FACTS ABOUT USSSA HIGH SCHOOL AGE PROGRAM

THE USSSA 15U - 18U PROGRAM WAS INTRODUCED IN  2009. HERE IN MISSISSIPPI WE HAVE DECIDED TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO BRING A QUALITY PROGRAM TO OUR HS AGES WELL BEYOND THAT OFFERED IN THE PAST. NO LONGER ARE THE PLAYERS WHO GREW UP WITH US AND NEED QUALITY COMPETITION NOW MORE THAN EVER HAVING TO SEARCH FOR IT. AFTER ALL, THESE ARE THE PLAYERS WHO HAVE "MADE IT" AND ARE CONTINUING THEIR PASSION BY PLAYING FOR THEIR SCHOOL AND MANY STRIVING TO GO BEYOND.

HERE IS SOME INFORMATION UNIQUE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AGE PROGRAM.

HS AGES (15U-18U) ROSTERS ARE OPEN ROSTERS ALL SEASON. THE ONLY TIME A ROSTER IS FROZEN IS 1 WEEK PRIOR TO A WORLD SERIES YOUR TEAM HAS COMMITTED TO PLAY. PLAYERS CAN CHANGE WEEK TO WEEK TO ALLOW TEAMS TO PICK UP A PLAYER TO HAVE ENOUGH TO PLAY IN ANY WEEK. USSSA REALIZES ALL THE CONFLICTS WITH SCHEDULES, ESPECIALLY SCHOOL SCHEDULES ETC. TEAMS SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIELD A TEAM AND "JUST PLAY BALL"...... FALL- ONLINE ROSTERS ARE OPTIONAL BUT POINTS ARE NOT AWARDED UNLESS YOU HAVE IT ONLINE.   SPRING AND SUMMER YOU MUST HAVE YOUR ROSTER ONLINE, BUT PLAYERS MAY BE ADDED AND DROPPED AS NEEDED (JUST HAVE EVERYONE YOU ARE BRINGING ON THERE EACH WEEK.

THERE ARE ONLY 2 CLASSIFICATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI. ELITE CLASS FOR VERY HIGH LEVEL AND RECRUITED TEAMS, AND AAA FOR TRADITIONAL TRAVEL TEAMS who have been AA-Major in the state program (VAST MAJORITY). THERE ARE NO AA EVENTS SO DONT REGISTER YOUR TEAM AA. YOU CAN READ ABOUT OUR TRADITIONAL STATE PROGRAM AND THE ELITE PROGRAM THRU OUR LINKS. UNLESS YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO PLAY EXCLUSIVELY IN THE ELITE PROGRAM ALL TEAMS SHOULD REGISTER AAA. USSSA MAY DROP THE AAA AND JUST CALL THIS CLASS 15U-FRESHMAN, 16U-SOPHOMORE ....ETC.

17U & 18U TEAMS ARE SEPARATE IN 2011. SOME EVENTS MAY BE COMBINED AS HS VARSITY BUT MANY WILL BE SEPARATE (SUBJECT TO COMBINE IF NUMBERS DICTATE IT TO "MAKE AT ANY PARTICULAR EVENT).  15U AND 16U ARE JV LEVEL BUT REMAIN SEPARATE C,ASSES THRU WORLD SERIES. OFTEN THESE AGES ARE COMBINED 15/16U FOR REGULAR TOURNAMENTS AND WILL BE LISTED 16U. THIS "JV" LEVEL 15/16 TOURNAMENT IS SIMPLY TO HELP INSURE THE EVENTS YOU ENTER WILL MAKE AND BE A QUALITY EVENT.

*IMPORTANT* HS AGES CLASSES ARE DUAL CLASSES. 15U IS ACTUALLY NOT JUST 15U, IT'S 15U-FRESHMAN. A PLAYER CAN BE UP TO 1 PLAYING AGE OVER THE AGE LISTED IF AND ONLY IF HE IS IN THAT GRADE ( 16 YR OLD FRESHMAN ) AND PLAY ON A 15U - FRESHMAN TEAM. THE SAME APPLIES FOR 16U- SOPHOMORE, 17U - JUNIOR AND 18U- SENIOR CLASSES. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A BIRTH CERTIFICATE WITH YOU FOR ALL PLAYERS. FOR OLDER PLAYERS YOU NEED A REPORT CARD OR SCHOOL RECORD ATTACHED TO HIS BC IN CASE OF PROTEST.

   *** OLDER PLAYER ROSTER ENTRY NOTE. IF YOU HAVE AN ELIGIBLE OLDER PLAYER IN THE PROPER GRADE AND TRY TO PUT HIM ON YOUR ONLINE ROSTER, IT MAY REJECT HIM AS TOO OLD. YOU MUST BACK HIS DOB UP 1 YEAR TO ENTER HIM. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A COPY OF HIS SCHOOL RECORD OR REPORT CARD WITH HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE IN YOUR RECORDS AND AVAILABLE AT ALL TOURNAMENTS IF REQUESTED.