Tryout Policy

All 8u, 10u, and 12u players must participate in skill evaluations every year.

• Before a player can try out, their registration and volunteer fees must be paid. (They will not be placed on a team until these are turned in.)
• Elk River Youth Softball strives to make the tryout process as impartial and fair as possible. All players will be given the opportunity to tryout during the tryout time period.

Tryout Attendance

Players are required to attend the full tryout process.

• Illness, injury, or extraordinary personal circumstances may cause players to request different tryout process.
• Requests to miss tryouts must be made prior to the start of tryouts unless an injury or illness occurs during the tryouts.
• Submission of supporting documents, including doctor’s reports, etc. are highly recommended and should be submitted prior to the end of tryouts for anyone requesting an alternative tryout.
• A detailed description must be provided. The board will then review the request, and you will be directed on how to schedule an alternative tryout date with the evaluators.
• Alternative tryout costs are not covered by ERYSA. The price of these accommodations is the parents responsibility to pay directly to the evaluators.
• Players that do not attend tryouts or do not have prior approval for an alternative tryout date will be place on the lowest team.
• Players that do not attend call backs will lose the opportunity to show their skills to their potential coach. The potential coach will then have to choose their remaining players off of a score vs. seeing how the player interacts with the other potential teammates.

Placement Priority

All players attending school or living in the Elk River School District.

• Exceptions given on a case-by-case basis.

Individuals who do not meet the eligibility requirements outlined above are still encouraged to register, as it is the policy of Elk River Youth Softball to make every reasonable effort to place all registrants on a team. However, if registration numbers require roster cuts, participants who meet the eligibility criteria will be placed first. Any remaining roster openings may then be filled by registrants residing outside the association, based on evaluation scores and coach selection.

Elk River Youth Softball recognizes that it has an obligation to our players and to our opponents to form teams with skill levels commensurate to age and competitive ability.

• Therefore, different tiered teams at all age levels will be formed on the basis of tryout evaluations.
• The highest tier level team at each age level will include at least 7 of the top players determined through the tryout scores. The remaining players shall be selected by the team coach from the remaining pool of eligible players, taking into account years of experience, tryout evaluations, and participation in Elk River Youth Softball clinics.
• The Elk River Youth Softball Association Board and the coaches at that age level will approve final decisions. Appropriate level of play is essential for each girl to compete and learn as much as possible at each age level.

Players may request to play down to a lower tier team, subject to approval by the association Board. Specifically, this allows a pitcher or catcher not rated high enough to play that position on the higher-level team an opportunity to play down in order to pitch/catch on a lower tier team.

Team Formation

6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, HS (16&18U) age brackets defined by USA Softball: https://mnsoftball.com/pages/cms/age-calculator