Northwood Little League
Frequently Asked Questions
** For Registration Information, please scroll down **
Q. Now that I have registered, what happens next?
Tee Ball (4-6),Rookie, and A players: You can expect a call from the manager of your child’s team in early to mid-February. Most teams will have a parent’s meeting and possibly one or two practices before Opening Day (scheduled for Sat. March 6).
AA through Juniors players: All players league age 9 and above are required to attend evaluations scheduled for either Sat. January 9th or 16th. Managers draft teams at the end of January and players will receive their team assignment around February 1. Practices will start the first week of February followed by Opening Day on Saturday, March 6. League age 8 players wishing to play-up in AA must attend the 9-year old evaluation session but placement on a AA team is not guaranteed.
Q. When does the season begin?
Opening Day ceremonies for the Spring 2010 season are tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 6, 2010 at Hicks Canyon Park.
Q. How long do games usually last?
The length of the game varies by division as follows:
T-Ball: Normally 1 hour
Rookie, A: 1 - 1.5 hours (6 innings)
AA: 1:45 - 2:00 (6 innings) - No new inning shall be started after 1:45 from the official start time.
AAA, Majors: 2:00 - 2:15 (6 innings) - No new inning shall be started after 2:00 from the official start time.
Juniors: 2:15 - 2:30 (7 innings)
Q. What do I do if it is raining (or has been raining) on a day that I have practice or a game?
To find out if the fields are open and playable on rainy days (or the days following a heavy rain), please call the City of Irvine MUDD Line at (949) 724-6833.
Q. How long does the season last?
The regular season typically runs through the first week of June.
Q. Does NWLL keep score at games?
Because the purpose of the Tee Ball, Rookie, and A divisions is to teach kids the fundamentals of baseball in a safe and fun environment, we do not keep score at these games.
For AA and above, we do keep score at all games to determine league champions and post-season tournament participants. In addition, game scores and summaries will be posted on the league’s web site and will occasionally be published in the Irvine World News.
Q. Do all players receive a trophy at the end of the season?
All Tee Ball, Rookie, and A Division players will receive a trophy at the end of the season. For all other divisions, only the division champions and runners-up will receive trophies.
Q. What equipment does my child need to provide?
Your registration fees include a full uniform (baseball cap, jersey, pants, belt and socks) that your child will get to keep at the end of the season. In addition, each team will have bats and batting helmets available for all players to use throughout the season. Therefore, all the player needs to provide is a leather glove and baseball cleats. However, a personal helmet is also recommended.
Q. Who is required to attend evaluations?
All players league age 9 and above (AA through Juniors divisions) must attend evaluations. If a player does not attend evaluations, he/she will only be able to play in the division he/she played during the previous Spring season. Please mark your calendars for Saturday January 9 and 16.
Any league age 8 players (that previously played Farm/Rookie) that would like to be considered to play in AA should contact the AA Commissioner at mlangdon@flowserve.com. These players must attend a 9-year old evaluation session to be considered for AA.
Q. What is the purpose of evaluations?
The purpose of the evaluations is two-fold:
Ensure that each player is playing in a Division according to their skill level to allow for their own personal success and,
Ensure that our teams are balanced in terms of playing ability. The intent of Northwood Little League is to balance all teams in evey Division so that at the start of the season, everyone has a fair shot at winning their respective Division. We do not allow stacking of teams in Northwood Little League.
Q. What happens at evaluations?
Each player (9 years old and above) is assessed for:
Ability to field fly balls
Ability to field ground balls
Arm strength and accuracy
Batting ability
Pitching: the ability to throw strikes
Running the bases
Q. Are scholarships available for registration fees?
A limited number of scholarships are available for players and families in need.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Division Descriptions (Please contact the appropriate commissioner listed below with any questions.)
Ice-Cream Tee Ball (4 year-olds) This division is for players age 4. In the Ice-Cream Division, great emphasis is placed on the players' understanding their positions and simply having fun. Players enjoy hitting off a tee, and learning to run the bases. Scores are not kept. It is our hope the kids develop a love for the game at this level of play. Sportsmanship, respect, camaraderie and skills development are the primary goals. CONTACT: Ray McMannis at rmcmannis@cpsinsurance.com.
Tee Ball (5-6 year-olds) This division is for players ages 5-6. In the T-Ball Division, great emphasis is placed on the players' understanding their positions and the basic rules of baseball. Players enjoy hitting off a tee, and learning to run the bases. Scores are not kept. It is our hope the kids develop a love for the game at this level of play. Sportsmanship, respect, camaraderie and skills development are the primary goals. It is recommended every player play a minimum of 1 season at this division level. CONTACT: Ray McMannis at rmcmannis@cpsinsurance.com.
