Frequently-Asked Questions

How long is the season?

The season typically runs for a little over 2 months:  from early to mid-April (depending on weather and the conditions of the fields) until mid-June.  At the older age groups, 9 and up, there will also be a tournament team organized that typically practices and plays into early July.

How old does my son/daughter have to be to play?

Children enter the park at a wide range of ages, successfully picking up the sport, anywhere from 5 year old up to 12 years old.  We organize our park in divisions based on age as follows: 

We do have some flexibility in placing your child and depending on skill level, maturity, desire, etc., will allow a child to move up or down a division to better fit their needs, match their skill set, or allow siblings or friends to play on the same team.

Can they play with friends / siblings?

We make every effort to accommodate carpool, friend and sibling requests. 

How often do they play / practice?

The time commitment will vary depending on the age of the child and what division they are registered in. 

T-ball (5- and 6-year-old boys and girls) teams meet for one, one-hour practice during the week, typically Monday - Thursday, from somewhere between 5:00 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. and have a 1 hour game, on a rotating schedule sometime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays at Hollywood Park. 

Mini-minors (7- and 8-year-old boys and girls) teams also meet for one, one-hour practice during the week, typically Monday - Thursday, from somewhere between 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and have a 1 hour game, on a rotating schedule sometime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays on the main diamond at Pemberton Park. 

For both T-ball and Mini-minor divisions, the practice will be set by the coach at the start of the season and remain consistent throughout the season, typically starting between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The game schedule times on Saturdays will vary throughout the season but will be set and published at the start of the season.

Minor and Major Baseball and Minor, Major and Junior Softball teams play and practice more, typically having 1-2 practices per week and 1-2 games per week. Set by the coach at the start of the season, the practice times and locations will be consistent throughout the season.  Players in these age groups play an interlocking game schedule with other Victoria Little League parks and so half the games will be played at other parks throughout the city. At these levels, the other Little League parks we play are all in Greater Victoria with a maximum 20-minute drive and include: Central Saanich, Hampton, Lakehill, Layritz and National. 

To see more information about our neighbouring parks and a map showing their locations, see http://beaconhilllittleleague.org/Content_Page.asp?Section=15&Item=179

We recognize that children often have multiple activities, so can typically accommodate reasonable scheduling requests by placing a child on a team with a practice schedule that fits their other activities.
 

Where do they play and practice?

Beacon Hill has three field complexes where practices will be held:

• Our main field and lower diamond at Hollywood Park, which is on Fairfield Rd., beside the PetroCanada station at the corner of Fairfield Rd. and St. Charles St., near the Thrifty’s Plaza. 
• Pemberton Park at the corner of Gonzales and Richardson Rd. 
• Brooke Park, between Brooke and Thurlow at Kipling near Sir James Douglas School.

Games for T-ball will always be on Saturdays on the lower diamond at Hollywood Park. 

New this year: games for Mini-minors will always be on Saturdays on the main diamond at Pemberton Park. Depending on the schedule set at the start of the season, home games for the Minor, Major and Junior divisions will be on varying days and times on the main diamonds at Hollywood Park or at Pemberton Park.

Typically but with some exceptions throughout the season, baseball games are on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays or Sundays, while Softball games are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

What is the cost to play?

Registration fees for the 2010 season will be as follows: 

         
Full refunds - less a $10 administration fee - will be available up to and including April 15th, 2010. After April 15th up to and including May 15th, 2010, a refund of 50 per cent of fees paid will be available. 

After May 15, 2010 no refunds will be provided. All refund requests should be made via e-mail to bhillregistrar@gmail.com. 

We are a fair-play organization and will not refuse a child an opportunity to play in our park based on an inability to pay. Please contact bhillregistrar@gmail.com for more information.

What equipment do players require?

Each child is required to provide their own baseball or softball glove and a properly fitting batting helmet. We discourage the sharing of batting helmets to limit the potential for sharing head lice. 

Gloves and helmets and advice on appropriate sizes, fit, etc. are available at most local sporting good stores.  Expect to pay approximately $30 for a batting helmet and $20-$50 for a glove. 

Bats, balls, catcher’s gear and uniforms (full uniforms for Minors and Majors; t-shirts for Tball and Mini-minors) are provided by the park. 

Children in the older divisions often wear cleats, batting gloves and/or face masks but this is not required and worn at the option/expense of each family.

Can I play in any other parks in the city? Are there any other parks in the area? What is your catchment area? 

Beacon Hill is a Little League Park and as such, promotes and encourages players to register in their neighbourhood Little League park.  Beacon Hill’s neighbourhood or catchment is James Bay, Fairfield and the southern part of Jubilee and Oak Bay.  If you are not sure about whether or not you fall in our neighbourhood, send us an email at bhillregistrar@gmail.com and we can direct you appropriately - or go to the Victoria, District 7, Little League website at: http://www.littleleaguevictoria.org for more information about our neighbouring parks and a map showing their locations.

How can I help?

We are a volunteer organization and rely on the incredible generosity of time and effort of many people.  We always welcome anyone with an interest in coaching and umpiring.  Typically coaches are grouped in teams, so if you would like to coach but can’t necessarily commit to the full season, all the time, let us know and we’ll match you up with someone who complements your schedule. 

If you think you can give us a little time as a fundraiser, groundskeeper, scorekeeper, scheduler helping out in the concession or anything else you can think of, great! Please indicate your area of interest on your registration form.

How do I register?

Please see the 2010 registration information outlined on our home page.

A coach will contact you in early April to inform you of your child’s team and the first practice time and location.

Thanks for considering Beacon Hill!