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Frequently asked questions
QUESTIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED BY PARENTS (Updated February 14, 2007) REGISTRATION Q. Can both girls and boys play Little League Baseball? A. Yes, girls and boys league age 5 (born between May 1, 2001 and April 30, 2002) through league age 12 (born between May 1, 1994 and April 30, 1995) can play in the 2007 spring season of East Altadena Little League. Each child will be placed at the appropriate level of play, from tee ball through the major league level, based upon the childs age and ability. Q. What are league ages? A. League ages are the player age requirements established by League Baseball to ensure fair and competitive play at all levels. For the spring 2007 season, the official league ages are: League Age Childs Date of Birth 5 Between May 1, 2001 and April 30, 2002 6 Between May 1, 2000 and April 30, 2001 7 Between May 1, 1999 and April 30, 2000 8 Between May 1, 1998 and April 30, 1999 9 Between May 1, 1997 and April 30, 1998 10 Between May 1, 1996 and April 30, 1997 11 Between May 1, 1995 and April 30, 1996 12 Between May 1, 1994 and April 30, 1995 Q. What are the levels of play? A. There are four levels of play in Little League Baseball: Tee-Ball, Farm, Minor and Major. Tee-Ball is generally for players league ages 5 and 6, but can include players up to league age 8, depending on the ability of the players. In Tee-Ball, children learn the fundamentals of baseball, from throwing, catching and batting, to understanding the game. There is no pitching in tee ball. When batting, players hit the ball from a free standing tee (hence the name, Tee-Ball). In Tee-Ball, there are no outs, so every player bats, runs and scores! Farm League is generally for players league ages 7 and 8, though both older and younger players may play at this level depending on their ability. In Farm League, players enhance their skills at throwing and catching, and learn to hit live pitching. In Farm League, players begin to pitch, and learn the basic strategies of the game, from team defense to base running. Minor League is generally for players league ages 9 through 12, though players league age 8 may play at this level depending on their ability. In Minor League baseball, children are instructed in more advanced strategies, and enhance their skills in all aspects of the game. Minor League teams compete for the East Altadena Minor League championship, with the winning team advancing to the Minor League Tournament of Champions against other Minor League champion teams from neighboring Little Leagues. Minor League players league age 9 and 10 are also eligible for selection to the 9-10 All-Star team, which plays in the All-Star Tournament against other local 9-10 All-Star teams. League age 11 and 12 year old players playing at the minor league ball will not be eligible for the 11-12 All-Star team. Major League is generally for league players ages 11 and 12, though players as young as age 9 may play at this level depending on their ability. The Major League level is advanced Little League baseball, where players learn advanced game strategy and hone their skills. Major League teams compete for the East Altadena Major League championship, with the winning team advancing to the Major League Tournament of Champions against other Major League champion teams from neighboring Little Leagues. Major League players are also eligible for selection to one of the leagues two All-Star teams. Major League players league age 9 and 10 are eligible for selection to the 9-10 All Star team, and Major League players league age 11 and 12 are eligible for selection to the 11-12 All-Star team. The 11-12 All-Star teams plays in the All-Star Tournament against other local 11-12 All-Star teams. The 11-12 All-Star team ultimately may advance to the famous Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, televised live last year on ESPN. Q. Do all children who sign up get to play? A. All children who sign up will be assigned to a team, regardless of their ability. Little League Baseball and East Altadena Little League follow strict minimum play requirements so that every child plays in every game, without exception. Q. If every child plays, then what is the skills assessment for? A. The skills assessment is to evaluate the ability of each player to make sure that they are placed at the appropriate level of play, both in the interest of the development of the childs baseball ability and in the interest of the childs safety. The skills assessment is not a try-out, and all children that sign up will be assigned to a team. Q. Why do we need to show proof of residency? A. Every local league that participates in Little League Baseball sends minor and major league teams to post-season tournaments. To maintain fair competition in tournament play, each local little league may only draw players for tournament teams from its residency area. In this way, leagues may not recruit players from other areas and produce super teams. Except in certain limited circumstances, players must establish proof of residency in order to be eligible for post-season tournament play. Players that are not able to establish proof of residency unfortunately will not be eligible for post-season tournament play. Q. Can my child still be eligible for post-season play if we dont live within the League boundaries? A. In limited circumstances, children may be eligible for post-season play even if they do not live within the leagues residence boundaries. For more information on residency waivers, please contact The League President or The Director of Membership or attend one of our on-site registrations. Q. Are scholarships available? A. