MLL INFO

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MLL LEAGUE & DIVISION  INFORMATION

Below are league descriptions/explanations, volunteer information, and Parent Suggestions for a successful, safe, and fun season. 

MLL LEAGUE BASICS

MLL SEASON TIMELINE-  begins in January with Online registration and February for a ONE DAY walk-in Player Registration (check for dates on the main page). Online registration is the easiest and fastest way to register your player. Spring League play begins the last week of April for Majors and above divisions. Minors and Tee Ball divisions start later (mid May) to give the weather time to warm up. Little League All Stars teams are picked after the regular season finishes in June and play into July. Fall Ball sign-ups start in June and the Fall Ball League runs September to late October. MLL Fall Ball is a recreational season where players can try new positions, work on skills, and possibly try out a new division.

PLAYER TRYOUTS & EVALUATIONS-  evaluations and tryouts occur the first week of March with teams being formed starting with the MAJORS division draft (earliest to be contacted - usually middle of March) and working down to MINORS and TEE BALL (latest - mid April). See our main page for dates as the season approaches.

Tryouts are for age eligible players who want to be drafted into and play in the Majors (9-12yrs) competitive divisions.

Evaluations are for minors instructional and developmental divisions and function to aid in division placement and team balancing.

MAJOR DIV TRY-OUTS: If your child will be age 9 through 12 by April 30th (December 31st for Softball) and they wish to be eligible to be drafted into the Major Division, they MUST attend the tryout session for their league; See our website as the date approaches for more info.

MINORS EVALUATIONS: If your child will be playing in the Softball Minors Divisions they MUST attend the evaluation day for their league. If your child is playing in the Baseball Minors division and is age 8 or greater as of April 30th they must attend the evaluation day for their league. Evaulations are for division placement and team balancing. See our website as the date approaches for more info.

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  TEE BALL- No Evaluations
  
  
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  MINORS BASEBALL-  Ages 6-7 No Evaluations
  
  
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  MINORS BASEBALL- Ages 8+ Evaluations for division assignment and team balancing
  
  
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  MINORS SOFTBALL-Evaluations for division assignment and team balancing
  
  
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  MAJORS- Candidates tryout and are drafted by managers; returning majors do not tryout

OPENING DAY- is usually the last Saturday in April which includes the Opening Day ceremonies and team pictures.

IF YOU HAVE REGISTERED A PLAYER AND HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY A LEAGUE REPRESENTATIVE BY THE THIRD WEEK OF APRIL PLEASE CONTACT US AT  MIDDLL@MIDDLL.ORG

MLL DIVISIONS

The following are brief explanations of the divisions that make up Middletown Little League.

The age brackets for each division are guidelines, division placement is performed by the league and based on age and evaluated skill level. Exceptions will be handled on a case by case basis and will be determined by the league. 

LEAGUE AGE-  is based on player age as of April 30 for Baseball and Tee Ball divisions and December 31st for Softball.

TEE BALL-

4-5 yrs  *First time 6 year olds must play Tee Ball

                       ( must turn 4 years old by April 30th to play Tee Ball)

Tee Ball Baseball is for boys and girls who want to learn the fundamentals of hitting and fielding.

In Tee Ball, players hit a ball off a batting tee. The primary goals of Tee Ball are to instruct children in the fundamentals of baseball and to allow them to experience the value of teamwork. No live pitching is permitted in this division.

Tee Ball starts later than the other leagues to allow the weather to warm a bit further, expect contact from coaches in late April prior to Opening Day.

NO TRYOUTS ARE REQUIRED FOR TEE BALL AGE PLAYERS.

MINOR M (MACHINE PITCH) BASEBALL/INSTRUCTIONAL-

6-7 yr olds

Minor M Machine Pitch is for boys and girls interested in playing baseball but having less experience. Focuses of this division are proper throwing mechanics, successfully hitting a machine pitched ball, and safely catching and attempting plays. Teams adhere to three outs per inning (a consecutive batting order is kept-regardless of substitutions), games are 5 innings, NOT ALL PLAYERS BAT EACH INNING, and no sliding or stealing is permitted.

MINOR MM (MACHINE/PLAYER PITCH) BASEBALL/DEVELOPMENTAL-

8-9 yr olds

Minor MM Machine transitioning to Player Pitch is for boys and girls interested in continuing playing baseball with the introduction of Player Pitching. At this level the fundamentals of fielding and batting are stressed within the framework of preparing for player pitching as the season progresses. Teams bat through their order adhering to three outs per inning with sliding and stealing skills being introduced into game play later in the season.

MINORS DIVISION PLAYERS SHOULD ATTEND TRYOUTS TO BE EVALUATED FOR DIVISION PLACEMENT AND TEAM BALANCING.

