Click HERE to Apply to Coach or Umpire in 2025!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTs

There’s plenty of room at all levels!

The deadline to apply is January 1.

Dick’s Sporting Good Coupon - Good for 2024!
 

2025 Uniforms! PYJSBA continues MLB-like color schemes for baseball. All uniforms for baseball & softball players registered by the February 2 deadline will have player last names on the back! There is NO GUARANTEE of the player's name on the back for registration received AFTER February 2. Prospective Coaches, it is imperative that if you hope to coach, APPLY NOW! If your application is approved, you’ll have a chance to request your favorite MLB team if you have one. (Don’t worry; all MLB teams have home & away and alternate jerseys so that we can accommodate everyone). Softball will be the Pinelands Panthers at all levels. 

2025 DEADLINE to Apply to Coach and/or Umpire is January 1. There is no guarantee of receiving a coaching or umpiring assignment. Once you apply, the PYJSBA Board reviews applications for approval. All applicants will receive an email denying or approving your application within the first full week of January 2024. Following board approvals in the first week of January approved coaches will receive an outline of their anticipated coaching or umpiring assignments and an individualized checklist of the necessary registration and certification requirements, as well as directions on how to complete them. They are listed below for your review. Please DO NOT WAIT TO APPLY AS TIME WILL BE NEEDED TO GET FULLY CERTIFIED BEFORE ANY INTERACTION CAN OCCUR WITH OUR PLAYERS. Apply to Coach and/or Umpire TODAY!

2025 DRILLS & SKILLS CLINICS are INCLUDED for all paid registrants, ages 7 through 12, from 6-8 pm at a local indoor facility. This is for players who need extra fundamental work to help them prepare for evaluations. While not required, we encourage all coaches to attend and participate in a few, if not all, sessions, especially if their child attends. This will help you get to know players before the season starts! Please indicate interest to receive more information when you apply. If the board approves your coaching, you will be enrolled in the Sports Engine team app no later than the end of the first week in January. 

*If your child is 13+ and lacking fundamentals, indicate interest in your application and their registration, and our Player and Coach Agent will determine if these clinics suit them.

6-7 pm Ages 7-9 (Softball & Baseball) 
7-8 pm Ages 10-12 (Baseball) & Age 10 (Softball)

• TBD

6-8 pm Ages 11-12 (Softball ONLY)

• TBD

More details and the ability to opt in or out of this opportunity are available upon applying to coach and/or umpire.

2025 Coaches' Meeting & Clinic for ALL levels' coaches: TeeBall, Softball 8u, Rookies, Minors, Majors, Babe Ruth, Baseball 16+, Softball 10u & 12u+—On or around February 10, 6 pm—8 pm at a local venue. We will review the PYJSBA Coaches Handbook using the Sports Engine App, confirm certifications, distribute equipment, discuss practice times and preferred fields, and formulate TeeBall and ALL Softball teams. Experienced coaches will also present various activities and approaches to having a successful and fun season. Coaches will be on hand to offer advice or share experiences.

2025 Evaluations for Rookies, Minors, Majors, and Babe Ruth: February 11, 6 pm -7:30 pm Location TBA. On these three nights, players registered for the Rookie, Minor, Major, and Babe Ruth Divisions are expected to attend one or all workouts to perform baseball-related drills and activities so coaches can make informed decisions when assembling their teams. 

2025 Coaches' Draft and Team Formulation occur immediately following the final Evaluation(s). Coaches at the Rookies, Minors, Majors, and Divisions meet to select their teams' players based on their notes from the evaluation nights. TeeBall and ALL Softball Coaches do not need to attend Evaluation night(s) but are welcome if they'd like to help and see how coaches at the upper levels select their teams. TeeBall and ALL Softball Coaches DO NEED to meet on ONE night during this week, TBD February 10-14, to formulate their teams based on registration lists.

Assembling our Teams' Coaching Staff: While traditional baseball and softball programs appoint "head coaches," PYJSBA assembles "coaching teams," where coaches are expected to work together to provide our players with the best possible experience. ALL coaches share duties and requirements equally.

