Huntington Valley Little League: Latest News
Team Parent Meeting
Handout: Scorekeepers Clinic
Wednesday, February 1
Scorekeeper'c Clinic
HVLL SCOREKEEPER CLINIC
FARM & MINOR C DIVISIONS(Basic Instruction)
Tuesday, February 21st 7:00 p.m.
JUNIORS, MAJORS, MINOR A AND MINOR B DIVISIONS
Wednesday, February 29th7:00p.m.
Huntington Beach City School District Office – Board Room
20451 Craimer Lane Huntington Beach
(Major cross streets: Indianapolis & Brookhurst)
Saturday, April 2
Spring 2011
Important Information About Approved Bats at HVLL (for Farm Divisions and Higher) :
1. If you know that your player’s bat is not approved, please leave it at home! Do not put it in his equipment bag to be brought to the Little League fields! This will help guarantee that it will not be accidentally brought out in a game situation resulting in the player and/or his coaches and manager being ejected from a game and suspended from the following game! Be aware that your player’s use of a non-approved bat has negative consequences for other people.
2. If you have questions about the legality of a bat, HVLL can help to answer any questions. We can inspect the bat and if it is approved, we can place an approval-sticker on the bat near the grip. These new stickers have been purchased from and are approved by D62 and the D62 umpires are aware of their intended use. It is hoped that by putting one of these stickers on a bat, it will help the players, coaches and managers and the umpires recognize that the bat has been inspected and approved by our board members and that this will help to facilitate the equipment inspection process before each game.
3. If a bat is inspected and approved, one of the approval-stickers will be placed on the bat. We will be hosting these events over the next few Saturdays at HVLL so there will be plenty of opportunities to have bats inspected and approved over the next few weeks. Check back for the next inspection/approval session.
4. These stickers are tamper-proof. If a sticker is removed from a bat, the wording on the sticker will change to “Void” so that it will not work on another bat. The Board Members will give out one sticker per approved bat at no cost (with no limit to the number of bats per player), but if it is determined that a sticker has been intentionally removed, a fee of $25 will be charged to apply another sticker to that bat.
5. A final note on the legality of the bats: Even if a bat has an approval sticker, an umpire may still disallow its use in a game if it is dented, if it has flat spots, if it has been modified, etc. The stickers are meant to help to alleviate questions about the legality of the bat at game time, but it is still not a guarantee that the bat may be used. The sticker will show the D62 umpires that the HVLL Board Members have inspected the bat and believe that it is okay to use in a game, but the umpire still has the authority to remove the bat in a game situation.
If you have any further questions about the use of approved bats, about the approval stickers or about the inspection/approval events, please contact your HVLL team manager. If he cannot answer your questions, he should contact the divisional VP for further information.
Click on the pdf icon for a letter from HVLL President Mike Kircher regarding safety and sportsmanship during the 2011 season:
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Among other things in the letter is the announcement that the HVLL Board of Directors has voted to have the Little League Parent/Volunteer Pledge recited by the spectators of each game before the game starts (immediately after the ballplayers recite the Little League Pledge). We are incorporating this into the pregame agenda in order to remind parents and volunteers of their important role in the Little League organization. The Little League Parent/Volunteer Pledge will be displayed on every field at HVLL and can be found on the back of the Little League rule book (the "Green Book") and is printed here for your edification:
The Little League Parent/Volunteer Pledge:
I will teach all children to play fair and do their best
I will positively support all managers, coaches and players
I will respect the decisions of the umpires
I will praise a good effort despite the outcome of the game
Friday, February 4
Practice Sites
The only schools available for HVLL teams for practice are Perry Elementary, Smith Elementary and Newland Elementary Schools, and only after February 15th. Otherwise, teams must schedule their practices at the HVLL fields or at the Sports Complex or Murdy Park (teams must sign up and pay a fee to play at these last two fields).
Please do not practice at any other city parks; there have already been complaints to the city of HB about organized baseball teams playing in parks and damaging the neighboring homes. HVLL could lose the use of the above approved fields if HVLL teams are caught practicing elsewhere. Please contact your divisional VP or league president Mike Kircher or VP Don Pierce if you require clarification. Thank you.
