FAQ

For 2022, we anticipate fielding approximately 23 teams (14 baseball teams ranging in
ages from 8 - 16 & 9 Softball teams ages 8-14) .

We are permitted to practice and play home games on local Town of Islip
ballfields, such as Beaverdam Park, Brookwood Hall, East Islip Marina, Michael
Buckley & Locust Ave., as well as on local school district ball fields. We also
work out year round at our indoor training center, In The Zone (“ITZ”). In
addition to holding Winter workouts at ITZ, we also obtain permits to practice in
the gyms of our local school districts. Before adding our own indoor training
center, we previously trained in past Winters at most of the indoor facilities
located throughout Long Island, including: Pro Game Academy, Play Like a Pro,
Center Island Sports, & Long Island Baseball.

Our teams are predominately made up of players who live in the Town of Islip
which is located on the South Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, NY. Most
of our players live within the East Islip and Islip School districts with many of the
other hamlets that make up the Town of Islip are also represented with players hailing
from hamlets such as Bay Shore, West Islip, Brentwood, Central Islip, Oakdale,
Holbrook and Sayville. We also have players who live outside the Town of Islip
throughout Long Island, including players who live in towns, including
Lindenhurst, Deer Park, Kings Park, North Babylon & West Babylon.

The majority of our coaches are volunteer parents with baseball backgrounds and
years of coaching experience. For example, most of our coaches played baseball
through High School and College. Two of our coaches coached, or still coach
High School baseball. One of our coaches is an AFU umpire. Some still play in
adult baseball leagues. One is a former All-American who pitched in the Cape
Cod league. Our coaches are certified by the National Alliance for Youth Sports.
We have also hired college and recent college graduates with baseball

backgrounds to coach, or to assist in coaching our teams. As an organization, we
support our coaches and we run workouts and scrimmages across teams/ages to
maximize development and to promote organization-wide unity while exposing
our players to our full coaching staff. In fact, many of our oldest Owls players are
now in College with many still playing baseball. A number of them have come
back to help assist us to instruct our younger players at practices, tryouts, and games.
As coaches, we strive to instill a love of the game in our players by teaching them
how to play the game the right way. Fundamentals are drilled. Game situations,
such as rundowns, pick-offs, 1st and 3rd situations are explained and practiced.
Set plays are taught, called for in-game situations, and executed. We also teach
position-specific skill sets. Owls are trained how to think the game, the all-important mental approach to playing baseball is stressed from the earliest ages on
up. Sportsmanship is paramount. Respect for the game, umpires, coaches,
teammates and opponents is the standard that we expect and to which we hold
our players. We do not tolerate behavior below this standard, as anything less will
quickly result in a place on the bench and if amends are not made quickly,
ultimately expulsion from our program. A team is just that with every member
being important and relied upon to contribute. We give all of our players
opportunities and we work hard to develop all of our players individually and
playing together on teams. Our goal is to provide our youth with a healthy life
long interest that teaches them values that they can rely upon and use throughout
their lives. The camaraderie of playing Owls baseball-only seems to grow! Our
coaches volunteer as a way to give back and as a tribute to our past coaches and to
the game.

Yes, our teams have always supplemented our team-run practices with outside
professional training. For sports performance training, ie, strength, speed, and
agility, many of our players train with Frank Dolan, in the “offseason” during the
Winter. Frank’s gym is located in Islip and he offers our players different levels of
training based on the number of sessions that they can attend in order to meet their
needs. Frank is a consummate professional and a trainer to pro athletes. Frank
played college baseball and has coached High School Baseball. Additionally,
private training lessons are available out of ITZ, our own training center. James
Lomangino, a local Connetquot High School and St. John’s graduate, who has
pitched for LI Ducks and who was drafted by the Colorado Rockies and pitched
for the Asheville Tourists offers pitching/throwing lessons out of ITZ.
Additionally, our teams use different pro and college/HS trainers in order to meet
the particular needs of their teams and we have hired coaches for teams at 90.’
Anthony Passalacqua the founder of Long Island Baseball has worked with players from
our organization from our onset. So it was a natural fit for our organizations to affiliate
within this past year and we are excited to build this relationship going forward.
Finally, prior to acquiring ITZ, we trained at most of the other indoor facilities on
Long Island, including at Pro Game, Play Like a Pro, and Center Island Sports,
and as a result, we maintain good relationships with instructors and the owners of
these facilities.

Our oldest teams tend to play in the Boys of Summer, Baseball Heaven or Town
of Brookhaven. Our youngest teams typically begin playing in the East Coast
Youth Baseball League, BBH, and sometimes SCPAL in the Spring. Each team
decides its own schedule including league and tournament play. Our teams play
and have played in just about every league on Long Island.

Our teams play tournaments in and out of NY state. Locally, we play
tournaments run by the various leagues where our teams play, including
Baseball Heaven; Town of Brookhaven; Game Day USA at Randalls
Island, NY; and Cooperstown, NY; out of state, we have enjoyed traveling
and playing at such premier venues as: Ripken, MD & TN; Future Stars,
Hershey, PA, Diamond Nation, NJ, Sports on the Beach, DE, and War at
the Shore, CT. Last year alone we sent three 12-year-old teams to
Cooperstown. We also run our annual Taylor Ryan Charity Tournament -
For the last six (6) years, our organization has run a charity tournament in
honor of two young local East Islip heroes: Taylor Ryan, an amazing 14
year-old young woman, who is a classmate and friend to many Owls and
who has been battling with histiocytosis since the age of 6 and Max Berlin,
an Owls player and dear friend who is in remission from cancer, but who
continues to battle with HUS, a kidney disease that he contracted from
chemotherapy treatments. Our tournament runs during the third weekend
of June, right after school ends, with the proceeds raised being donated to
the Taylor Ryan Foundation to combat histiocytosis and other pediatric
cancers.

