Recreational Program

Being part of any sports team is a huge commitment. You need to attend practices, games, team meetings, and help with fund raisers. The Minnesota Fighting Lions offers a recreational beep ball program every Saturday throughout the summer months. This is an excellent way for people who are new to beep ball, or who may not be able to make the commitment required to play on a competitive team, to enjoy the sport. Coach Dennis Stern maintains an email list for those who are interested in participating in the recreational program. To be added to that list, simply send him an email at dennisstern@hotmail.com

Dennis has also put together the following FAQ to assist other states in putting together their own recreational programs:
Q. Is there an official Beep ball web site?
Yup. http://www.nbba.org/
Q. How can I get in contact with the sight-impaired and blind in my community to see if there is interest in a recreational beep ball team?

For example, Google “Organizations for the Blind in (choose your area here).” Contact those people. Get on the phone and call local colleges and local military institutions. They will have associations of sight-impaired students and veterans. Also very important, the blind and sight-impaired you get on the team will refer friends of theirs to also play.
Here is a sample invitation you might want to use:
We at ______Lions Club want to organize a fun, weekly recreational Baseball for the Blind team–or Beep Ball team.
Send in a press release to those organizations’ monthly newsletter from your Lions Club such as the following:
“Free Sandwich Night for the Sight-Impaired” with an interest in exercise and fun–(date)_____, (time)_____at (place)______. RSVP (name of Lion)______ at (phone or email etc.)__________. We suggest you might offer the sandwich to their driver as well if you wish. Have in mind a grassy practice field where you can have your first get-together, and announce the place and time for that introductory skill training. Don’t forget to send this news item to ALL the blind organizations in your area within a 20 to 40 mile radius of the practice field. Remember, the key things are to get their involvement, and to not worry about whether you are doing everything exactly right. In RECREATIONAL BEEPBALL, you have the freedom to be creative! Our goals are to have fun and improve.
Q. How much does it cost to set up a recreational beep ball team.

Balls: It could be as low as $140 for 4 beeping balls you will find on the www.nbba.org international site—just click on “equipment.”

Blindfolds: These are mandatory for all players, can be homemade, but the best are Mindfolds. Just see Amazon.com for a Mindfold for about $12 each.

Bases: You can get a foam rubber set of the two bases needed, electric wire and switch box for about $300—also at www.nbba.org. HOWEVER; You could have two volunteers act as bases—one at first and one at third, blowing a whistle after a player hits the fair ball. The player then would run to first base or third base (indicated by a sign from the umpire behind home plate) and slap hands with the “base volunteer” to score the run.
Q. Are we required to conform to the rules of the National Beep Ball Association in running our team?

The answer is “no.” We have an alternate scoring system that our players have found to be fun. For instance if a player strikes out by missing on four swings at a pitched ball (which we award two points for a score),
we allow the player to swing twice if needed off a batting tee—if they score of that they are awarded one point for that time at bat. The distance from home plate to the bases is 100 feet says NBBA rules, but you can shorten that distance if you have slower players. It’s up to you in recreational beep ball. The distance from pitcher to batter is 20 feet, and we recommend staying with that. More on our rules/and/or suggestions, see below.
Q. What are qualifications for a field, and where do you play?

Really necessary is an open space with thick, manicured grass if possible. Players should have knee and elbow pads, but “great grass” prevents injuries, too. You do not want any close by trees or fences that players could run in to. We are lucky to have a private high school’s soccer complex which is open to us—partly because our Lions club donates money to the school each year.
Q. Besides a good field, what are other safety concerns?
The six players in the field are at different distances from home plate. The “In-3 fielders” should be at the same distance as the bases, and the “Out-3 fielders” should be 30 feet behind them.
The “In-6 center fielder” is between 60 and 75 feet from home plate, and the “Out-6 center fielder” should be 40 feet behind him or her.
Players should be encouraged to move laterally instead of infielders going backwards, and outfielders only come in forward when the infielder calls out, “By me on my right (or left).”
Moving laterally for hit balls cuts down the chances of collisions.
But more importantly is the role of the sighted spotters who position players at the correct distances, AND who yell “Caution” if any two moving fielders are within 15 feet of each other. Then one of the two players must call for the ball such as “I’ll take it” or “mine.” That player continues after the ball, and the other player must stop.
If a collision is still possible, the spotter yells “Stop,” and the play is over with the runner scoring.
Be sure to get all players to sign injury release forms. Lions International does provide liability insurance for teams sponsored by Lions, but they do not cover personal injuries such as stitches if no negligence was involved. Call the office for any details. The company now insuring is Willis Insurance.
Q. What is the typical length for a practice, and how should it be planned?