Saturday, January 22
Updated on the Little League International Moratorium on 100% Composite Bats
January 22, 2011: The first test result has been received at Little League International regarding composite-barreled bats for use in the Little League (Majors) Division and below. Little League has created a list for those bats that receive waivers of the moratorium that was enacted on Dec. 30, 2010. For the latest information on the moratorium and the issuance of waivers, click here.
For a list of composite bats which have received waivers for the Little League (Majors) Divisions and lower, click here.
Please note: if your player wishes to use one of the waivered bats on this list, he or she should download and print a copy of the approved list and bring it with him or her to every game and be ready to show it as proof that the bat is allowed. The district umpires have been instructed that they are not reponsible for knowing which bats are approved and will only allow a 100% composite bat to be used if they are shown evidence in the form of a hard copy from the approved LL website (evidence from the bat manufacturer is not accepted) at every game. Please do not try to use an electronic device at a game to show to the umpire - it must be a paper hard copy of the approved list.
January 4, 2011: Since HVLL forwarded a release from Little League International last week regarding a moratorium on composite bats in Major Divisions and lower, HVLL has had a lot requests for verification and inquiries regarding the use of composite bats during tryouts. There are several points that we wish to make:
- This week, Little League International issued a second statement clarifying the language and has now stated that “100% composite bats” are disallowed. HVLL has sought clarification with District 62 and together it has been determined that a bat with a composite handle and with a metal alloy barrel is acceptable to use during tryouts and during games (see http://www.littleleague.org/media/newsarchive/2010/Sep-Dec/CompositeBatMoratium.htm for clarification on the language).
- At this time, bats that are 100% composite (both handle and barrel) are disallowed at tryouts and during the regular season for Major Divisions and lower divisions.
- Little League International has voiced its intention to work with various bat manufacturers to approve certain, specific models of 100% composite bats for the Majors Division and lower, similar to what it did for Junior, Senior and Big League Divisions (see http://www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/approvedcompbats.htm for the list of approved composite bats for these upper Divisions).
- Rumor has it that Little League International may announce this list of approved 100% composite bats for the Major Divisions and lower this week but HVLL has no way to confirm that this information will be available before tryouts.
- As long as Little League International has not officially posted a list of approved 100 % composite bats for Major Divisions and lower, HVLL will continue to enforce the 100% composite bat moratorium during tryouts and the regular season.
- If Little League International does announce a list of approved 100 % composite bats for Major Divisions and lower before a player’s tryout time, that player may use the approved 100 % composite bat during tryouts as long as the player can present hard documentation from the official Little League website during tryouts that the 100% composite bat is on the Little League International approved list.
In other words, the player must bring a copy of the downloaded page from the Little League website showing his 100 % composite bat is now approved by Little League International for use in the Majors Division or lower. An announcement from a manufacturer’s website will not suffice, and HVLL will not be accessing the Little League website during tryouts (there will be no time to stop tryouts while a parent looks up the Little League International website on a hand-held device, for example).
HVLL does not wish to eliminate the use of any approved equipment during tryouts or during the regular season, but if there is any doubt as to the approval of a 100% composite bat, HVLL intends to err on the side of safety during tryouts, practices and games.
Here is the latest release of information from the Little League International website along with the clarification in language at the very end (http://www.littleleague.org/media/newsarchive/2010/Sep-Dec/CompositeBatMoratium.htm): By Communications Division
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.
December 30, 2010
Little League International has placed a moratorium on the use of composite bats in the Little League (Majors) Division and all other baseball divisions of Little League, effective immediately.
“Today’s decision of the Little League International Board of Directors Executive Committee is based on scientific research data from the University of Massachusetts (Lowell), which was contracted by Little League Baseball,” Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League Baseball and Softball, said. “The maximum performance standard for non-wood bats in the divisions for 12-year-olds and below is a Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15. The research found that composite bats, while they may meet the standard when new, can exceed that standard after a break-in process.”
Local Little Leagues were first informed of the research last September.
“From the beginning, and throughout this process, we wanted to keep everyone informed,” Patrick W. Wilson, Vice President of Operations at Little League International, said. “Our intent was to provide local league constituents clear direction regarding composite bats. There is a process through which manufacturers can submit individual models for a possible waiver if they wish to seek it. Going forward, we will let our leagues know which ones meet the standards for the Little League Baseball (Majors) 12-and-under divisions, if any.”
