1. What does the Toronto Mets regular season consist of?
Regular Season
Our season starts in late April and ends in August. We play regular season games in the CPBL throughout the Spring and early Summer, followed by a competitive US tournament schedule throughout the summer months. The Mets have the option of playing for U.S. Championships in late July or early August through an association with the American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC). Toronto Mets teams practice as frequently as possible during the season throughout Spring and Summer. All-in-all, Mets teams play in excess of over 80 games and practice in excess of over 80 times within a calendar year.
2. Where do the Toronto Mets travel for tournaments?
Tournaments
In years past, in addition to the college teams, the Mets have played against the New York Mets Rookie Ball team (minor league pro players) in Port St. Lucie and have travelled to Cocoa Beach to play other Canadian teams. Toronto Mets 17U and 18U teams will travel during the fall to play several colleges south of the border. This has proved to be a useful tool for getting our players maximum exposure. During the summer months, teams of all age groups play in strategically selected tournaments, primarily targeting the Northeast and Midwest.
3. How often do the Toronto Mets practice?
Instructional Time and Practices
Regular season practices are held as frequently as game schedules and weather permit. Off-season training is provided to all players from November to April at the TMBC home indoor training facility at Out of the Park Sports in Toronto (Scarborough).
4. Will my child miss a lot of school if he plays for the Toronto Mets?
Time Out of School
All reasonable efforts are made to restrict the amount of time our players are out of school for baseball. Typically, this has meant that on average a player will miss anywhere between 6-8 days of school per year. Travel to U.S. tournaments is strategic to ensure effective development, exposure, and competition.
5. Can my child continue to play different sports while playing with the Toronto Mets?
Multi-Sport Athletes
The Toronto Mets have several players who compete in different sports along with baseball. As a program we encourage athletes to play different sports until the conflict begins hindering their baseball development. Part of being a part of the Mets is building a relationship with your teammates and coaching staff. Therefore we encourage players to play multiple sports until the player begins missing significant practice/game time because of reoccurring conflicts.
6. Can my child play different positions with the Toronto Mets?
Dual Position players
At the 14u, 15U and 16U level many of the players are free to play several positions. Our goal as an organization is to prepare our players for the next level of baseball, whatever that may be. Therefore if we feel an athlete is best suited competing at a single position, we will tailor his development to that position. The Mets have had players who have gone on to compete as a dual position player, however it is important to understand the commitment and skill required to do so.
7. Will there be opportunities for my child to play on Provincial and or National Teams?
Provincial and National Teams
The Mets program is fully supportive of our athletes being selected to play at the Toronto Blue Jays Tournament 12 and with the Junior National Team. We have a great relationship with the management and coaching staff for these teams because we continue to produce athletes that meet the highest performance standards.
8. Can my child get a scholarship or play professional baseball
Scholarships and Drafts
The Mets program has been extremely successful at producing quality players who have received scholarships (U.S. and Canadian) and/or have been drafted. While we won't "guarantee" that your son/athlete will receive a scholarship, we can tell you that we provide our players with opportunities to showcase their skills by playing in key Canadian and U.S. tournaments and showcases.
Obtaining a scholarship or being drafted is a direct result of skill/ability, projection and fit for the College or the MLB team. It is not often communicated to parents, but most U.S. colleges (i.e., 4-year schools) do not "typically" offer full scholarships for baseball, so cost can be an issue for a player receiving a U.S. scholarship (There are only 11.7 full division 1 scholarships for each team). Another viable alternative for athletes is the option to play in Canada at some great universities (e.g., University of British Columbia).
There are currently nine (9) former Mets in professional organizations with several more competing at various colleges/universities in North America.