Season Practice and Game Scheduling: PYJSBA does its best to accommodate coaches' schedules based on availability.  We promise our players and families 1-2 weekly experiences (5 pm-7 pm) with guaranteed games on Saturdays. We anticipate Ages 4-8 playing between 9 am and 12 pm on Saturdays. Ages 9-12 play from 1 pm through 6 pm on Saturdays. Ages 13+ play 10 am through 4 pm on Saturdays. (These times depend on times set within most surrounding leagues and may differ slightly when we know these schedules). Nothing we offer has mandatory attendance; however, missing practices and games slows individual and team development and makes creating game-day lineups difficult for coaches.  Lastly, unless fields are unplayable, PYJSBA expects scheduled practices and games to occur. 

Apply to Join our Coaching and/or Umpiring Staff Today!

*Yes, you are permitted to do both! However, you cannot coach and umpire within the same division. For example, if you are head or assistant coach in Minors, you are only permitted to umpire in Majors or Babe Ruth.

Before, during, and after registration, questions arise. You are definitely welcome to reach out to our Player and Coach Agent, whose contact information can be found throughout and at the bottom of this page. It’s important to remember, PYJSBA representatives are volunteers and may need some time to get back to you. However, we often update our Frequently Asked Questions page to include many of the questions we receive from returning coaches and umpires to first timers. If you don’t find answers to questions here after reading through the detailed information, we urge you to check out the FAQs page, where you’ll likely get an answer right away. Because questions about PYJSBA’s All-Stars Program involve so many details, we developed its own page. Again, if you don’t find what you’re looking for, please don’t hesitate to contact our Player and Coach Agent, whose contact information can be found throughout and at the bottom of this page.

Coaching and Umpiring are two of the most rewarding experiences any person can have in Baseball & Softball. The priceless moments are endless!

One of our most difficult tasks at PYJSBA, especially with transitioning into the reputable and competitive environment that Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth Baseball and Softball expects, is assembling a dedicated group of competitive coaches to lead our teams and umpires to officiate their games. We are hopeful to have a minimum of one head coach and at least two assistant coaches on every team. 

Coaches and Umpires can be parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, or any adult community members that can perform the duties of a Coach and/or Umpire. ALL are encouraged to apply. If you’re interested in applying to join this monumental endeavor to bring baseball and softball back to our community and are willing to complete the following “Coaching Requirements Checklist,” and/or “Umpiring Checklist,” WE NEED YOU! Whether it's your first time coaching or umpiring, or you are a veteran of the art, we aim to build a community of coaches and umpires, who are prepared to deliver a high quality experience for our children.

Our move into Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth Baseball & Softball, and the initiative to provide all coaches and umpires with the required certifications, necessary training, and all the equipment needed for a successful season, calls for certain commitments on the part of our coaches and umpires. 

We are here every step of the way!  From certification and training reimbursement and guidance to helping develop drills and managing parental questions and concerns, you’ll have access to a team of experienced and dedicated coaches that have been there. Please read through the Incentives we offer and PYJSBA’s “Coaching Requirements Checklist," and "Umpiring Checklist,” and apply today!

*There is no guarantee of receiving a coaching or umpiring assignment. Once you apply and present your preferences, the PYJSBA Board reviews applications for approval. If selected, you will receive an email outlining your anticipated coaching or umpiring assignments, which will include all of the necessary certification requirements. Please DO NOT WAIT TO APPLY.

PYJSBA’s Coaching Expectations

Aside from the certifications outlined below that PYJSBA needs to secure our regional charter, PYJSBA is recruiting coaches and umpires who aim to provide a fun-filled learning experience within a safe and caring environment, where our players will learn to love and learn to play the games of baseball and softball. We want our players and their families to create memories they can cherish forever. 

We are recruiting Coaches who can commit to a minimum of two experiences (practices and games) per week, which includes a game on Saturdays when most community and family members can attend. 

We are recruiting Umpires who can commit to officiating one to multiple games on Saturdays when most community and family members can attend and occasionally added weeknight games.

Coaches' Pre-season Expectations:

• Recommended attendance at our Annual Coaches Clinic on or around January 17.
• Required attendance at our Annual Coaches Meeting on or around February 27.
• Required attendance and participation in Evaluations and Draft Night during the first full week of March.
• Recommended attendance and participation at our Annual Skills & Drills Clinics.
• Organize practice schedule with our PYJSBA Scheduler. Practices begin in mid to late March.
• Team uniform distribution.

