, but they will not be granted based on whether or not special requests were met, or draft/team assignment outcomes. Note that by the time of the drafts, uniform orders have already been placed and cannot be canceled.

Q: How are coaches selected?
A: Coaches are selected through a volunteer application and review process. There is a committee for softball and baseball made up of league commissioners, and some non-board members of the league. These representatives meet to look at the volunteer registrations of the candidates who signed up, review the information provided in the registration which takes into account experience managing along with other key factors, successfully pass criminal background check, and discuss any known information (positive or negative) regarding any of the candidates. The candidates are then voted on and ranked by the committee in the order by which they will receive a team. Once the managers are selected by the committee they are sent to the board for approval. After board approval the committee looks at the projected number of teams (based on the projected number of players) at each age group and level and begins assigning spots to managers. Once the actual registration numbers begin to firm up teams are added or subtracted accordingly.

SELECT BASEBALL
Q: How can my child be placed on a select team?

A: Select team managers are usually awarded a team in the October-November period each year. Tryouts for the spring season usually happen in the November – January time frame. All CPYL select teams must have open tryouts and they are advertised on our website each fall/winter.

GAMES / PRACTICES
Q: How many games/practices per week?

A: The spring season generally has 2 games per week (often 1 weekday and 1 weekend, but may include 2 weeknight games some weeks), while the fall season generally has 1 game per week (often weekdays). Exceptions may occur throughout the season, particularly if there are weather make-up dates.

Weeknight games start at 6 p.m. and may start as late a 8:00 p.m. for the older age divisions.

Practices (day/time, duration, location, frequency) are solely at the discretion of the individual managers.

Q: When are games and how long do they last?
A: All games during the week start at 6:00 PM with a second game time starting immediately after the first following a short break with the latest start being 8:00 PM for 12U and 14U age groups. Our Schedulers attempt to provide a balance of early/late game times across all teams. Weekend games typically start at 9:00 AM and may start as late as 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM during regular season play. Game duration:

• 4U - 45 min
• 6U - 60 min
• 8U - 60 min (softball), 75 min (baseball)
• 10U - 75 min (softball), 90 min (baseball)
• 12U - 75 min (softball), 105 min (baseball)
• 14U/16U/18U - 75 min (softball), 105 min (baseball)

UMPIRES
Q: What can I do if I have a complaint about an umpire?

A: First, gain an understanding of what constitutes an ‘arguable’ offense by an umpire. Like it or not, judgment calls (fair/foul, safe/out, strike/ball) are not open for interpretation or argument. Lack of umpire's knowledge of rules of the game, general ‘laziness’ in the field of play, and poor/bad attitudes towards managers/coaches/parents/players are all issues of which we would like to be made aware so we can address with CTUA (Umpire Association). To file an official complaint, you may fill out a comment card at the concession stand, or send an email to your field director or your age specific commissioner (email addresses on our website at www.cpyl.org). We can ONLY take action when we have actionable data on which to act, so please be as detailed as possible in your report including the date, time, field location, team names, and the particulars of the incident or issues.

VOLUNTEERS / BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Q: How are volunteers utilized?

A: CPYL is an all-volunteer non-profit organization, which relies heavily on fundraising in order to pay bills, and to maintain and repair the facility. All board members are volunteers as are the managers/coaches. At a minimum, each team will need volunteers throughout the season to assist with field days, concession duty, trash duty, and during the spring fundraiser (Spring Fling), or other events that may be scheduled during the season.

Q: How can I become a member of the Board of Directors?
A: We need more volunteers! We hold formal elections every Spring. Nominations usually open in April with the election occurring in May. All positions are filled by popular vote from the league constituency. If elected, you will serve a (2) year term on the board. Each June, elections within the board of directors occur to determine what position you will serve for the following year. However, it is not uncommon for the board to be short some bodies, so if you are interested in possibly joining the board at any time, please reach out to a Board Member or send an email to [email protected] and a member of the Executive Committee will follow up with you.

Q: Outside of the board and team related roles, what other volunteer opportunities exist?
A: We are constantly looking for assistance throughout the league. Please contact any Board Member  to identify opportunities on how you can help or become more involved with the league.

Q: What is CPYL's background check policy? What may preclude someone from being approved to serve as a volunteer (Board Member, Manager, Coach, Team Parent)?
A: All volunteers must complete a volunteer registration form and also provide personal details and consent to a background check. Various information is taken into consideration for the volunteer position being requested. Ultimately, it is up to the discretion of the Board of Directors to determine who is approved or denied from serving as a volunteer. The safety and security of our players and other volunteers is of the upmost importance. Criminal history is usually the primary reason for denial of volunteer requests. CPYL's background check policy can be found on our League Documents page.

Q: How do I become a sponsor or advertise my business at CPYL?
A: Please send an email to the Director of Sponsorship/Advertising.

CPYL FACILITIES / PARKING
Q: What are the rules for parking at Faubion Elementary?

A: As a courtesy to our neighbors at Faubion Elementary and to assist with multiple after school programs, we have asked that CPYL parents are asked to adhere to the following:

• Do NOT park in the rear of the school at any time during the week or weekends.

• Do NOT park in the drive between the school and the CPYL complex (behind the dumpsters) by the school cafeteria before 6:45 PM on weekdays. Parking is allowed in this area only after 6:45 PM on weekdays and any time during the weekends.

• Do NOT park in marked fire zones at any time.

• Do NOT park in the grass at any time. Park only in designated areas.

• Parking in the front of the school is permissible at all times.

• CPYL patrons not adhering to the requests above will be subject to towing or tickets from CPPD.

Q: If CPYL is owned by the City of Cedar Park, isn’t it considered a public park for everyone’s use?
A: No. CPYL is not owned or operated by the City, but the land is leased to CPYL by the City. CPYL donated the land to the City of Cedar Park in exchange for their funding of the baseball/softball complex improvements (2 new 10u fields – Volunteer and Veterans, etc.), but CPYL is run as a separate, independent, non-profit organization. All costs associated to run CPYL operations including utilities, maintenance, repairs, security, concessions, etc. are the responsibility of CPYL. We are not subsidized in any way by the City of Cedar Park.

Q: Can I bring my dog or other pet to CPYL for practices or games?
A: No. This is clearly posted at both main entrances to the park - no pets of any kind are permitted other than registered service animals. This policy is in the best interest of the safety of all players and park patrons and the cleanliness of our facilities. If you choose to ignore this policy, please be prepared to be asked by one of our Board Members or volunteers to provide proof of registration as a service animal, or be asked to remove your pet from the premises.