Our program is year long. While people have the option of paying all at once and
receiving a 10% discount they also have the option of paying over three dates.
Families with multiple players in our program, also receive a 10% discount.
Softball has its own pricing and structure as set forth below. Costs vary by team,
based on age and their individual tournament schedules and training regimens. For
example, at the youngest ages, there are less games in a season and the costs are
less because there is only one paid umpire per game. Once the field expands from
a traditional little league size 60 foot field, at the latest by age 11, the costs
increase, in part, in order to offset the higher umpire fees. Based on our years of
experience, we have found that teams that train and play this amount of local
travel baseball as a baseline, progress and are prepared to compete at tournaments
in and out of state.

What you get for the above: 3 Seasons of Baseball: Spring, Summer & Fall. Taylor Ryan Tournament
(Roughly 40-50 games total). Year Round use of our indoor center - In The Zone. Use of permitted
fields/gyms, including EI Marina under the lights. Insurance (secondary) - in case of activity related
injury. Teamsnap scheduling and communication software program. Our uniform package valued at
$160 dollars is also INCLUDED. Our uniforms are top grade mirroring the products worn by MLB
players. Richardson custom hats, tackle twill stitched jerseys, dri-fit numbered shirt, premier high count
pants, belts and socks comprise our package. Our teams typically also pay, or fundraise, to purchase
team batting helmets and bat back bags. Moreover, individual travel team tournaments cost extra, as do
the costs of hiring trainers/instructors.

Softball Costs & Price Structure

10% multi-child discount if timely paid. 10% discount if paid in full for the year by 11/30/18. The Lady
Owls program is a year long commitment and includes 3 seasons of softball: Spring, Summer & Fall
seasons and depending upon the team: 1-3 tournaments (Roughly 40 games total); Year round use of
ITB’s Indoor Training center - In The Zone, including pitching and catching clinic throughout the year
during the off season time; Use of permitted fields/gyms, including EI Marina under the lights.
Insurance (secondary) - in case of activity related injury. Teamsnap scheduling and communication
software program.

Many of our players are multiple-sport athletes. However, we urge players to stay
involved in our year long program while working around their other activities in
order to take full advantage of the opportunities that we afford our players to
develop. So generally the answer is No; however, we realize that for example in
the Fall many players may only be able to commit on a part time basis and may
miss considerable parts of a schedule because of Fall school sports, etc.
Nonetheless the cost is a year round fee because not having full rosters presents
challenges for teams which we as an organization do work around by combining
teams, or cross-rostering players. This is an issue to be addressed and worked out
with coaches on a team by team basis. Also as teams get older, many teams
decide to forego playing a Spring schedule because so many players are playing
school ball & instead make it up by playing tournaments.

Yes! As a recognized Not-For-Profit organization, donations made to Islip Travel
baseball are tax deductible. Parents of players whose companies donate to ITB,
can request that those monies be ear marked for their child’s team. Sponsors who
contribute donations of $300, or more, receive website recognition. Those
sponsors will receive either a banner at ITZ or they are listed on our backstop
sign, located at Beaverdam Park. Our annual organizational fundraiser is held in

July, at Fatty McGees in Islip Terrace, NY. Funds raised at that event help to
defray organizational costs, both large and small, helping to pay for such items as:
operating In The Zone; insurance; permit/light fees; equipment costs, including
portable mounds, heavy rubber bases; teamsnap fees; PO box costs, and umpire
fees for games that we host and schedule ourselves. Additionally, our teams are
encouraged to individually fundraise in order to help pay for professional training,
travel tournaments and the purchase of team equipment. Teams are encouraged to
develop and do maintain individual team budgets to meet their year long plan.

Yes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, as a group, we love to go out to the ball park
together! In June, we celebrate the end of our Spring season and the start of
Summer by going to see the LI Ducks play. Pregame, prior to the singing of the
National Anthem, our players are honored by running out onto the field as that
night’s Dream Team. Our older boys have gotten to field with the flock, by
shagging fly balls while the Ducks take batting practice. We also go out to Mets
and Yankees games on youth days where our players get to parade on the fields.
In some years our group has been big enough to allow a few lucky Owls players to
throw out and catch the ceremonial first pitch. We have also had the opportunity
to buy playoff tickets the last two years for the Yankees. Also, in year’s past, at
the end of the Summer, we have hosted Owls Fest at the EI Marina which is an
end of the Summer BBQ outing equipped with a large inflatable obstacle course
and outdoor games for the kids. One year, we also held a holiday party at the
South Bay Brewery. We are always open to ideas to enjoy ourselves as a big
family!

Owls are wise. One of the many truisms that is repeated to our players is that the
smarter team wins. Our teams are taught and constantly reminded that
baseball/softball is a thinking player’s game. Ball players must anticipate the
action and visualize themselves making plays. Owls are students of the game,
taught to constantly observe, down and ready on every pitch, ready to take
advantage of what is there to be had.

Email: isliptravelbaseball@gmail.com