r/LittleLeague

10U Ive got one but possibly more pitchers that completely change their pitch from warmups to when a batter steps into the box. I asked why and he said he is afraid he will hurt the batter if he hits him. I told him i believe in him and he has a great arm, all he has to do is trust that. Any advice?

I just told our pitchers to use a stick or a tee as a player when practicing pitching. Anything else?

Just a vent. No need for input really. Just feeling sad for my kid.

My son started playing baseball in a fall LL season when he was 8. He just turned 12, so he’s just under 4 years of playing. He had buddies playing select ball before he even tried LL. He has worked his butt off and gotten pretty good. He’s got an aptitude for the sport, but has to work harder for it than some of his friends do.

We live in an area where probably 75% of LL players also play select. He is on his second year playing select and LL. Last fall, for middle school, his buddies all made JV, and he made C team. He took it well and continued to work hard. This spring, there was a marked difference. His work was clearly paying off. He started getting some attention from other coaches. This was the first year that it was clear coaches knew who he was. He even got his first intentional walk which cracked him up.

We’re part of a very large and highly competitive LL, in an area where our local 4A high school goes to the state baseball tournament almost every year. Baseball is BIG here. A friend of mine is on the board for our league and he let me know that my son’s name came up in conversation at the all star meeting. And while the votes and tallies are secret, he said there was a solid chance my son made it.

We just found out today that he didn’t. I never told him what I’d heard. He only ever asked about all stars a couple of times, and I always just said “we’ll have to wait and see.” His baseball buddies all made it. They’re a group of 5, and he’s the only one who didn’t get the nod. He’s devastated. It’s breaking my heart.

Hi — My town is starting a 7U summer/fall travel team for the first time this year. Local travel, no tournaments. My older son plays 11U travel and started at 9, so naturally my younger son now wants to play travel too.

I’m hesitant to let him try out at 7 because it feels really young to start focusing on competitive baseball.

Part of me would rather let him continue developing a love for the sport through rec, camps, clinics, etc. for a few more years than travel. I also worry that starting so young could eventually lead to burnout.

For parents who were in a similar situation, how has your experience been? Any regrets either way?

I know, this ain't a new topic. But our All Star lineups just came out and wow, Daddyball won big.

Has anyone's league found a fair way to deal with this?

Edit: I'm a coach. I have nothing but love for our league, and the issue is not the kids who have the skills.

Can a board member..president also be a director of a separate entity Travel Program, but use that travel program to scout players for his senior league softball team with players of towns never played with before. Then also advertise to his prior allstar players to play with his travel program to make it to the World Series again? Just seems like he’s blurring the ethics part of little league? That travel program is using his towns little league fields and he opened an indoor facility for both. He essentially observed others teams winter workout and has opened little league seniors allstars to those kids districts ..plus his towns little league signups only went to majors age group. No juniors or seniors at all.

I'm curious because tonight we are scheduled at 530 to 730 to play a team that we will have to drive at least and hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half to get there, so round trip anywhere between 2 and half, maybe 3 hours drive time. We played a game on Saturday in the same area which was fun because it was Saturday. Seems to me that is alot to ask families on a school night to travel that far for a game. I'm curious how other leagues handle this, this is a minors a game if that makes any difference. Plus the road to get there isn't open highway. It's a 2 lane 55 speed limit mountian road. It's the last game of the season and alot of us parents are confused why they couldn't have put this game for Saturday also. So far only 8 of the teams 12 or 13 kids will make it.

If i have a 6 inning player in the lead off spot that has to leave after the 3rd inning of a game, his vacancy is no different than if he got injured, correct? How does the sub work? Can i replace him with one of the 2 kids that are sub paired in say the 6 spot, making them both play the rest of the game in the 1 and 6 spots? Or would the lead off need to be paired with someone to begin with?

Much like everyone at this time of the year our tournament/district teams are being announced. Depending on age group, our process is for in-house coaches to rank all players in the age group and either the top 9 or 10 are the picks. The respective coach/manager will then select the final 2 or 3.

I’m interested in varying evaluation processes that leagues use in some attempts to have a process that can be more objective than subjective. The use of GameChanger helps, to a degree; not knowing who scores the game for each team and their knowledge of the rules.

Any additional evaluations that take place and if so what metrics are being used?

Thanks for the input/feedback!

My son's travel 8U coach (will move to 9U kids pitch next season) told everyone that if any kids is doing another travel/rec sport they can't keep their spot in the team. I'm strong against specializing kids at this age into one sport for many reason, but it looks like many teams/coaches/families around here have similar view. Since I do want my son to play both baseball and another sport at the travel level, which he's able to, it comes down to either 1) I lie to the team, play both and have to deal with practice and games that happens at the same day/time or 2) do what I don't want and take the opportunity from my kid to experience both world. Has anyone experienced something similar and had to make this decision? Any ideas what should I think about in general? Appreciate the feedback.

