At Citrus Park, we offer something for every level of player — from beginners just learning the game to seasoned athletes looking for top competition. Here's a quick breakdown of the four levels of play:

• Recreational Baseball (not competitive play): This is where most players start. Everyone who signs up gets placed on a team. We hold evaluations (not tryouts) to help form balanced teams. It’s all about development, teamwork, and having fun. Seasons are offered in both Spring and Fall.
• Advanced Baseball (AB): AB is for players who want a more competitive experience without the full-time travel team commitment. Players must attend a tryout and be selected. Games are played on Sundays alongside the regular Rec season. To participate, players must also be registered in Rec for that season.
• All-Stars: All-Stars is a summer program for top-performing players, based on their Fall/Spring season performance. There are no tryouts—players are nominated by their coaches. These teams practice heavily and play in at least two summer tournaments, with more possible based on performance and timing.
• Select Baseball: This is the most competitive level offered at Citrus Park. Players attend rigorous tryouts and only the top athletes are selected. Select teams play year-round and travel often for tournaments. This level requires a high commitment in both time and cost.

Citrus Park Sports Association is affiliated with West Florida Advanced Baseball, which is a coalition of Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth leagues from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, and Pasco Counties. The goal of this coalition is to provide a competitive extension of, and compliment to, local Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth baseball parks.

Seasons generally consist of four to six Sunday double-headers at various parks around the area. Teams will also practice on Sundays when there are no games.

Advanced Baseball players MUST be registered for recreational baseball at one of the West Florida Advanced Baseball affiliated parks during the respective AB season. Advanced Baseball provides an excellent alternative to the time, money, and dedication required for full-time travel baseball. Tryouts for Advanced Baseball will take place during the spring and fall skills evaluations.

At Citrus Park we believe that every player should be given fair opportunity to be in a competitive team. As such, every season we go through a process to form teams. We create new teams every season based on talent demonstrated by the players during tryout. We do this because we want to welcome new players to our park and have them have the opportunity to earn a spot on a team, we understand not everyone wants to play all seasons of AB/All-Star and because we want to focus on growing as a community, not individual groups/teams.

Registration fees for Advanced Baseball include entry fees into the AB season, umpire fees, as well as custom jerseys and hats. Registration fee amounts will also be advised at or before tryouts so parents are fully aware of the monetary expectations.

https://www.wfabaseball.com/

Citrus Park also participates in annual All-Star tournaments around the state each summer. All-Stars is separate from Advanced Baseball, and players may participate in both. All-Star teams are selected based on manager and coach nomination near the end of the spring recreational season. We will begin forming All-stars mid-Spring season to allot enough time for ordering uniforms and scheduling.

All-Star teams will begin practicing after the completion of the AB season in April and will continue to practice heavily through the finale of the recreational season and up until the Sarasota Cal Ripken Classic which takes place Memorial Day weekend.

All-Star teams will participate in at least two tournaments with a potential for more based on results.

Registration fees include entry into the guaranteed tournaments, umpire fees, as well as custom jerseys and hats.

Select baseball is a competitive and rewarding level of youth baseball tailored for players with advanced skills. It differs from recreational baseball, which is open to all players regardless of skill level, focuses on local games, and emphasizes participation and fun. Select baseball emphasizes higher-level competition and skill development, providing players with the opportunity to play in travel tournaments and face top-notch opponents.

The tryout process for select baseball typically involves a series of drills and activities designed to evaluate a player's skills, such as hitting, fielding, pitching, and base running. Coaches and evaluators assess each player's abilities and performance to determine if they meet the team's standards. Tryouts can be competitive, and not all players will be selected.

The commitment for select baseball is significant, with regular practices and games each week, in addition to weekend tournaments that often require travel. The financial commitment includes team fees, uniforms, equipment, travel expenses, and tournament entry fees. Families should be prepared for both the time and financial investments involved.