Frequenly Asked Questions (FAQ):

• My child tried out last year, does he/she have to try out again this year? - Player evaluations for AAA, Minors and Majors are once a year as a "fresh start" for all of the players.
• What are the Little League age requirements? - Starting in 2016, the Little League age determination changed to August 31 for children born on or after May 1, 2006. Whatever your child's age will be ending August 31, 2017, will be his or her baseball age. For players born on or before August 31, 2005, the age change won't go into effect until after the 2018 season. Therefore, those kids will still use the April 30th age determination date.Use this calculator to determine your child's baseball age.
• What will happen during the player evaluations, and what should my child bring? - AAA, Minors and Majors players will be evaluated fielding, throwing, and catching the ball along with 3-4 other players at a time. Once that is completed, batting evaluations are next. They will also be timed running from home plate to first base. They should wear athletic clothing and court shoes (no cleats). Baseball uniforms are not required.
• How will my child be selected to a team, and when will the teams be announced? - For T-ball, A, and AA, teams are formed centrally and are built based on coach requests, friend requests, and school attended, in that order. In some cases it is not possible to match a coach with all of the requests if the number of requests exceeds the team size. In those cases the coach will be consulted. For AAA, Minors and Majors there is a draft after player evaluations with the goal of making all of the teams as even as possible. Once teams are finalized, Team Connect will be enabled, and coaches will contact their teams. This will happen around the middle of March.
• I have more than one child, can they play together on the same team? - Yes. Siblings can play on the same team as long as they are in the same division.
• How many players are on a Little League team? - There are typically 12 players on a team. Occasionally there will be more or less players depending on the makeup of the division, but 12 is the goal.
• Does each player play every game? - Yes
• Will my player get to play with his/her classmates? - No for AAA, Minors and Majors, since teams in these divisions are built via draft. Yes for the other divisions. Every effort is made to honor team requests for T-ball, A, and AA. However, sometimes circumstances prevent this from happening, such as when there are more players requesting to be on a team than there are slots available.

• What is the time commitment? How many practices and games per week? - This varies by division. Here is the typical expectation for each division. This may vary week to week. Typical weekday start times are 5:15-5:30 except where noted below and can be somewhat team dependent. Saturday start times are anywhere between 9am and 3pm except where noted below. Schedules for Opening Day and Fun Day will differ from below.
• • T-Ball - Two combined practices/games per week for 75 minutes with one on a weekday and one on a Saturday.
  • A - Three practices or games per week for 90 minutes with two on weekdays and one on Saturday.
  • AA - Three practices or games per week for 90 minutes with two on weekdays and one on Saturday.
  • AAA - Four practices or games per week for 2 hours with three on weekdays and one on Saturday. Typical weekday start time is 5:15 for practices and games. Expect to arrive at 4:30 or 4:45 for pregame warmups.
  • Minors - TBD
  • Majors - Five practices or games per week for 2 hours. Typical weekday start time is 7:15 for practices and 7:00 for games. Expect to arrive at 6:00 or 6:15 for pregame warmups. Saturday games are usually 10am, 1pm, or 4pm.
• When is the schedule published? - The schedules for each division will be published by the end of March.
• Can I manage my child’s team? - Yes, as long as there are teams in need of managers. Parent coaches will always coach their own child's team.
• If my child is selected for the Minors division, is there a chance he/she gets called up to Majors during the season? - Players can be called up occasionally when a Majors team is short on players for a particular game. Full time call-ups are possible, but do not happen very often.
• Am I required as a parent to volunteer? - You are not required to volunteer. However, CMLL is a volunteer organization, and we strongly encourage people to get involved. We are always in need of coaches and assistant coaches. All persons, including coaches and volunteers, who have repetitive access to or contact with players or teams are required to submit a volunteer application and to have a background check submitted. If coaching isn't for you, there are many other ways to help. Also, if you have an idea for something that we are not doing and would like to drive a project, you can do that as well. Feel free to enquire to any board member if you have an idea or want to help out and don't know how you can help.

CMLL Provides the Followiong For Coaches:

• Bucket of practice balls
• 2 dozen baseballs (game balls)
• Bag of Wiffle Balls
• Catchers Gear (except T-ball)
• Tees for all levels
• Throw down bases for all levels
• Bats for all levels
• First Aid Kit
• Ice Packs
• Bat Bag
• Hitting Net for Majors Teams

CMLL Provides the Following for Players:

• T-BALL: Hats, Jerseys
• A: Hats, Jerseys
• AA: Hats, Jerseys, Socks
• AAA: Hats, Jerseys, Socks, Belts
• Majors: Hats, Jerseys, Socks, Belts

The players will need to provide the following:

• Baseball glove
• Baseball cleats (no metal spikes)
• Batting helmet
• Plain grey baseball pants (belts only supplied for AAA and Majors)
• Protective cup
• Socks for T-ball and A. You can either go to Team Unis for socks that match the uniforms or simply wear regular socks.

The following is suggested for players, but not required:

• Baseball gear bag
• Heart protectors are becoming more popular
• Bat (bats are provided, but many people have their own...plus it's hard to play at home without one)

Note that you will need a bat that is legal for Little League Baseball. Little League International rules state that a bat shall not be more than thirty-three (33) inches in length nor more than two and one-quarter (2¼) inches in diameter. Non-wood bats shall be labeled with a BPF (bat performance factor) of 1.15 or less;

EXCEPTION: For the Little League (Majors) and below, for regular season play and Tournament, composite bats are prohibited unless approved by Little League International. View the List of approved and licensed composite bats.

It is also important to get a bat that is the correct size. To short of a bat will make it difficult to hit due to a small swing radius. Too heavy of a bat will make it difficult to hit due to a slow swing speed. A good rule of thumb is that a player should be able to hold the bat straight out with one hand without it drooping. If it droops, it's too heavy. Also note that bats of the same length will have different weights. See the bat size chart on this page for guidance on bat length.

Little League International has changed the bat standards starting January 1, 2018. Bats that were used in previous seasons are no longer legal to use in Little League games. Bats must have the USA Baseball symbol on the bat.

View list of approved and licensed composite bats.

https://www.littleleague.org/playing-rules/bat-information/usa-baseball-bat-standard-faq/

http://www.littleleague.org/media/llnewsarchive/2015/May-August/Little-League-USA-Baseball-Bat-Standard-2018.htm