Rookie Division (Machine Pitch) (6-7 year-olds)This division is for players ages 6-7, depending upon their skill level. In the Rookie Division, great emphasis is placed on the players' understanding their positions and the basic rules of baseball. Players enjoy quality pitching from our new pitching machines which enables them to enjoy more quality at-bats. Sportsmanship, respect, camaraderie and skills development are the primary goals. It is recommended every player play a minimum of 1 season at this division level. CONTACT: Jason Zenk at jzenk@monicoalloys.com.
A (Player/Coach Pitch) Division (7-8 year-olds) This division is for players ages 7-8, depending upon their skill level. In the A Division, great emphasis is placed on the players' understanding their positions and the basic rules of baseball. Players enjoy player and coach pitching for the first time, and get used to seeing a person wind up and throw the ball. Great emphasis is palced os understanding the strike zone, and when to swing at a “strike” of take a “ball”. Sportsmanship, respect, camaraderie and skills development are the primary goals. It is recommended every player play a minimum of 1 season at this division level. CONTACT: Jim Silva at jim.silva@riotinto.com.
AA Division (9-10 year-olds) The AA Division is for players ages 9 -10, depending on their skill level. In the AA Division, players will now begin pitching to each other. Players will be expected to learn position responsibilities and to develop a solid foundation of the rules of baseball. Players for the first time will be expected to go through a draft and tryout process to determine team assignments. Sportsmanship, respect, camaraderie and skills development are the primary goals. It is recommended every player play a minimum of 1 season at this division level. CONTACT: Mike Langdon at mlangdon@flowserve.com.
AAA Division (10-11 year-olds) The AAA Division is for players ages 10-11, depending on their skill level. The AAA Division introduces the added challenge of stealing bases and advancing on wild pitches. This division will specifically focus on; balanced hitting, proper fielding, throwing techniques, double play execution, plus pitching and catching. Sportsmanship, respect, camaraderie and skills development are the primary goals. In Spring, teams play a competitive schedule; the Top teams will advance to the Little League District 55 Tournament of Champions (“TOC”). This division also selects an All-Star team that will represent NWLL in the District 55 All-Star Tournament. All AAA players must tryout to be selected onto a team. CONTACT: Pat Bagatourian at patbags@sbcglobal.net.
Major Division (11-12 year-olds) The Major division is for players age 10-12, depending on their skill level. The Majors division is the most competitive baseball played on the regulation Little League field. Coaches will require players to think before each pitch, (i.e. "what will I do if the ball gets hit to me?"). Players are taught to really understand the rules of baseball and constantly be aware of what they are doing on the field and why they are doing it. Sportsmanship, respect, camaraderie and skills development are always primary goals. CONTACT: Pat Guinet at patrick.c.guinet@wellsfargoadvisors.com.
Juniors Division (13-14 year-olds only) The Junior division is for 13 and 14 year-olds. The Junior division plays on a regulation size baseball field (60 ft. 6 in. from the mound to the plate and 90 ft. base paths), with regulation baseball rules. Players will learn to lead off, use big barrel bats and are permitted to wear steel spikes. Fundamental development skills will continue, but at the high school level. CONTACT: Michael Salorio at salor3@aol.com.
Challenger Division (5-30 year-olds)Challenger Division is for kids with developmental disabilities such as Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Spinabifida, Global Developmental Delay, and others. We have teams with three different skill levels and ages ranging from 5 to 30! All players participate regardless of abilities or disabilities. CONTACT: Dave Miller at abfarrow@cox.net.
REGISTRATION FEES AND LEAGUE AGES
Date of Birth
League Age
Early-Bird Fees
(Oct. 1)
Regular Fees
(Nov. 15)
Late Fees
(Dec. 15)
Division
5/1/2006-4/30/2006
4
$60.00
$70.00
$75.00
Ice-Cream T-Ball
5/1/2004-4/30/2005
5
$110.00
$125.00
$140.00
T-Ball
5/1/2003-4/30/2004
6
$110.00
$125.00
$140.00
T-Ball
5/1/2002-4/30/2003
7
$140.00
$160.00
$180.00
Rookie
5/1/2001-4/30/2002
8
$150.00
$170.00
$190.00
A
5/1/2000-4/30/1999
9
$170.00
$195.00
$220.00
AA
5/1/1999-4/30/2000
10
$170.00
$195.00
$220.00
AAA
5/1/1998-4/30/1999
11
$180.00
$200.00
$225.00
Majors
5/1/1997-4/30/1998
12
$180.00
$200.00
$225.00
Majors
5/1/1996-4/30/1997
13
$180.00
$200.00
$225.00
Juniors
5/1/1995-4/30/1996
14
$180.00
$200.00
$225.00
Juniors
Special Needs
All Ages
$50.00
$50.00
$50.00
Challengers
LEAGUE AGE is a player's age as of April 30, 2010.
EARLY BIRD FEES will increase on Nov. 15. Late Registration starts Dec. 15.
DIVISIONS shown are for most players. Play-ups and play-downs are possible based on parent requests, skill level, and team drafts.
