Welcome to CCYB Southern California and the USA Baseball 14U National Team Identification Series (NTIS). CCYB is proud to be selected by USA Baseball to send eighteen of the top 14U youth baseball players in Southern California to the 2008 14U NTIS. The NTIS will be held Aug 29th to 31st, 2008 at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California. The NTIS West will consist of 6 teams from around the Western United States that will roster a total of 108 players. From this event USA Baseball will select 12 invites and 3 alternates to attend the 2008 14U National Team Trials to be held at the Urban Youth Academy later in the year. From this Trials USA Baseball will select the final 18 players that will make up the 2008 14U National Team. All players selected for either the 14U National Team Trials or 14U National Team (to play internationally) will have all expenses paid for by USA Baseball.

CCYB will host several First Round Tryouts (Showcases) to select the CCYB team that will compete in the USA Baseball NTIS; the dates are posted on the front page of our web site, USAccyb.net. The goal of these tryouts is to give as many players in Southern California the chance to make the CCYB team and ultimately have a shot of playing for the USA Baseball 14U National Team. It is estimated that approximately one out of every fifteen players in the CCYB First Round Tryouts will move on to the CCYB Final Selection Tryout. Below is a description of how the process will work.


First Round Tryout: Cost: $125.00

Players can sign up on our web site USAccyb.net and choose the selected tryout date that best fits their schedule. The tryout will be run just like a Division I College Showcase Camp. Players are not only trying out for the CCYB Southern California team, but they will also experience what it is like to enter a Division I College Showcase. Players will be instructed on what college coaches are looking for, how to conduct themselves on and off the field, their appearance, how to prepare for games and practices, and how to be ready to show their skills in a quick controlled environment and much more. Players will receive a t-shirt along with identification so the staff can track and evaluate each participant. They will be evaluated and ranked along with players from other individual camps and then possibly selected to qualify for the “Final Selection Round.” With parents or guardians approval, some participant’s information will forwarded to local college baseball programs. We will post the selection of players that have advanced to the “Final Selection Round” within 72 hours. No further communication will be sent to those players that have not been selected to advance to the next round. Please do not contact USAccyb!



Final Selection Round: Cost: $50.00

Players who qualify for this round will go through a very similar tryout as the first round. They will be judged on skills as well as game action. Many factors will go into this tryout with regards to what the coaches are looking for. This tryout is where the “CCYB Southern California Team” will be selected. Date, time and location will be announced at a later date. The final roster of qualified players will be posted on the USAccyb.net web site within 72 hours of the completion of this tryout. No further communication will be sent to those players that have not been selected to advance to the next round. Please do not contact USAccyb!



2008 USA Baseball 14U National Team Identification Series: Cost: NO CHARGE
August 29th – 31st, 2008.

Players who make the CCYB Southern California team will be treated free of charge to the USA Baseball 14U National Team Identification Series. CCYB will provide uniforms, meals and two nights lodging in a local hotel for players only. CCYB will operate this weekend exactly like a major Division I College Baseball Team runs a road trip. Players will be given preparation, information and itinerary which will allow our CCYB Southern California team players the best chance at making the USA Baseball 14U National Team. Costs collected from the previous two rounds will be used to run this part of the team in a “first class” manor. The CCYB Southern California team will practice several times before the event. North Orange County will be the host area for the practices. Dates, times and locations will be announced at a later date.

Todd Rogers

CCYB.net

CCYBnet@aol.com

USA Baseball Press release...

USA Baseball Announces 14U National Team Identification Series

The 2008 USA Baseball 14U National Team Identification Series will consist of two identification events featuring a total of 216 players to be held over Labor Day Weekend. The West Coast event will be held at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in California and the East Coast event will held at a to-be-determined Spring Training complex in Florida.

The two sites will each host only six teams and a total of 108 players. Activities will run from August 29 – August 31, 2008, with each team playing a total of three 9-inning games over the Labor Day Weekend. Each camp will also feature USA Baseball instruction and training and will serve as the exclusive identification tool for the 2008 USA Baseball 14U National Team Trials.

Five of the six teams at each site will be organized on a pay-to-play basis, similar to the USA Baseball 16U Championships (formerly known at the USA Junior Olympic Baseball Championships). Existing baseball programs which have previously entered teams into the 16U Championships will be targeted to fill these slots with entry fees defraying some of the costs of the events and the USA Baseball 14U National Team. As with the 16U Championships, these various baseball programs will be responsible for identifying and selecting 18-player teams which will participate in the event.

Similar to the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars, USA Baseball will select one of the six teams at each site – an “at-large team”. USA Baseball will rely on its National Member Organizations, existing events, and other entities, as well as its established athlete database to identify players for these two USA Baseball at-large teams. As part of this initiative USA Baseball will encourage the inclusion of all athletes when filling roster spots for the two at-large teams.

NTIS Features:

- Labor Day Weekend Event

- Sole identification opportunity for the USA Baseball 14U National Team, all players must be born in 1994 or later.

- Individual skills testing and evaluation.

- All players will be put through a 14U National Team practice session with the actual 14U National Team coaching staff.

- Each team will play 3 nine (9) inning games.

- To be announced professional instruction by some of the games all time greats.

- Participants will receive a USA Baseball hat and gift bag.

- To be announced college and university coaches will be in attendance.

- All lunches will be provided by USA Baseball.

For more information on this and other USA Baseball events as well as how to get involved in the NTIS, please visit www.usabaseball.com.