Valley Nine is a development focused select program. The main goal is to improve players baseball skills through practices in addition to playing tournaments throughout the year. Valley Nine Baseball is Little League friendly. We will slow down a bit during Little League's season so kids can focus on those teams. We also encourage players to participate in other sports throughout the year. There are no problems if players also play football, basketball, soccer, etc. during the year.
Schedule for 2024-2025 Season
July 2024
- Tryouts for 12u & 10u teams
- July 21, 12pm (10u) & 1:30pm (12u) @ Big Rock Field #2
- July 23, 6pm (10u) & 7pm (12u) @ Big Rock Field #2
- 2025 Teams selected
August & September 2024
- Team building activities
October 2024 - February 2025
- Practice 2x per week
- Location: Big Rock (regardless of weather)
- ~34 total practices, Wed or Thu & Sundays.
- Extra pitching sessions throughout the off-season.
- No practice Thanksgiving weekend
- No practices second half of December
- Tournaments
- 1-2 in January/February (indoor - Chehalis)
March 2025 - June 2025
- Little League Season starts
- Practice Sundays
- Location: Big Rock
- ~15 practices
- Tournaments
- 1 in March
- 1 in April
- 1-2 in May
- 0-1 in June (LL all-stars takes priority)
July 2025
- Practices Sundays
- Location: Big Rock
- 2 practices
- Tournaments
- 1-2 in July
- Form 2026 season team
- Tryouts for 13u team
- Tryouts for 11u team
August-September 2025
- Team building activities
FAQ
Why should I play for Valley Nine?
Two of the main reason we formed this organization is 1) to support the Valley with a development focused team that can grow and play together for many years and 2) reduce travel times/cost on parents by having practices close to the Valley.
What teams will you have for 2025 season?
We have a 12u and 10u team for the 2025 season.
Is there a tryout to join?
Yes, but open tryouts are now complete. Please see our tryout page here for details. We are currently looking for players that would be league age 12 through 9 going into the USSSA season per USSSA's age calculator to play in tournaments. Any 2025 league age 12 through 9 will be eligible to join the team.
What is the costs to join?
Cost for the full year is $1400 (+$100 for new players). Dues are collected via two options.
Fee Schedule for 2025 Season
Option 1 (pay in full, save $100 on season)
- September 1st = $1400 (+ $100 for new players) [100%]
Option 2 (split payments)
- September 1st = $700 (+ additional $100 for new players) [50%]
- November 1st = $400 [25% + $50 split payment fee]
- January 1st = $400 [25% + $50 split payment fee]
Why is payment needed so early in the schedule?
Most of the cost to run the team (facilities, tournaments and uniforms/hats) is spent in the first 3 months (Oct - Dec) of the season in order to secure practice facilities, tournaments and order uniforms in time for the first tournament or scrimmage.
What is the money used for?
Practices will make up ~$700 for 9 months and 50+ practices (October to June) including a few indoor training sessions per player.
Tournaments and scrimmages/league games make up ~$400 per player. Teams will play several scrimmages (or league games) with other select teams We will also play in 6 tournaments. Travel and hotel cost (if needed) will be an additional expense for families if we play outside the Puget Sound area. We plan to play 1-2 tournaments outside the Puget Sound area.
Remaining costs (~$300 per player) cover association fees (USSSA), team services (TeamSnap, GameChanger, website), equipment (baseballs, buckets, tees, nets, etc.) and uniforms (hat, top, pants, belt, socks and swag). We will be formed under USSSA Baseball which provides team insurance that enables us to rent practice facilities.
Are coaches paid?
No. All team coaches are 100% volunteer. We may hire specialists to come in from time to time to provide specific training depending on the teams needs.
Why is practicing so expensive?
To ensure we have rights to fields or facilities we must rent it. To rent a practice facility we must have insurance. Insurance is provided by officially forming a team under a baseball association such as USSSA.
We are also planning a few special indoors sessions throughout the season with specialized instruction. All will be included in player fees.
Does Valley Nine take donations?
Yes! Valley Nine Sports (the org that supports Valley Nine Baseball) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. If you would like to donate to Valley Nine Baseball please reach out to Jason Lewis at valleynine (at) outlook (.) com.
What are some important things to know about the season?
- Full practices will begin in October to give kids some time off of baseball. It's important for youth players to take time off, even if it's their favorite sport. Pitchers should limit pitching during this time.
- We will have team practice 2x a week. We will have 2 practices a week during the off-season with some optional pitching specific practices thrown in. We know this will cause some interference with other sports but we will do our best to pick practice days/times that minimize impact. We still highly encourage players to play multiple sports and we will do our best to support that.
- We will practice mostly outdoors, even in poor weather. We found most teams in the area still practice outdoors even in poor weather as it gives them more time on the field where they can play catch, work on fielding and game situations. When the weather is really bad, we will try to move indoors (availability permitting).
Where will you play tournaments?
Tournament schedule comes out in the fall, but most tournaments will be anywhere between Chehalis and Everett. Most tournaments we play are through Premier Sport Tournaments (PST). We will play 1 to 2 outside of the Puget Sound area which will require additional travel and hotel expenses.
How much playing time will my son get?
We are developmental program at heart. To honor that we will use a continuous batting order in all games. Players will get ample time in the field as well, in both outfield and infield positions. We will develop everyone as a pitcher, but those that are more effective (i.e. throw strikes) will pitch more in games.
Will the program interfere with the Little League season?
We are developmental program at heart. To honor that we will use a continuous batting order in all games. Players will get ample time in the field as well, in both outfield and infield positions. We will develop everyone as a pitcher, but those that are more effective (i.e. throw strikes) will pitch more in games.
Will the program interfere with the Little League season?
Because we are a Little League friendly teams we will slow down practices to 1x per week during Little League's season so players can prioritize their time with their Little League teams. We will play tournaments during the season, all on weekend days.
Will the program interfere with other sports like football, soccer and basketball?
There will be conflicts with other sports, that is hard to avoid. We do highly encourage our players to play as many sports as they want. It's better for there overall development. We will work to minimize impact on other sports during their seasons the best we can. Such as having one of our weekly practices on Sundays (later in the afternoon) which typically doesn't interfere with other sports. During other sports seasons those sports take priority.
Where are practices?
Most of our practice will be held outside at Big Rock Ball Fields and with a some indoor practices at Redmond North Little League Batting Cages or other facilities in the area.
Who are the coaches?
The manager/head coach of the 12u team is Jason Lewis. The manager/head coach of the 10u team is Erik Scairpon. You can read more about our coaches and coaching philosophy here.
What is the size of the roster for 2025?
We are looking to have 12-13 players on the roster for each team.
What happens for 2026 season?
Our goal is for our 12u and 10u players to stay with us as we move up a year (we do not require returning players to re-tryout). If players decide not to play the following season we will look for replacements to fill out the roster.