Like any good lesson plan, determine what skills need to be emphasized, such as hitting, running and fielding skills like diving or sliding on the ground to block hit balls. Players laying on the ground in the blocking position have their chests facing the batter. They have their arms extended over their heads, thumbs crossed, and even toes pointed. We practice for one hour and 45 minutes, but that is up to you. We do drills and teaching in the first 45 minutes, and then have a one hour split squad game. The teams are chosen by you, the coach, based on the best balance. For instance, if you have nine players present, we suggest three teams of three– six in the field and the other three on one of the teams to bat. You then alternate to the others by a certain number of at bats or outs by each team. The NBBA’s excellent website has ideas for skill development, pitching tips, videos and other coaching ideas—www.nbba.org.
Q. Any ideas for exhibition games to introduce the game to the public in our community?

We recruited business or political candidate volunteers from our community to donate $250 each to play us before a minor-league baseball game in St. Paul, Minnesota. The volunteers who paid were introduced to the crowd along with their businesses. The games would last about 25 minutes, and the audiences enjoyed them. Proceeds paid for new balls, and much was given to nearby blind organizations. Be sure to alert local media when and where your games will be played. Another exhibition game we do each year is with a statewide Summer Transitions Program. Each June about 14 to 21 high school juniors and seniors come to our metro area to learn cooking, academics, living on their own and recreational skills—such as beep ball. We put on a two-hour clinic which includes all those students who want—to run to the bases, hit and field beep balls. We end up with a fun and competitive game mixing our players with them.
Q. What are the rules for beep ball?
Suggested Rules for Recreational Beep Ball
1. My version of the scoring system is different from the NBBA in that it takes in to account widely different abilities of the players. First: A successful run to the base (before a fielder controls the ball) off a pitched ball is worth two points; If they player strikes out on four pitches, they get two swings at a ball on a tee, then run. If they fail to hit, I throw a ball on the field and the batter must run to the base to score a half point assuming they get there before the ball is stopped and raised by a fielder. During a team’s at bat, each player gets one or two thrown balls for half points to give them more running and the defense more practice.
2. If I have nine players show up, I divide them into 3 teams of 3 according to power ratings I grade them on for their hitting, running and fielding. Hopefully the numbers will result in a competitive experience for all players.
3. Of course, we stress safety at all times. If two fielders are within 15 feet of each other going for a ball, our sighted spotter must yell “Caution.” Then one of the fielders must say “I’ll take it,” the other fielder must stop, and the caller goes for the ball. If a collision is still possible, the spotter yells “Stop,” and the play ends with the batter scoring. When hitting off the tee, the coach says “set, ready, pitch.” Only then can the batter swing at the ball. This procedure prevents the batter swinging while you are putting the ball on the tee.
4. Game length can be for as long as you have time, but in the early days of your team, you should practice drills before the game. An example is “The seven second game.” A coach throws a ball out to the six fielders, and if they pick it up before seven seconds, the defense scores a point. If they don’t get it in time, the “offense” scores against the team in the field.
5. See www.nbba.org for more basics of the game. A video there “Love at first beep,” will show you game action of hitting, pitching, fielding and running. You will notice that good fielders after a hit ball are diving on the ground perpendicular to the batter, with their arms and legs extended—chests facing the batter.
6. For questions, please email me at dennisstern@hotmail.com
Q. How is the field laid out?
Click here for the drawing: Beep ball Field-RevB
Q. Where can I find the history of beep ball of your recreation team?

Click here for history, photos, rules, links and much more: www.beepball.webs.com