Los Altos & Los Altos Hills Little League (Bay Area): Girls Softball Divisions

Girls Softball Divisions - Spring 2013

When registering for the 2013 season, please select the division that you feel is appropriate for your player based on the information on this page.

Our Little League Girls Softball program is skills-based - ages are primarily a guideline - as we will try to group players with friends and classmates on the same team.  Strong, experienced players might “play up”, while less experienced players might “play down”.  For example, a strong 7 year old player might play in the same division as a less experienced 9 year old player.

Teams are organized by schools, and “buddy” requests will generally take priority over other factors so the girls can play with their friends in a fun and positive environment.

The age ranges shown below are based on “Little League Age”, defined as the player’s actual age on April 30, 2013.

Players registered for Division AA and Division AAA MUST ATTEND our player evaluation session on Saturday February 2, 2013, or a make-up session on Saturday February 9, 2013 .  The player evaluation session is informal – we just want to make sure all the girls are assigned to the appropriate division.

Some 8 year-old players who have played Division AA or equivalent may evaluate into the AAA Division based on skill and experience.

Please see below for more detailed information about each division.

Girls T-Ball

Girls T-Ball is our introductory division and requires no prior experience. Girls T-Ball is appropriate for girls of ages 5-6, or girls aged 7 new to organized team sports.  T-Ball players should reach age 5 by April 30, 2013.  Most T-Ball players are in kindergarten, but there are many first-graders as well as some older pre-schoolers.  Some younger T-Ball players might choose to play a second year of T-Ball, while more athletic 6 year olds might skip T-Ball and play Division A.

Girls T-ball practices and games are played at the girls’ home school, where possible, on all-grass fields. “Home games” are played at the girls’ home field.  Field locations are at Almond, Santa Rita, Gardner, and Bullis Charter (Egan).

Each team meets for one hour twice per week, typically a mid-week practice and a Saturday game.  Practices emphasize throwing, hitting, and fielding fundamentals in a fun and safe environment.  Practices are usually scheduled on a weekday, generally at 4:00 or 5:00.  Specific practice days and times are assigned after teams are formed and are based on the availability of team coaches and players.

T-Ball Games are 3 innings long, with all players batting once per inning and playing in the field.  The season begins with batting from a tee and progresses to soft-toss coach pitching from a distance of about 15-20 feet.

Girls T-Ball teams have 8-10 players per team.  If your daughter would like to be on a team with friends, please list the names of the friends in the “buddy” field during registration.  As much as possible, the commissioner will keep groups of players with buddies together with other children from the same school when assigning players to teams.

Team assignments will be made by late February and coaches will contact you by early March for first practices. The season ends by the first week in June.

Division A

Division A is a recreational division for girls 6-8.  Division A appropriate for players age 6-7 who have played T-Ball for at least one year, as well as girls age 8 who have not previously played organized softball.  Most Division A players are in first or second grade.

Girls Division A practices and games are played at the girls’ home school, where possible.  During the first half of the season, practices and games are on all-grass fields.  The girls graduate to “skinned” (dirt/clay) infields around Spring Break.  “Home games” are played at the girls’ home field.  Field locations are at Almond, Santa Rita, Gardner (grass only), and Bullis Charter (Egan).

Each team will meet twice per week for 75 minute practices and games – one practice midweek and a game on Saturday morning or afternoon. 

Games are typically 3-4 innings for up to 75 minutes.  Coaches will rotate players through each of the defensive positions in the field.  All players bat each inning, one time through the lineup.  Division A starts with coach pitch on the grass fields, then will use a pitching machine (25-28 mph) for practices and games.  Pitching machines toss balls more consistently into the hitting zone than players or coaches can, level enough to encourage perfect swings, so lots of balls are put in play.

Players are assigned to teams of 8-10 players by the Division A Commissioner.  You will be contacted by your coach in early March for first practices. The season ends by the first week in June.  If your player would like to be on a team with friends, please list the names of the friends in the “buddy” field during registration.  As much as possible, the commissioner will group players with buddies and other children from the same school together when assigning players to teams.

Division AA

Division AA is a recreational division for girls 7-9.  AA is appropriate for girls who have previously played Division A or have similar experience, as well as girls age 9 who have never played organized softball.  Most Division AA players are likely to be in second, third or fourth grade.

Girls Division AA practices are at the girls’ home school, where possible.  Games are on “skinned” (dirt/clay) infields.  “Home games” are played at the girls’ home field where possible.  Field locations are at Almond, Santa Rita, Gardner (grass/practice only), and Bullis Charter (Egan).

Each team will meet 2-3 times per week for practices and games – one practice mid-week plus a games Saturday morning or afternoon, with an occasional extra practice or game.

Games are typically 4-6 innings for up to 90 minutes, with 3 outs or 3 runs max per inning.  Coaches will rotate players through each of the defensive positions in the field.  All players bat each time through the lineup. 

Division AA uses pitching machines (30-35 mph) for games, similar to our Baseball Minors AA.  Pitching machines toss balls more consistently into the hitting zone than players or coaches can, level enough to encourage perfect swings, so lots of balls are put in play.

Division AA players MUST ATTEND one player evaluation session in February, and are notified of team assignments by early March.  Evaluations are used to ensure that players generally have roughly the same skill level and to balance teams.  Evaluations will be informal and fun.

The season ends by the first week in June.

AAA Division

The AAA Division is an instructional division for girls 9-11.  The AAA Division is appropriate for girls who played Division AA or have prior player pitch experience, as well as girls aged 10-11 who have never played organized softball.  Players are selected into the AAA Division based on evaluations and groups of buddies, with a goal towards balanced teams.  Most AAA players are likely to be in fourth, fifth, or sixth grade.

Girls Division AAA practices are at the girls’ home school, where possible. Games are on “skinned” (dirt/clay) infields, primarily at Egan/Bullis Charter.

Each team will meet up to 3 times per week for practices and games – one practice mid-week plus a game Saturday morning or afternoon, with an occasional extra practice or game.  Games are typically 4-6 innings for up to 90 minutes, with 3 outs or 3 runs max per inning.

The AAA Division is player pitch with coach umpires calling balls and strikes.  Coaches are encouraged to have players play a variety of defensive positions, including pitcher and catcher, based somewhat on player ability.

Division AAA players MUST ATTEND one player evaluation session in February and are notified of team assignments by early March.  The season ends by the first week in June.

8U and 10U Tournament Teams

Girls who play in the AA and AAA Divisions are also eligible for our post-season 8U and 10U Tournament teams. The level of play for the Tournament Teams are more competitive than the regular season, as players are selected based on coach evaluations.  Tournament teams will play local area tournaments during and after the season.

The administrators and coaches are experienced parent coaches.  Home field is at Egan.  The season begins in February with weekend clinics and practices.  The team will meet during the season for practices and scrimmages.