u/Jealous_Writer_7562

TLDR: is there a fence option that can be put up and taken down in 20 or so minutes that will protect our infields 6 days a week?

Our league has spent just over a hundred grand in the last two years redoing our fields. We have erected a temporary chain link fence just past the infield dirt trying to keep kids off our infield so they don't ruin it. (kicking dirt onto the grass, ebikes etc) So far kids hop the fence daily to play or retrieve lost soccer balls.

This soccer seasons our outfields will once again be used by Soccer for practices and games on Saturdays. There is no soccer on Sundays.

We will have to limit our Fall program by a couple hundred kids if we do not have access to the two fields.

We are looking for ideas to protect the infield, but allow us to play games Sundays.

Thank you!

I am curious about the cost of lighting two of our fields. Can anyone give me a ballpark on what it would cost before I get to far down the line?

Just want to see if it is remotely feasible or not.

One of our coaches said it would be over a million, a coach a league over said they did it for 55k. Someone is very off.

I am curious what tech/programs your league uses to help sort the DATA from the evaluation process.

We have a league of about 500 kids All kids go through evaluations. We hire 3 independent evaluators to rank the kids. Then the information from those three get combined and every kid gets a number. Say 1-150 for their division. The number assigned to a coaches kid removes him from that round in the draft. So say a coaches kid is number 15 for his division, the coach does not get a second round pick.

I just learned our league was doing this by hand. It takes around a hundred hours after the evals to combine the data.

I thought to myself... there must be a better way!

What are you guys using?

I'm hoping to find a program or something and try it out for our fall eval's and then if it works great go live in Spring.

Thank you!

Edit: Specifically looking for ideas on sorting DATA and programs used for sorting DATA; not looking for advice on having kids hit. pitch, field. We do a pretty good job at that.

Like all Little Leagues we have volunteer coaches.

Are league tries to educate the coaches and even puts on a coaches presentation/training day with professional coaches to try and develop our coaches so they can develop the kids.

Problem is a lot of coaches don't go, and it's also a lot to remember. We have a large league, finding 40 good coaches is a challenge. People have jobs, kids, this is their volunteer thing, I get it.

We have other coaches who just do not agree with what is being taught, and prefer their way; never having looked into what is different in the last 20-30 years or understand things that can be dangerous for kids.

Some examples would be static stretches before practices and games when current research shows this is not good for kids and they need dynamic stretches. Maybe they are teaching pitchers to swing their glove side behind their back to get more fling out of the shoulder. Another example might be to slide on their side instead of on their butt with their hands up. Catchers who are just standing on one knee at 10. Teaching kids to get their hands all the way away from their bodies when they swing for more power, etc etc.

To clarify, this is stuff coaches are teaching, not just what the kids are doing.

Some of the stuff can be dangerous, but most is just bad practices.

Has your league found a good way to educate coaches on current science and trends?

Our end of season in house tournament has a drop dead time of 2:30 or 6 innings.

It is a two loss elimination tournament.

Today one teams seasons ended in a terrible way. After the 5th inning the score was 11-12. Team A came back and scored 8 runs in the top of the 6th inning. Bringing the score 19-12. Team B started their comeback but and scored 4 but things weren't looking good and there was no one on, two outs and a full count when the 2:30 mark hit and the ump called the game. Team A was literally one pitch away from winning.

The score reverts back to the score from the 5th and the season for Team A was over.

I understand the need for drop dead times, but I would hope there would be some leeway for the umpires to use discretion as to prevent things like this from happening.

Do your leagues have similar rules and how are you handling them?

Thank you.

I have heard this is not allowed in Little League, but when I search I can not find specific verbiage stating so. There are hints around it and it could fall under unsportsmanlike conduct but it seems to be at the discretion of the umpire.

Am I understanding correctly or is there an actual rule?

We just saw a team where the kids were taking turns making various animal noises right after the ball was released to distract the batter.

Thank you!

I got our District tournament rule set today. There is a discrepancy between LLI rules and what are district has. Is this normal? The effect it can have on game play is substantial. Last year the district tournament we had a game with 25 consecutive runs scored on walks, this rule change by LLI would stop that. It seems our district is not using the current rule set?

Is this normal.

District rule:
9. RULE 5.07: ..., Minor B, 9 select and 8 Select. When three (3) offensive players are legally put out, or called out by the umpire, that team takes the field, and the opposing team becomes the offensive team (side retired). No run or batting limits.

LLI Rule 5.07:... The side is retired when three offensive players are legally put out, called out by an umpire, or when all players on the roster have batted one time in the half-inning, or when the offensive team scores five runs. (Option the local league Board of Directors may suspend the five run rule in the last half inning for either team)

Last year the district tournament we had a game with 25 consecutive runs scored on walks, this rule change by LLI would stop that. It seems our district is not using the current rule set?

Our league has played the last few weeks with no 5 run rule, and just bat through the lineup, but for playoffs and district tournament it is only 3 outs.

How common is it for local leagues and districts not to follow LLI rule changes?