The season is still a little ways off, but registration has already begun for the 2012 Valley Grande- Dallas County Baseball League.

Registration for the 2012 Valley Grande-Dallas County Baseball League will run through February 15 with registration forms available at Valley Grande City Hall.

Richard Davis, president of the Valley Grande-Dallas County Baseball League, said last year’s league had about 150 participants from ages 5-15 years old and was a success.

“I think they went real well,” Davis said of last year’s league. “In the 7-8 year old age group we were the district champions and in the 9-10 year old age group we were second place in the district. The 13 and 14 were second place in the district and the 15 age group were district champions. Out of a league that small, those are fairly good results.”

The league will have teams for age groups 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-15 and 16-18.

The 5-12 year old age groups will participate in the Cal Ripken League, while the 13-15 year olds

will participate in the Babe Ruth and American Legion Junior League, and the 16-18 year olds will play in the American Legion Senior League.

The registration fee for 5-15 year olds is $100 and the fee for 16-18 year olds is $125 and will cover insurance, national registration, umpire fees for each game, baseballs, any safety equipment, bats and things of that nature.

Parents will need to bring a birth certificate and proof of insurance when registering their child.

Davis said the league provides a positive environment for children and the parents who participate in it and the fees help cover the operation costs of the non-city funded league and the rise of insurance and umpire costs.

“The children are in a good environment, sportsmanship is stressed at all levels, the level of competition was very high (last year), the parents were involved at a high level,” Davis said. “This is not a city-funded program. The city built us our fields, but the parents fund the program and that is actually the basis for the $100 signup fee.”

Davis said the fee is the minimum the league charges and goes a long way toward funding the league itself. Uniforms are not included in the registration fee and league-approved uniforms will be purchased by players once they have been assigned to teams.

Davis said the league thrives on the involvement of parents and the league is for everyone.

“We’re proud because it’s basically a volunteer thing and everyone in the community comes together and they’ve really gotten behind it and you can tell they take a lot of pride in their teams and their fields and everyone seems to try and work with each other out there,” Davis said. “It is a league for everyone. Everyone who signed up last year was assigned to a team and got to play and I think they enjoyed themselves.”

For more information about registration, contact Valley Grande City Hall at 872-0104 or contact Richard Davis at 872-6143.