MINOR MMM (PLAYER PITCH) BASEBALL/ COMPETITIVE-

9-11 yr olds  **12 yr olds with WAIVER

Minor MMM Player Pitch is for boys and girls interested in continuing playing baseball at a more advanced level to help prepare them for the competitive MAJORS division. Baseball fundamentals continue to be stressed while advanced pitching, fielding, and hitting concepts are introduced and employed during game play. Teams bat through their order adhering to three outs per inning with stealing, sliding, and advanced baseball strategy as part of game play. Players in this competitive division are guaranteed one at bat and six consecutive outs as per National Little League rules.

MINORS DIVISION PLAYERS SHOULD ATTEND TRYOUTS TO BE EVALUATED FOR DIVISION PLACEMENT AND TEAM BALANCING.

MAJORS BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

COMPETITIVE-

9-12 yr olds Primarily 11&12 

The Little League Baseball Division (sometimes known as the Major Division) is for boys and girls ages 9-12. TO PLAY IN THE MAJORS DIVISION PLAYERS MUST TRYOUT AND BE DRAFTED BY A MAJORS TEAM COACH, PLAYERS NOT DRAFTED WILL PLAY IN A MINORS DIVISION. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet. Players in this competitive division are guaranteed one at bat and six consecutive outs as per National Little League rules.

The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 11-12-year-olds from within this division, and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Little League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball.

NEW MAJORS CANDIDATES MUST TRYOUT TO BE DRAFTED TO A MAJORS LEVEL TEAM; PLAYERS TRYING OUT FOR MAJORS MUST BRING BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND PROOF OF RESIDENCY (TWO FORMS) TO PLAYER TRYOUTS. PLAYERS CANNOT TRYOUT AND BE DRAFTED WITHOUT VERIFICATION. (see Spring Event Schedule for dates).  

JUNIORS SOFTBALL-

13-14 yr olds

The Girls Junior League Softball Division is a program for girls ages 13-14, using a conventional 60-foot diamond with a pitching distance of 40 feet. (A modified diamond is available during the regular season.) The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 13-14-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within the Girls Senior League Softball Division), and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Junior League Softball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball.

JUNIORS DIVISION PLAYERS SHOULD ATTEND TRYOUTS TO BE EVALUATED FOR TEAM PLACEMENT.

SENIORS SOFTBALL-

13-16 yr olds

The Girls Senior League Softball Division is for girls 13-16 years old, using a 60-foot diamond with a pitching distance of 40 feet. The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 13-16-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within the Girls Junior League Softball or Girls Big League Softball divisions), and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Girls Senior League Softball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball.

VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

Little League Baseball and Softball is an organization designed to build good citizens. It is a program of leadership, preparing today's youth to be tomorrow's leaders. The volunteers of Middletown Little League have a keen interest in the safety, well-being, and overall development of children. MLL strives to promote the concept of team play within a safe and fun environment.

Middletown Little League Needs Volunteers in many positions.

Middletown Little League relies on a devoted legion of adult volunteers to help ensure that the organization remains structured and runs smoothly. MLL is always looking for responsible and enthusiastic individuals to support and coordinate Little League events and activities.

All parents of children involved in Little League Baseball and Softball are strongly encouraged to volunteer. Oftentimes, parent and child social lives parallel each other. Volunteering allows your life and your child's life to intersect on common ground, with shared interests and goals.

Without volunteers to help make our divisions and teams run some of the offerings of MLL may have to be curtailed or discontinued. GET INVOLVED!! See Below for details.

How Do I Become A Volunteer?
Parents, take a minute to fill out the volunteer form while registering your child. If you are not a parent and would like to volunteer, take a minute to fill out the form while visiting your local registration location.

The volunteer application form is available here.

What Can I Volunteer To Do?
No experience is required to become a volunteer. Most of the volunteer opportunities require little or no training. Your local league will provide you with any necessary training (as well as support and encouragement), as they deem necessary. The best volunteers are those who are able to bring added enjoyment to the game simply be being themselves. What you see during Little League games is a mere fraction of what you can do as a volunteer. You can volunteer to help in virtually any aspect of Little League Baseball or Softball.

VOLUNTEER FORM LINK

TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER FOR MIDDLETOWN LITTLE LEAGUE SIMPLY

PRINT AND FILL OUT THE VOLUNTEER FORM FROM THE LINK ABOVE

AND BRING IT TO REGISTRATION OR MAIL TO:

Middletown Little League

1151 Aquidneck Ave. Suite 512

Middletown, RI 02842

The forms above require Adobe Acrobat Reader to open properly. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you can download a free copy from Adobe's website: www.adobe.com

GET INVOLVED!!!

PARENT SUGGESTIONS

MLL has a list of parent suggestions to help ease players, families, and volunteers through the upcoming season. TAKE A LOOK!!!

Link to Parent Suggestions

Thank you for supporting Middletown Little League.