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to play Little League baseball. Accordingly, scholarships are available for families for which the registration fee is a financial hardship. For more information regarding the availability of scholarships, please come to one of the on-site registrations, or contact the Phillip Barela, our League President or Sam Umfress, our Director of Membership. Q. Where can my children older than 12 play baseball? A. Children that are age 13 or older on or before April 30, 2007 may not participate in East Altadena Little League Baseball. For information on where these older children may play baseball in our local area, please visit our Website. TEAM AND LEVEL OF PLAY ASSIGNMENT Q. Can I request that my child be on the same team with other children? A. If your daughter or son plays at the Tee-Ball or Farm League level play (generally from ages 5 through 8), you may request that they be teamed with a sibling or other child who plays at the same level. These requests are most often made in the case of siblings and to facilitate car pools and are honored in virtually every instance. However, requests other than for siblings and carpools that affect Farm League players must be approved by the Leagues Board of Directors in the interest of maintaining balanced teams. To ensure competitive play at the Minor and Major League levels, players are drafted to teams based on their ability. While you may still request that your Minor or Major League child be teamed with another player at the same level, we simply cant assure you that every request can be satisfied. If you have any questions or concerns regarding team assignment, please contact Jack Green, our Player Agent. Q. Can I request that my child play with a specific manager or coach? A. You may request that your child play with a specific manager or coach. These requests are honored in virtually every instance for Tee-Ball players. For Farm League level players, every effort will be made to honor these requests so long as the overall skill level of teams at the Farm League is maintained. To ensure competitive play at the Minor and Major League levels, players are drafted to teams based on their ability. Honoring all requests for Minor and Major League players to play with specific managers or coaches could undermine the balance of the League at these competitive levels. Every request involving a Minor and Major League player will be considered, but will be subject to our goal of maintaining balanced teams. If you have any questions, please contact Jack Green, our Player Agent, or Sam Umfress, our Director of Membership. Q. How many players are on a team? A. Our goal is to limit every team to not more than 12 players. We believe this ensures a maximum amount of playing time and instruction for all children in the League. Not withstanding this goal, every player that registers will be assured a spot on a team. Q. Can my older child play even if he or she has never played baseball before? A. Yes. Every child who signs up for baseball will be assigned to a team, regardless of his or her level of ability or their prior experience. Q. How do I get to be a manager or coach? A. We encourage all parents to consider being a manager or coach. If you have any interest in this incredibly rewarding position, please contact Jack Green, our Player Agent. UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT Q. Does the League provide the complete uniform? A. The League will provide your child with a uniform jersey and cap. However, baseball pants, belts and socks must be separately purchased. Each player will be advised as to the specific color requirements for pants, belts and socks after they have been assigned to a team prior to the start of the season. In addition, boys playing at the Minor and Major League level must wear protective cups, and boys playing at the Farm Level are strongly encouraged to wear protective cups. All of these items may be purchased at any one of the local sporting goods stores, including Chick's Sporting Goods, Sports Chalet and Big 5 Sporting Goods. Q. Does my child need to have baseball shoes or can they play in tennis shoes or sneakers? A. In the interest of your childs safety, you are strongly encouraged to purchase shoes with a turf sole or plastic cleats that will grip the dirt and grass of the baseball field. We too often see children slip and fall when they are not wearing appropriate shoes. While baseball shoes are preferred, soccer or football shoes may be worn instead (in the interest of not having a closet full of shoes that your child will all too soon outgrow). Q. Does the League provide all equipment that my daughter or son needs to play baseball? A. Other than a fielders glove, the league provides all of the equipment that your child will use during the season, including bats, balls and catchers equipment. Every player must provide their own fielders glove, which cannot have a web larger than 12 inches. Chicks Sporting Goods and Sport Chalet should be able to assist with fitting your child with the correct fielders glove for their size and level of play. PARENT PARTICIPATION Q. How are parents expected to participate? A. The success of the league requires the active participation of all parents. Parents, depending on their skills and ability, are expected to volunteer for any one of a number of roles, including managing, coaching, fundraising and sponsorship, umpiring (for farm level games), membership, team coordinator and field preparation. More information regarding each of these volunteer roles is available in our Parent Handbook and on our Website. In addition, every family is expected to participate by volunteering to help operate the concession stand. The concession stand at Donley Field is a central part of our League fundraising efforts, and the success of the concession stand depends upon volunteers from every family to help operate it. Every family is expected to have a family member work shifts as scheduled at Donley Field over the course of the season. In addition, each family is responsible for arranging their own substitutions in the event they are unable to keep their commitment to the concession stand. Families are responsible for concession stand duty for each player registered in the league. Q. What is the parent participation deposit? A. As mentioned above, the concession stand at Donley Field is a central part of our league fundraising efforts, and the success of the concession stand depends upon volunteers from every family to help operate it. The parent participation deposit provides an incentive to families to satisfy their minimum family concession stand obligation of two games played at Donley Field over the course of the season for each child registered in the League. Parents who fully satisfy their minimum volunteer obligation to work in the concession stand will be returned their parent participation deposit at the end of the season. THE REGULAR SEASON Q. How long does the season last? A. Practices begin in late January, and the regular season begins on Saturday, March 3, 2007. The regular season is currently scheduled to conclude in early June. Make up games for rain outs and playoff games, as necessary, for Minor and Major League teams would take place the week of June -th. Q. Are all of the games played at Donley Field? A. Even though Donley Field at Longfellow Elementary is our home field, not all of the games are played there. Our Major, Minor and Farm League teams play teams from other local Little Leagues. As you would