On Sept. 1, Little League International placed a moratorium on composite bats in the Junior, Senior, and Big League Baseball Divisions of Little League. Subsequent to that moratorium, some composite bat models have received a waiver and may be used in those divisions. Information on the composite bats that have received waivers for the Junior, Senior, and Big League Baseball Divisions of Little League may be found here:
http://www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/approvedcompbats.htm
At present, no composite bats for the Little League (Majors) Division and below have received a waiver. If and when any models do receive a waiver, Little League International will inform its leagues of that decision.
The moratorium on composite bats, which now applies to all baseball divisions of Little League, does not apply to any softball divisions of Little League.
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Note: The moratorium on composite bats only applies to composite-barreled bats. Bats that have only a metal/alloy in the barrel (and no other material, unless it is in the end cap of the bat) are not subject to the moratorium, regardless of the composition of the handle.
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HVLL League Age
April 30th is the date to determine "league age."
Children must be 4 by April 30, 2011 to be eligible to play T-ball in Spring 2011.
If a player is league age 6 and has not played T-Ball in a Little League program, they must play T-Ball for the 2011 season; prior experience playing T-Ball in a non-Little League program does not apply per Little League Intl. rules.
The Lower Division T-Ball includes all 4 year-olds and new 5 year-olds, and the Upper Division T-Ball includes 2nd-year 5 year-olds and all new 6 year-olds. 4 year-olds and 6 year-olds may not play together, per Little League Intl. rules.
The minimum age for the Farm Division is league age 6 (5 year-olds must play T-ball per Little League Intl. rules).
Contact the Lower Division Player Agent if you have any questions (Scott Napier at Scott@napiers.org).
Thursday, May 27
Please Do and Please Don't:
Here are some general rules for HVLL - the list may be updated as we find more ways that people are violating the use of the fields and common decency:
1. Please no dogs allowed on any of the HVLL fields, including the surrounding grass areas.
2. No eating is allowed in the dugouts - this is both messy to clean up and a safety hazard (a child choked on a hot dog during a game on the field a few years back - thankfully the manager knew the Heimlech maneuver....). Only water and sport drinks are allowed in the dugouts.
3. The visiting teams must condition the fields at the end of each game, including watering down the infield and the pitcher's mound. Also, the visiting manager must make sure that the dougouts, score keeper booths, and sheds are locked if no more games are to be played at the end of their game.
4. HVLL teams may practice at only the following schools:
Newland Elementary
Perry Elementary
Smith Elementary
HBHS (only the Jr teams and only on scheduled days)
HVLL teams may not practice at Oka, Hawes, Peterson, Lamb, Dwyer or at any of the city parks in HB or Fountain Valley (the exception to this is that a team may rent a field at the HB Sports Complex). Please stay off of these fields!
5. Please comply with all the parking rules: When parking at the HVLL fields, please be sure to park in the marked stalls only on the paved parking lot - do park on the end of the marked stalls (making your own parking spots), and do not park in any of the fire lanes; we need to keep those lanes clear for emergency vehicles in case they need to get back to the t-ball fields or snack bar. Your car may be ticketed or towed if it is in an unmarked spot or if you are blocking the flow of traffic or other cars.
Please do not park on the south side of Pioneer in front of the houses. We are trying to be good neighbors to the homeowners in the neighborhood.
6. One of the HVLL board members will be on duty at the HVLL fields during all games. If for some reason you need a board member while you are at the fields, please go to the snack bar to ask for the name and cell phone number of the board member currently on duty and contact them.
If you need to contact someone at HVLL when not at the fields, please see the Board Members page to the left to determine who to best answer your question or concern (you will probably want to start with your divisional VP).
7. HVLL used to have a general phone number listed on this website, but that phone line is not monitered and the number has been removed from the website for a long time now, although some of you long-timers may still have it written down somewhere. Do not call that number expecting a response! It will not happen! Use the board members' email or phone number (if listed) to make sure your inquiry is received. Thank you.
Excerpt from the Mission Statement of Little League Baseball
"Through proper guidance and exemplary leadership, the Little League program assists youth in developing the qualities of citizenship, discipline, teamwork and physical well-being. By espousing the virtues of character, courage and loyalty, the Little League Baseball program is designed to develop superior citizens rather than superior athletes".
