House League is:

• NO CUT program.
• Parent coaches.
• 12 to 14 players per team.
• Unlimited number of teams created to ensure everyone plays baseball.
• No tryouts required, but evaluations are required to develop the Mustang - Pony teams.  Pinto - Stallion do not require evaluations
• Grades: 1st - 8th Grade

Travel League is:

• Competitive baseball
• Professional coaching staff
• 12 players per team
• Typically 2 teams per age group
• Tryouts required
• Ages: 8 - 12 years old.

Age eligibility date after May 1st to May 1st of the baseball season.

Example: 2018 Season
U8      Any player born after 5/1/09.  Player X was born on Aug 1, 2009 = 8 year old
U9      Any player born after 5/1/08.  Player T was born on June 10, 2008 = 9 year old
U10    Any player born after 5/1/07
U11     Any player born after 5/1/06
U12    Any player born after 5/1/05

• 8U tryouts are announced and conducted during April of the baseball season.
• 9U - 12U: tryouts are announced and conducted during the month of October of the prior year of the spring baseball season.
• Tryouts are conducted by professional coaches and staff that are managed by the KWBA Travel committee.
• Travel League is based on age, not grade level.
• Tryouts are required in order to play in the Travel League
• Travel Players are also required to play in the House Spring League.

The KWBA fields a team that is entered into The Northern Lights Baseball Association (NLBA).  The NLBA is a cooperative program sponsored by several neighborhood communities of Chicago and the north suburbs.  The Association is designed primarily for player ages 15-17 in the Colt level and 18 and above in the Palomino level.   Play begins the first weekend in June and proceeds until the end of July.  Games will be played primarily on Saturdays and Sundays, but there may be some Friday games as well.

While this is a highly competitive league, all players will be offered a roster spot if they register prior to the deadline.  The KWBA does not conduct evaluations for the New Trier Colt and Palomino teams, but will try to honor player requests to be on a team with their friends while also dividing the teams as evenly as possible (based on prior knowledge and information provided by parents/coaches in the New Trier community).  Generally, players who have a medium to high skill level have the best experience.

Note: While the KWBA creates the teams that we enter in this league, we do not create the rules or schedules under which it is run.

• Pinto - Stallion:
  • Teams are typically made by schoolmates to aid with transitioning players into mixed teams as they move through the more competitive baseball leagues.
  • No evaluation is required.
• Mustang - Pony:
  • Every spring of the baseball season, the KWBA will announce House League evaluations. These evaluations assess the players baseball skills to ensure all teams are balance evenly.
  • There are no friend requests, since teams are balanced by skill levels.
• Mustang - Bronco Team Selection Process i.e. Player Draft - see rules here.