NATIONAL AMATEUR BASEBALL FEDERATION (NABF)

NABF Background

The National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF) was established in 1914, and is the oldest continually operated national baseball organization in the country.

The NABF is a non-profit organization run by a number of officers and directors from all parts of the United States. These volunteers help the organization run smoothly, as regional and world championship tournaments are held from coast to coast.

These tournaments range in age divisions from 12 & under to unlimited, and even 30 & over. Below is a list of the eight age groups and their classifications.

12 & Under (Freshman)

14 & Under (Sophomore)

16 & Under (Junior)

High School (students that will return to high school for the fall semester)

18 & Under (Senior)

22 & Under (College)

30 & Over (Renaissance)

Unlimited (Major)

The NABF hosts over 50 regional tournaments, and eight national championship tournaments a year.

Premise

The NABF is based on the idea that teams should represent leagues in national competition. For each league of four or more teams, a team from each league is assigned to a regional tournament. For this reason, the NABF does not charge each team in the league. The NABF charges the league as a whole, a franchise fee, which covers as many age groups as the league has. For instance, if your league has all eight age groups, you will pay the same amount as a league that has only one age group. However, for each team that the league sends to a regional, a tournament fee must be paid for each team. Below is a description of the NABF fees.

Franchise fee = $125.00

Tournament fee = $175.00 per team in a regional tournament.

Example - The home run league has 4 age groups. They will pay $125.00 to cover the franchise fee, and will pay $700.00 (4 x $175) to cover the tournament fees of one team from each of the 4 age groups.

It should be noted that if a league has 50 teams, or only 4 teams, the tournament fee is still $175.00.

Benefits

NABF members are offered several benefits to help the league save as much money as possible. One such benefit is reduced rate insurance. If you purchase insurance through the NABF recognized insurance agency, you will receive a substantial savings on your annual premium. The NABF does not require you to purchase their insurance, however, it is one of the most affordable and it is recommended strongly.

In addition, the NABF has a contract agreement with Anaconda Sports, Inc. Through this agreement NABF members can receive discounts on all sporting goods, especially baseballs. Anaconda sells the highest quality baseballs to NABF members on a volume basis, at a reasonable price.

On the national level the NABF provides a host of regional and world series trophies, from batting champion to most valuable player. Teams traveling to national championship tournaments also receive contribution checks to help defer the cost of travel.

The NABF encourages organizations to host regional and world series tournaments. In addition to the money made on concessions and other sales, the NABF also provides regional tournament hosts with compensation, and all of the money made is the hosts to keep.

In 1984 the NABF established a scholarship fund which has assisted several baseball players with their college expenses. The funds are granted to "successful NABF ball players by an awards committee. If the player is enrolled in an accredited college and maintains an acceptable grade point average, he is eligible.

Finally, the NABF has ties with other national organizations like USA Baseball Inc. and Amateur All-Star Baseball Inc. The Senior division "All-Stars" of the NABF will be recommended to USA Baseball for the Junior National Team. In addition, ball players 18 and under, are eligible for the National Amateur All-Star Baseball Tournament. This is one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments as it showcases several of the national organizations top players.

Where to Write

Charles Blackburn, Executive Director

P.O. Box 705

Bowie, MD 20718-0705

Tel. (301) 262-5005