expect, approximately half of these games are played at the home fields of the neighboring league. Some Tee-Ball games are also played at other local fields. Please visit our Website for continuing updates on field information. Q. Where do the children practice? A. Teams practice at Donley Field and at other fields and public parks depending on availability, including fields at local elementary schools. The allocation of public fields for next season is not yet known. Please visit our Website for continuing updates on field information. Q. When are the games and how long do they last? A. The 2007 Spring season will begin on Saturday, March 3 and is currently scheduled to run through Saturday, ------. Make up games for rain outs and playoff games, as necessary, for Minor and Major League teams would take place the week of June -th. Tee-Ball players play one game each week which generally are on Saturday, but which may be on Friday evenings at approximately 5:00 (once daylight savings time begins). Farm, Minor and Major players typically play every Saturday until daylight savings time begins, and then typically two games each week, once on Saturday and one mid-week game, through the end of the season. Make up games for rain outs at the Minor and Major League level will be scheduled as soon as possible during the regular season, but may occur during the week of June -th. Tee-Ball games are typically played for two innings and last approximately 1 hour. Farm, Minor and Major League games are played to a maximum of 6-innings or 1 hour and 45 minutes, whichever occurs first. Q. When are the practices and how long do they last? A. The dates and length of practices are at the discretion of the managers of each team. Tee-Ball and Farm League teams typically practice one day each week. Minor and Major League teams typically practice two days each week. Q. Will my child get to play in every game? A. Little League Baseball and East Altadena Little League both have strict minimum play requirements so that every child plays in every game, without exception. Q. When do children start pitching? A. Players may begin pitching at the Farm level (generally league age 7). With your childs physical development and safety in mind, Little League Baseball and East Altadena Little League both impose very strict limits on the amount that any player can pitch during any particular week. Q. What happens if my child is not able to make a practice or a game? A. We recognize that conflicts do arise and that on occasion children may miss practice and even games. Every childs enjoyment with the game increases as their skills improve. Consequently, you are strongly encouraged to have your child attend every practice and every game. While the decision of how much a child plays in any particular game is ultimately up to each teams manager, children that do not regularly attend practice should not expect to play in more than the minimum number of innings per game. In addition, because our goal is to limit the number of children on each team to no more than 12, the absence of any one child from any game is significant. Teams that are not able to provide the minimum number of players for a game must forfeit the game. Each childs commitment to Little League is not merely a commitment to themselves, but a commitment to their teammates. Each parent must advise the childs manager of any planned absences as far in advance as possible. Q. Does East Altadena Little League play games against teams from other leagues? A. Farm, Minor and Major League teams do play teams from other leagues. For 2007, we presently expect to play games against teams from ???????? at the Farm, Minor and Major levels of play, and also with ??????? at only the Major level of play. Please visit our Website for updates on inter-league play. POST-SEASON PLAY Q. What is the All-Star Tournament? A. Following the end of the regular season, children selected to the Leagues All-Star teams compete against All-Star teams from each of the twelve other local little leagues in our district for the district championship. The tournaments begin in early July, with winning teams advancing to additional tournaments against other district champions. The 11-12 All-Star team that wins the final tournament among the regional champions advances to the Little League World Series against an international team. The Little League World Series is a nationally televised tournament, and last year was televised live on ESPN. Q. How are children selected for the All-Star team? A. As the name implies, the All-Star team is comprised of Leagues best players at each of the 9-10 and 11-12 age groups. Only players that are league age 9 and 10 and playing Minor or Major League ball are eligible for selection to the 9-10 All-Star team, and only players that are league age 11 and 12 and playing Major League ball are eligible for selection to the 11-12 All-Star team. There are no exceptions to these age requirements. The selection of players to the leagues All Star teams will be based primarily on the ability of each player. However, because participation on the leagues All Star teams also involves a substantial time commitment beginning in mid-June, only players able to commit to all practices (with extremely limited exception) and all games (with no exceptions) throughout the tournament will be considered. Little League Baseball does not establish rules or guidelines on how players should be selected to the leagues respective All-Star teams. The manner of selection for the 2007 All-Star teams will be determined by the Board of Directors prior to the start of the season and information will be provided to all players and parents. Q. What is the Tournament of Champions? A. The Tournament of Champions is a post-season tournament for the Leagues Minor League champion and Major League champion in which our respective league champion teams compete against champion teams from other Little Leagues. The tournament begins the second week of June with the final games concluding by the end of June. WINTER LEAGUE Q. What is the Winter League? A. Winter League is an instructional program open to all players who are eligible for Minor or Major League play in the following spring. Winter League for 2007 is expected to commence in mid-September and run through the last Saturday before Thanksgiving Day. Please visit our Website for updates and additional information on the 2007 Winter League season. Do you have a question to which you dont see an answer above? If so, please send your question to "Questions" or call us at (626) 798-8300. |
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