 Coaches' In-season Expectations:

• Provide our players with fun, safe, and productive practices and games.
• Coaching a minimum of one practice each week during a weeknight that works with your schedule.
• Coaching a minimum of one game each week on Saturdays.
• Communicating regularly with parents, players, fellow coaches, and PYJSBA representatives via our Sports Engine app.
• Maintaining a healthy and fun environment at all times.
• Caring for issued equipment.
• Working out scheduling conflicts, including rescheduling weather related cancellations.
• Promoting PYJSBA events.
• Performing minimal field maintenance before and after practice and games. PYJSBA is available to help teach coaches the following requirements:
  • NEW: ALL HOME TEAM COACHES (head and assistants) are required to line their batter boxes and field before their assigned game-time start. Umpires will not start games until fields are properly chalked or re-chalked where necessary. Umpires will remain on location for 30 minutes if coaches run late and therefore get to prepping the field late. This 30 minutes will be subtracted from the game-time limit.
  • NEW: ALL AWAY TEAM COACHES (head and assistants) are required to rake and fill any divots on the pitchers mound, batters box, first, third, and second base, and shortstop area immediately following game play. Umpires will arrive on location and remain for 30 minutes if coaches run late and therefore get to prepping the field late. This 30 minutes will be subtracted from the game-time limit of the next game.
    • It’s important to remember, after 30 minutes on locations, our umpires get paid even if they don’t call a strike. If a field is not ready within 30 minutes of a scheduled start time, umpires, by league rule, call the game. 
    • Coaches are provided with all the tools and materials necessary to complete these tasks. Coaches are also free to swap with or work together with players, parents, and opposing coaches to speed up the process.

 Coaches' Post-season Expectations:

• Equipment organization and return.
• Optional participation in possible post-season play opportunities.

Schedules are determined with coaches’ input and based on schedule, field, and umpire availability (depending on division), which we begin developing in mid-February based on the number of divisional registrations PYJSBA receives. We expect coaches to determine one to two specific nights during the week for games/practices and to schedule a game on Saturday. While Saturday game times will be fluid and can change from week to week, we hope to have each coach determine which one to two nights during the work week they will have practices/games. This helps our families who have children involved in other activities or need to make transportation arrangements. We aim to team up head coaches with assistants who will help ensure no practices or games are canceled due to anything other than the weather.

Apply to join our team today!
Our community’s athletes NEED YOU!

All eligible umpires starting at age 16 receive a check for $70 for EVERY game officiated.  With several teams, there is plenty of opportunity to officiate multiple games throughout the work week and on Saturdays April through June.

Coaching & Umpiring INCENTIVES

We are well aware that at the end of the day, Coaches and Umpires are the undisputed champions at the heart of helping PYJSBA, Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth Baseball & Softball succeed and grow. Therefore, to celebrate coaches and umpires who are stepping up in a BIG way, completing this certification process, and doing the best they can to help us provide a memorable, learning experience for our players, the league budgets to incentivize their efforts .

If your application is board approved, and you Coach and/or Umpire with us, PYJSBA will reimburse you for the cost of your "Coaching Youth Baseball and/or Softball The Babe Ruth League Way" certification, which is/are good for life, your annual, "Background Check," which is required every season, and your "Abuse Prevention Training," which is required every two years.  Also, if your application is board approved, and you Coach and/or Umpire with us, you become eligible to receive partial or full reimbursement of player registration fees for your child or children! 

Board Approved Coaches who know the game but don’t have children in the PYJSBA league, and are just looking for an opportunity to add to their resume or experience the nostalgia that baseball and softball offer, will receive a check for the cost of one player’s fee at the level they coach.  *Umpires do not qualify for this incentive as games to officiate are not guaranteed and payment is made for each game officiated.

Reimbursements are distributed at the end of the season.

A PYJSBA representative is always available for help with this process or you can reach out to our Player & Coach Agent. 

