fbpx
Koa Sports

Bethesda Area Baseball League

Bethesda Area Baseball League - Best Youth Player Development

BABL (Bethesda Area Baseball League) provides a competitive environment for developing baseball players living in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Wheaton, Kensington, Potomac, Glen Echo, Takoma Park, and the District of Columbia. Koa's BABL Program is a safe, engaging SELECT “in-house” league where advanced 3rd through 9th grade athletes can tryout and be drafted onto a team. BABL gives athletes an opportunity to make friends, develop relationships, and learn baseball skills in a competitive, local environment. It’s a 2-3-day a week commitment that includes a clinic, a team practice, and Saturday game(s). If you are interested in trying out, the details are below:

Professional Coaching & Baseball Staff

Families invest in Koa Baseball because of our pool of amazing 30+ coaches and front office leadership. Our professional coaches are former high school and college baseball players with a passion for children and teaching the game. Our year-round administration includes our CEO, program director, head of player development, and two baseball operations staffers. BABL an ideal environment for your son to grow, here are the specifics:

All-Star Game Spring 2022

League Commissioners

Steve Friedman | BABL A Commissioner
steve@koasports.org

Zeb Ahalt | BABL AA Commissioner
zeb@koasports.org

Chris Blair | BABL AAA Commissioner
chris@koasports.org

Questions? Contact: BABL@kosports.org

BABL Player Development Plan:

Playing Time Policy:

Rules:

How to Get Into the League:

The journey begins with a tryout. If your son has the core skills for BABL, our League Commissioner will draft him onto a team. Not all players who tryout for BABL make it onto a team. Tryouts take place twice a year (late May/early June and late October). Please view our baseball tryouts page for details!

If you have any questions about our BABL program, then please contact babl@koasports.org. Koa Baseball serves customers in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Wheaton, Kensington, Potomac, Glen Echo, Takoma Park, and the District.

Winter/Spring 2023 | Details:

BABL A (*3RD/4TH GRADERS)
  • Schedule: January 8th- May 20th
  • Uniforms: NEW hat, belt, socks, pants, and jersey
  • Game Schedule: Teams will play 1 game a week on Saturday mornings at Cabin John Regional Park (Occasional doubleheader/Monday night game due to rainouts/makeups)
  • Practice Schedule: Teams will have a league-wide clinic practice 1x a week on Friday evenings at local fields (Richard Montgomery HS, Winston Churchill HS)
  • Cost: $950/ player
  • Roster Size: 12-13 players per team

*exceptional 2nd graders will play up

BABL AA (5TH/6TH GRADERS)
  • Schedule: January 8th- May 22nd
  • Game Schedule: Teams will play once a week on Saturdays with an occasional doubleheader/weeknight game
  • Practice Schedule: Teams will practice in the evenings 2x a week (1 team practice on Monday and 1 league-wide clinic on Thursday) at local fields. (Richard Montgomery HS, Winston Churchill HS, JDS Upper School, etc)
  • Cost: $1,100/ player
  • Uniforms: NEW hat, belt, socks, pants, and jersey
  • Roster Size: 12-13 players per team
BABL AAA (7TH/8TH/9TH GRADERS)
  • Schedule: January 8th- May 22nd
  • Game Schedule: Teams will play once a week on Saturdays with an occasional doubleheader/weeknight game
  • Practice Schedule: Teams will practice in the evenings 2x a week (1 team practice on Monday and 1 league-wide clinic on Wednesday) at local fields (Richard Montgomery HS, Winston Churchill HS, JDS Upper School, etc)
  • Cost: $1,150/ player
  • Roster Size: 12-13 players per team

Why BABL Stands Out!?

League Communication
  • Team standings, game recaps & high-quality photos of our players.
  • Highly responsive communication from our full-time league commissioners (babl@koasports.org).
  • End-of-season player assessment & notes for improvement from our full-time program directors & coaches.
Postseason Tournament

In addition to our 9 regular season games, we have single-elimination playoffs. The playoffs will be at Cabin John Regional Park for A & AA. The AAA playoffs are at the following fields: Richard Montogmery, Churchill, Laytonia Regional Park, and Wheaton Regional Park.

 

All-Star Game

BABL seasons culminate with an All-Star Game for selected players. In 2014, we flew in YouTube sensation Domingo Ayala (29.5M views, recent spots with Clayton Kershaw) to host the game. Check out the Koa and Domingo experience below:

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my son be playing with other boys his age?

They will be playing with kids in the similar age groupns, within 1-2 years. We like having the boys playing alongside their peers as much as possible.

It looks like BABL tryouts are the same time as travel baseball tryouts. Can I just tryout for BABL?

Absolutely. If you don’t want to be considered for our travel program, simply state that on your registration form.

Can my son play on a team with his friend?

After try-outs, we divide the boys up based on skill level and position. We do take requests, but we do not guarantee they will be honored. Our goal is to ensure the teams have equal skill level to the best of our ability.

When will we find out if we've made the team?

Directly following the try-outs, we’re going to start forming the teams. All players will be contacted within 7-10 days to let them know our decision.

What days are practices going to be?

Each team will have one clinic per week in which all teams will be present. BABL A clinics will be on Fridays during the season BABL AA team practices will be on Monday & clinics will be on Thursdays BABL AAA team practices will be on Monday & clinics will be on Wednesdays

Where will the practices be held?

All practices will be held in the Bethesda, Rockville, and Potomac area.

What if I have to cancel my registration down the road?

Koa Teams that require Tryouts (BABL, Travel Baseball, Select Hoops, DT Field Hockey, and Club Field Hockey)

If you cancel your registration after you have accepted your position on the team you will be charged for the full price of the team.

*Injuries will be a case by case basis handled by Programs Directors and Koa Management

**Any refund policy disputes will go directly to Koa’s Board- Program Directors CAN NOT deviate from the stated policy.

Can I yell and scream and complain about the umpires and fight with other parents?

NO. We’re absolutely committed to making our playing environment a positive experience for athletes & families to enjoy. This is NOT a league for parents to live through their children or take away from the kids’ experience. It’s about two things: getting better and having fun!

What happens when my son's practice or game is rained out?

Rain is a part of life. For our baseball teams, unfortunately, it means rainouts. The county has jurisdiction to make the call about closing fields due to rain. In case of field closures, Koa will do what we can to make up all games, but practices & clinics will NOT be reschduleded.

We may add mid week games & we also have a built-in rain makeup week at the end of each season.