This is my son’s first season playing and his team (8u) has their first playoff game tomorrow. The team ended the regular season in 1st and the stakes feel so high to my kiddo. Any pointers on how to help getting him through the next 24+ hours?? Tonight? Morning of? Should I make it extra special or keep things feeling as normal as possible? I’m an over thinker if you couldn’t tell!

Hello we had travel ball team come in to be the All Star team for 10,11,12 team . The coach has a big name in our town so of course they got selected . Well when they did the votes the assistant coach were allowed to be the one to hand out and gather all the votes. So any way some how all 8 of this travel teams kids got the kid vote . Than with other 4 votes the coaches were allowed to pick who they wanted .
So they pick the rest of their kids and one kid from another team . There also was not a proper draft in this league . The VP let the coach’s of 2 travel teams have their team and spilt the rec kids between the other two teams . Is this allowed ?

In our home district, the favoritism that LL shows to a select few leagues really has me soured. Basically in our district there are three monster leagues one decently sized league (that was allowed to combine with someone a few years ago) and then 6 other leagues that are smaller and some are barely hanging on. One of the leagues (that was three major teams, whereas the larger leagues have 6-8), asked LL to do combined allstar play with our neighboring league (who also has 3 teams)..... denied. They're basically giving the district title to one of the three larger leagues. They then complain that not enough teams are entering the tourney. Why? To go two and and out? Unless things change, I can see leagues leaving little league and going to Ripken.

When our league schedule came out in March, I informed the scheduler that there was a game we couldn't play (this Friday). I reached out to the manager of that team and suggested at least two different dates... neither "worked" for him. Today i informed the league VP and president that this game will not be able to be played due to me not having enough players. I'm being told it must be a forfeit. True?

Hi everyone, I’ve recently stepped into a role coaching a 10U All-Star team. Like many situations, it came together because my son needed a coach to have a spot—but I genuinely love the game and care about doing this the right way.

I feel confident teaching the mental side and helping the boys understand the game, but I’m still working on running efficient, engaging practices. I’ve spent a lot of time researching drills and structure, but I know there’s more I can learn.

If anyone has resources, practice plans, or tips that have worked well for you at this level, I’d really appreciate it. I want to give these kids a great experience and help them develop.

My son's coach pitch coach has done a phenomenal job. He's very knowledgeable and has done an incredible job so I want to get him an end of season gift. I've narrowed it down to a laser engraved wooden bat that his name, the teams name, and team logo. I also have the option to have every kids name and number engraved on the bat, but I'm thinking of just having the kids write their name and number using a sharpie. To me, the sloppy kids handwriting will remind the coach of where his players were at in life when he coached them. Coaches...would it mean more to you if the kids wrote their names using a marker, or if the bat had their names neatly engraved, when you look at the bat years from now.

Is it worth doing allstars at 7u?

My son is 6.5 and playing in his second year of Single A. His current coach has a 2nd grader on the team so 7/8year old and told us he’s going to double A next year (makes sense).

My son really enjoys his coach and therefore wants to go too.

He’s playing up in soccer, he’s the literal youngest kid in his class, and I was initially thinking staying in Single A division and just enjoy being one of the oldest and all the ease that comes with that and not have to deal with wild and crazy kid pitching yet.

We have almost a full year to decide haha but help me understand the differences?

At home we are mostly just playing catch and taking swings, which he loves

Had a little league minors (AAA) game tonight called a kid out for being out of the box while making contact with a pitch. It was very blatant probably a full foot out. Coach upset saying it is a developmental league, but to me it’s the same as calling him out for interference or awarding him first for catchers interference. Do you think i’m correct in this thinking or do you just let it slide and if so to what point.

Added context, last game of regular season before playoffs, pretty competitive game and teams. Obviously not perfect, but it is real baseball. Meaning kids are stealing, throwing strikes, delayed steal, throwing runners out at home from the outfield.

What's the call on if a batter steps out of the box during the pitch or even before the ball even gets to home plate?

Rules mention the local option if they step out in between pitches and can warn and call a strike.

Example being a kid seemingly terrified to be in the box and steps out before the ball even gets close to the plate, pitch was on the outside. Borderline ball/strike, but no where near the batter who isn't in the box.

Just call it as is? Does the zone get any bigger or you attempt to still call it? You don't have as good of a reference to what their stance is when they aren't standing in the box any more.

I'm also aware of if a batter has a foot completely out of the box and hits the ball it's an out. So I'm watching the kid step out to know if that rule applies it then also makes it harder to follow how close the pitch is on the opposite side at the same time.

Thoughts?