*To be eligible for reimbursement:

• Your application must be Board Approved, and you must be registered no later than January 1 and have the required certifications properly posted in our system no later than March 1. (This requirement may be extended to February in the rare event that the application process renders a shortage in one or more divisions). 
• You must fulfill all duties required of our coaches and/or umpires, including pre-season, in-season, and optional post-season duties as outlined on this page.
• At the end of the season, the cost you spend to obtain your "Abuse Prevention Training," the online “Background Screen Registration,” and "Coaching Youth Baseball and/or Softball The Babe Ruth League Way" will be reimbursed on an announced evening at the fields. Partial and full player registration fees for your child or children will also be awarded depending on your commitment and reliability.
• You or someone on your behalf must be present to receive reimbursement on the date and time announced.
• There is no reimbursement for previously obtained certifications.

“Coaching and Umpiring Requirements Checklist”

*PLEASE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS, BUT DO NOT COMPLETE THEM UNTIL RECEIVING FORMAL BOARD APPROVAL OF YOUR APPLICATION VIA THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU USED TO APPLY. THIS WILL RESULT IN RISKING CERTIFICATION AND FEES IF YOUR APPLICATION IS NOT APPROVED BY THE PYJSBA BOARD. If you have not yet applied to Coach, APPLY NOW!

REQUIREMENT #1

Once you receive notification that you application to coach or umpire is approved, you’ll begin your journey of becoming a PYJSBA Certified Coach and/or Umpire, you must first REGISTER WITH US each season, which you will complete when you apply.  The status of your application and other necessary links will be emailed to you if you are board approved to Coach and/or Umpire within the first week of January. As you will learn, we provide some tremendous tools to make rostering, scheduling, and communicating with parents, players, and other coaches easier. We also provide access to training material to help you become an exceptional coach and mentor. We also keep copies of your certifications in our system each season to keep them safe and on file with PYJSBA.

• To take advantage of these free tools, you must be board approved and need to create an account with SportsEngine by applying to coach with us.   
• To apply, visit the Coaches & Umpires Application page.  There is no cost to apply. You'll be able to edit your application at any time before January 2.
• Once approved, you’ll be directed to download the Sports Engine app as you will be added to our "Coaches Corner" chat, where important information will be shared and you can ask questions.
• From there coaches are moved to “Level Coaches Corners, where  coaches are grouped with all coaches in their level.
• Eventually, coaches are rostered and added to their “Teams” in app.

A PYJSBA representative is always available for help with this process or you can reach out to our Player & Coach Agent. 

REQUIREMENT #2

An essential function of head coaches (team managers) and their assistants is to manage team communications with players and their families. An essential function of umpires is to manage communications with PYJSBA confirming game times and any issues experienced. If you are looking to become a head or assistant coach or umpire with PYJSBA, we are providing a Team Management Guide for Coaches and Team Managers to help you use our website and mobile app to efficiently and effectively communicate and manage your team.  

• The first, and most important, requirement based on the feedback of our community of parents and coaches is to make in-season communication between parents and coaches not just a priority but easy to do.
• All assistant coaches and head coaches must commit to reviewing this guide and prepare to utilize the mobile app to communicate with parents and players.
• All umpires only need to register as you will be rostered in our Umpire Chat to confirm game dates, payment, and any issues experienced.

A PYJSBA representative is always available for help with this process or you can reach out to our Player & Coach Agent. 

REQUIREMENT #3

• All Baseball coaches, heads and assistants, and umpires must complete the “Coaching Youth Baseball the Babe Ruth League Way” online certification course. All Softball coaches, heads and assistants, and umpires must complete the “Coaching Youth Softball the Babe Ruth League Way” online certification course. There is a cost of $19.95 per course, which you can complete at your own pace.  The league will fully reimburse you once you complete all requirements for reimbursement.* These certifications are "good for life,” so if you already have one or both, you can upload that.
  • Both courses include a terrific e-book download that you can access for life and the course is presented in a slide format. With reading, the course and the test take around an hour and a half, but you can work at your own pace, and the program saves your progress.
  • Once you are shown your certificate of completion, take a screenshot or download it. If approved to coach, you will receive directions on how to share with PYJSBA and our charters.

REQUIREMENT #4

• Once board approved, all coaches and umpires must complete the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) Background Check and Abuse Prevention Systems (APS) Training. This link is provided if you are board approved to coach. There is a cost of $25.50 for you to complete the registration and training on your own schedule, but again, the league will FULLY reimburse you. The Background Check is required annually while the APS is good for two years. 
  • The Background Check takes about 5 minutes, and the Abuse Prevention Training is presented in a series of videos and takes around an hour and fifteen minutes, but you can work at your own pace, and the program saves your progress. When you complete the registration and background check, you will receive an email to the email address you used with a link to complete the APS. Again, this is only required every two years, so if you completed it last year, you do not need to complete it until next year.
  • Once you are shown your certificate of completion, take a screenshot or download it, and and you will receive directions on how to share it with PYJSBA and our charters. 

REQUIREMENT #5 (Umpires Only)

• Baseball umpires must register, complete, and share USA Baseball's FREE Certification at USA Baseball. Softball umpires must register, complete, and share NFHS Softball’s FREE Certification at NFHS LEARN.  You will receive directions on how to share your certifications with PYJSBA and our charters.
  • Visit the USA Baseball and/or NFHS link above & create a FREE account.
  • Once you have an account, click on “Education” from the home page or menu.
  • Click on “Certifications.”
  • Click on “Courses” 
  • Find and complete the “Introduction to Umpiring” Course.
  • Once you earn your certification, screenshot or download it, and share with PYJSBA and our charters according to the emailed directions.
• If you already hold these certifications from a previous season or an up-to-date certification with Tri-State Elite or USABL, you can share that certification instead and do not need to complete USA Baseball's or NFHS’s Softball Umpire Certification.

ENCOURAGED “REQUIREMENT” #6

• All approved coaches and umpires are strongly encouraged to attend our “Skills & Drills Clinic Nights” that we offer one night a week from late January through late February.

Your attendance presents two benefits:

• We have your help organizing and running safe, skill-building drills in a welcoming environment.
• We create a coaching community, where we can all learn from one another in a stress-free environment.
• Coaches who participate get to know players long before evaluations.

REQUIREMENT #7
Attend our only mandatory Coaches' Meeting & Clinic for ALL levels' coaches: TeeBall, Softball 8u, Rookies, Minors, Majors, Babe Ruth, Baseball 16+, Softball 10u & 12u+—On or around February 10, 6 pm—8 pm at a local venue. We will review the PYJSBA Coaches Handbook using the Sports Engine App, confirm certifications, distribute equipment, discuss practice times and preferred fields, and formulate TeeBall and ALL Softball teams. Experienced coaches will also present various activities and approaches to having a successful and fun season. Coaches will be on hand to offer advice or share experiences.

REQUIREMENT #8
Attend our Evaluations for Rookies, Minors, Majors, and Babe Ruth: TBD February 10-14, 6 pm -7:30 pm Location TBA. Players registered for the Rookie, Minor, Major, and Babe Ruth Divisions are expected to attend one or all workouts to perform baseball-related drills and activities so coaches can make informed decisions when assembling their teams. 

REQUIREMENT #9 (Coaching Staffs)

Simply REMEMBER, Vital to ensuring that teams have access to safe and certified equipment, head coaches will be provided an array of well-conditioned equipment at the start of the season that includes EVERYTHING needed to provide a safe, well-organized experience for players of all levels. On a predetermined evening, head coaches receive their teams’ equipment. To ensure the proper care and return of equipment, like other reputable programs, we require one of each team’s coaches to complete a form acknowledging receipt and responsibility for the equipment assigned to their team. After the season, an evaluation as to the condition of equipment will be made and noted in the coaches' end-of-season evaluations. No coaches are ever held accountable for replacing items that incur normal wear and tear or minor miscellaneous items. Any lost or damaged equipment MUST be reported as soon as possible.

Please consider joining our team; our children will thank you!  When you are ready to take the next step to join our team, apply on our Coaches & Umpires Application page!

Again, if you have any questions, please email our Player and Coach Agent, who would be delighted to help.

Keep connected to your team. Quickly check schedules and team updates, plus message other members on your team and receive heads-up from athletes about practice. Enjoy unlimited access to scores & stats, photo/video sharing, and more.