SOM CougarsSOM Travel Baseball Expansion

The South Orange-Maplewood (SOM) Baseball program is excited to share our plans for the development of our town travel program. This document lays out the plans for an expanded program that will provide training and practice in the winter, additional practice and competitive game play for many players in the spring, and a full competitive summer travel season.

Who we are

SOM Baseball is a collaboration between South Orange Recreation & Cultural Affairs, the SOM Baseball Committee, and the SOM Baseball Boosters. South Orange Recreation & Cultural Affairs is based at The Baird and is part of South Orange Village. The SOM Baseball Committee is an all-volunteer group made up of dedicated parents that helps to administer the baseball program. SOM Baseball Boosters is a local non-profit organization with a mission to support the SOM Baseball program.

The Opportunity

There is strong interest in baseball in SOM, as evidenced by the popular spring rec program that serves over 700 kids annually, a growing summer travel program, and the proliferation in recent years of parent-led local club teams. Two local residents also opened Dingers, an indoor training facility, in Maplewood in 2023.

In order to meet the demand for more baseball in the short and the long-term, we have a unique opportunity to expand our town travel program. We envision a three season travel program that is rooted in and represents the values of our community. We aim to develop skilled baseball players, coaches that serve as positive role models, and tightly-knit and supportive teams.

Winter Training

Evaluations to join the travel program will be held in late fall. Professional coaches and travel coaches will evaluate the players over multiple days. At each age around 25 players will be selected to join the travel program, depending on interest. Red (A) and Black (B) teams will not be formed at this time. Instead, players at each level will participate in indoor winter training led by professional coaches. While it will vary based on age level, typically winter training will be 1.5 hour workouts twice a week on a weekday.

Spring Season

Near the end of winter training (March) the professional coaches and parent travel coaches will meet to assign players to the Red and Black teams. These teams will practice weekly and participate in a competitive spring baseball league or a series of scrimmages and tournaments during the spring season, in addition to the SOM Rec program. All travel players will be required to play in the rec program.

Summer Season

After the spring season, the travel teams will play a summer travel schedule that will include league play in the New Providence Green and Gold League. The Red team will also represent SOM Baseball in the Cal Ripken Tournament at most age levels. The summer season typically wraps up by the third week of July.

Expectations for Participation

The travel program is a three season commitment, and it is expected that families will participate in all three seasons. Having said this, we will consider exceptions on a case by case basis for kids who have other commitments.

Coaching

One of the challenges with any town baseball program is around coaching. We are fortunate in SOM to have dedicated coaches who volunteer time and energy to lead our teams. However, for the town travel program we aim to introduce professional coaches who will work hand-in-hand with volunteer parent coaches to further develop our players as well as our parent coaches. At the 8U and 9U levels, professional coaches will run winter training, while volunteer parent coaches will coach games in the spring and summer. At 10U and up, professional coaches will run winter training and will take a  more active role during the spring season, including during gameplay. The summer season will revert back to all parent coaches at all age levels, which is the standard approach for the New Providence League and Cal Ripken Tournament. Professional coaches may still be involved with running practices during the summer.

Age Levels

The expanded format will be introduced from 8U. The 7U travel team will not be formed until the Spring and will only participate in a Summer season. Refer to this chart to understand your child’s age level.

Costs

The costs for the travel program will vary by age level, as costs increase for older age groups. We will make every effort possible to keep the costs down and the SOM Boosters will be working to assist any family that cannot otherwise afford to participate.

Age Based Programs

Information about the programs for each individual age group can be found at: