What leagues are offered?
CBFO offers 4 leagues ranging from 4 – 19. Age is determined by age on January 1.
- 4-7
- 8-10
- 11-13
- 14-19
How much does it cost per player?
Ages 4-7 – $130
Ages 8-19 – $150
* Add $23 if the player lives outside of Knox County.
** If you paid the out-of-county fee in the Spring, it is not required in the fall.
*** A $5/child maintenance fee will be applied to all credit card payments.
What is included in the registration fee?
Each new player receives a jersey and softball socks in their team color. The registration fee also provides funds for field maintenance, officials, and field directors. This is a not-for-profit organization. Unless changing teams Spring players retain their current jerseys in the fall. New jerseys every Spring.
Where will the games be played?
All games are played at the CBFO facility off of Northshore near the Cove. There is a map at the bottom of this page.
When is registration?
In-person registration dates are as follows. Time is from 9:00 to 1:00 at the “Blue” building by field 1.
- January 14th
- January 21st
- January 28th
- February 4th
How are teams selected?
Girls in the 4-7 league are assigned a team.
Teams in all other leagues are selected by a draft. On draft day all the players are assigned a number. The girls will go through a series of simple drills, batting, fielding, catching, etc. The coaches then participate in a draft. All the girls will be on a team.
When is the draft?
- 4-7 – No Draft – You will be contacted by your player’s coach
- 8-10 – Saturday, February 25th at 1:30 on Field 1
- 11-13 – Sunday, February 26th at 1:30 on Field 1
- 14-19 – Saturday, February 25th at 10:00 on Field 1
Attendance is expected. Players absent will not be eligible to be drafted. They will be assigned a team. Players need to dress for the weather and bring their glove.
When Do Practices Begin?
Directly after the draft…
When Do Games Begin?
Opening weekend is Saturday, March 25th. The tentative tournament dates are May 16-24.
What equipment will my child need?
Players are encouraged to have a personal glove, helmet, and softball cleats. Players may additionally want a bat and equipment bag. As players outgrow their equipment they will often donate them to the league. We do have several used bats and gloves that are available.
What size ball do you use?
The 4-7 and 8-10 leagues use an 11″ ball. The 11-13 and 14-19 leagues use a 12″ ball.
What can we expect regarding practice and game schedules?
Practices are one hour and are held on one weekday evening and one weekend prior to the season’s beginning. Most teams continue one practice per week during the season; although, a coach can choose to elect up to two.
Games are usually 1-2 per week on one weekday evening and one Saturday. We do not play games on Sundays. Wednesdays are typically reserved for rain make-ups.
The 4-7 league has games during the week at 5:45 and on Saturday at 9:00, 10:15, 11:30, and 12:45.
What can I expect for a game day?
CBFO has a unique environment on game days! Before each game, teams warm-up and then load into their dugouts. Players and coaches line up on the field and the national anthem is played before each game. A live announcer announces each batter throughout the game. Electronic scoreboards keep the crowd up to date on the score. Our concession stands have all kinds of ballpark treats like nachos and candy, drinks of all kinds, and most importantly CBFO’s world-famous hot dogs.
Will my child get to play?
CBFO requires that all players are in the batting rotation and fielding roster. Older leagues may sit out one girl per inning on defense but must rotate each inning. A player can not sit out more than one 1/2 inning. We want girls of all skill levels to have fun and to learn to love the game of softball.
What type of pitching should we expect?
This depends on the league.
The 4-7 league is a combination coach pitch and tee-ball. Each girl gets 5 pitches from the coach. After that, we bring the tee out. As many swings as it takes.
The 8-10 league is a combination of girl fastpitch/coach pitch. We have found this is an excellent way to prepare for the 11-13 and beyond.
The girls get a chance for an at-bat, either a 3 strikeout or 4 balls. After 4 balls the coach comes in and gets 3 pitches, the girl’s amount of swings is determined by how many strikes they have when the coach comes in to pitch.
After the 8-10 league, it is regular softball with all-girl pitching.
How do I get in touch with someone at CBFO?
The fastest way of communicating with us is via email. The email address is softball @ cbfosoftball.org
To protect the privacy of our girls, we have a closed Facebook page. We encourage all parents/guardians to signup because this is the first place to go for important notices, including rainouts. When requesting membership please indicate your relationship to CBFO.
Click here for our Facebook page.
Bonus question : What does CBFO stand for?
Cedar Bluff Farragut Optimist Club