Sandlot program guide

The Tomball Kings will host Thursday afternoon sandlot games for boys and girls this fall at Farm League Park [map], 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM, every Thursday from September 7, 2023 through October 26, 2023. Ages 6U through 15U may participate.

These will be true sandlot games, but with emphasis on wiffle, blitz, and tennis balls. The players will pick teams, make virtually all of the rules, keep score, and referee themselves. Tomball Kings high school baseball players will serve as facilitators. By design, no adults will coach the players during these games, but we will have at least one Tomball Kings coach at the complex each Thursday to provide operational help and support.

Sandlot ball makes better baseball players and athletes more generally. It fosters fluidity, coordination, conditioning, speed, baseball intelligence, rules knowledge, lower-body engagement, improved responsiveness to ball movement and flight, teamwork, and character.

If necessary or helpful, we will spread across multiple fields to provide a full playing opportunity for all participants and to allow a rough grouping of players by age.

Players do not need any equipment or uniforms for the sandlot games. One of the few rules is that players must play bare-handed (no gloves allowed). During games, players must use bats and balls provided by the Tomball Kings. Players must also bring plenty of water and may not wear metal spikes. Do not bring any food, gum, or snacks onto the fields.

Throughout the season, facilitators may occasionally offer opportunities for other contests and competitions, such as relay races, “man against the world,” “three against the world,” throwing accuracy, soccer, touch football, or frisbee.

The cost for the entire season is $50.00 for the first boy or girl from each household (the “primary student’). Siblings of primary students may play for $25.00 for the entire season. For insurance purposes, however, we do require each participant to register with the Tomball Kings and pay the once-per-year, Annual Program Fee of $20.00. The Annual Program Fee provides eligibility for all Tomball Kings activities during the period September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024, and needs to be paid only once per player-year. We will invoice you for applicable costs. Payments are due by September 6, 2023.

You do not need to be homeschooled to participate in the sandlot league. Participation on Tomball Kings baseball rosters continues to restricted to homeschooled student-athletes only, however.

You may play in both the Thursday afternoon sandlot league and on a regular Kings roster this fall and we encourage you to do so. Kings teams will not be practicing this fall to allow time for sandlot league participation. For those playing on a Kings team in the Spring Klein Baseball League, however, you must resolve any Thursday schedule conflicts in favor of the Spring Klein league games.

Depending on player ages, abilities, interest, and desire, we reserve the right to also play sandlot hardball, but will make prior arrangements with interested players if we do so, so that they can bring necessary equipment.

Participation is conditioned upon compliance with Tomball Kings and Farm League Park Rules. We reserve the right to remove anyone from the program at our sole discretion.

Registration

Please read the agreements listed below prior to submission of your player registration. Your registration will not be accepted without your agreement to them. You must register in advance in order to participate.

• Player Waiver and Release Agreement
• Release and Waiver of Liability and Indemnity Agreement

Families registering two or more student-athletes may submit separate forms for each, if they wish, or else simply provide information for the additional player(s) in the “Additional information or players” section of the form.

For more information please call John Harris at 512-470-0915.