Recreational and Competitive Leagues

Recreational League

Our Recreational League (formerly also called the "House League") consists of structured recreational teams that are open to all players, new and experienced.  Players join the relevant division based on their age and will receive the training/coaching from our volunteer coaches, and play organized games against other HMB Recreational teams in their age-division.  Every effort is made to make the teams in these divisions well balanced, for the enjoyment of all; please note that this means that requests that players be placed on friends' teams cannot be accommodated, as the logistical feat of organizing these teams is already very complex and we are a volunteer organization.

Each recreational team will have scheduled practices and games throughout weeknights and weekends (except for the 7U division which is an introductory skill focused program that does not take place on weekends).  Recreational schedules cannot and will not be finalized until after Registration closes and HRM Field contracts are secured, at which point you will find them listed on this website. 
 
Recreational teams play against each other in a regular season and in most cases will play on the same field throughout the season.  Travel outside of the city is not required in the Recreational league.
 
Recreational teams at the 9U, 11U & 13U levels are invited to join in at the annual Halifax Minor Baseball Classic Tournament usually held over a weekend July.  There will be an extra fee per team for registration in the tournament. The Classic Tournament is a weekend long tournament in which players get the opportunity to play against other Nova Scotian leagues, indeed sometimes from other provinces.  It is always a fun time and we encouragement our recreational teams to participate. More details about this tournament will be released as the season starts.
 
At the end of the season, teams from all divisions except for the 7U division compete in playoffs.  Playoff games span over 2 weeks and recreational championships usually conclude the third week in August, subject to weather.

Competitive League 

Our Competitive Teams (formerly also called our “Rep Teams”) play in a competitive provincial league (the Bluenose League) managed by Baseball Nova Scotia. They differ from the Recreational Leagues in that they are selected through a tryout process, they hold practices and play games more frequently, and they travel throughout the province and region.  The Competitive Teams are divided by age group (11U, 13U, 15U, 18U, and 22U); HMB typically fields two or three Competitive teams per age group, divided by skill level (AAA, AA, and A).

Competitive Teams are selected through a tryout process based on skill performance.  Players who wish to try out for a competitive team will have mandatory scheduled tryout sessions starting in late March or early April.  Teams are decided by members of the Board after consultation with the team’s coach, based first and foremost on skill assessment scores by independent volunteer assessors who are not members of the Board.  Board decisions on the selection and allocation of players to Competitive teams are final and cannot be appealed.  A player who tries out but is not selected for a Competitive team is placed on a Recreational team.

Competitive teams will play against other competitive teams in various communities in Nova Scotia throughout the summer. Teams also have scheduled practices at their home field locations in Halifax. Competitive team players are required to travel to and from these locations based on scheduling prepared by Baseball Nova Scotia.  Competitive teams also participate in tournaments which could involve travel to another province (usually within the Maritime Provinces).

At the end of the regular season, Competitive teams participate in Provincial Tournaments organized by Baseball Nova Scotia. Travel within Nova Scotia may be required for these Provincial Tournaments.  The Provincial championships usually end around Labour Day weekend, the dates being determined by Baseball Nova Scotia.