REGISTRATION, CATTLE PRACTICE & ROSTERING FAQ
What is the difference between League Age (LA) and Actual Age?
Little League utilizes a specific criterion when it comes to which division kids are eligible to participate in. Please note that the determining date for LA is different for baseball and softball.
For Baseball LA is determined based on age as of 8/31/23
For Softball LA is determined based on age as of 12/31/22
What days are practices?
The coaches set the practice schedules for each team. Older teams typically practice more frequently and for longer than younger teams.
Where are practices held?
While most practice will take place at the Denny Lowes Complex (5040 S Washington St) or Heard Park, however coaches are permitted to hold practices anywhere in NELL Boundaries.
What days are games held?
Games could be played any day of the week once the season starts. Coach Pitch and Player Pitch divisions typically play weeknights while TeeBall typically plays Saturday Mornings. These ‘typical’ days may vary in the event of make-up games, playoffs or other special games/events.
Where are games held?
Home games will take place at our Denny Lowes Complex (5040 S Washington St). Some divisions will play completely in-house with only other North East teams while some division will play an interleague schedule with other Erie County teams such as Wattsburg, Harborcreek, Iroquois, Corry etc.. Beyond TeeBall we won’t know which divisions will be played exclusively in-house until early March. Most older divisions play interleague.
When does the season start?
Coach Pitch and Player Pitch divisions can begin team practice as soon as April 1st with games starting late April to early May depending on division. TeeBall will begin team practices as soon as May 5th with the opening day TeeBall Jamboree scheduled for June 3rd.
Will there be any clinics held over the winter?
Yes! We plan to hold several clinics for players of all ages prior to Cattle Practice. Player Pitch divisions are slated to start clinics Mid-January, Coach Pitch divisions begin in Mid/Late-February and TeeBall in Late March/Early April.
Can I request a certain coach?
Coach requests are honored when possible in the TeeBall Division ONLY. All divisions higher than TeeBall will be subject to the Cattle Practice and Player Ranking Process in an effort to create as even teams as possible and coach requests will NOT be honored.
Can I request to be placed on a team with my child’s friend?
Teammate requests are honored when possible in the TeeBall Division ONLY. Players may list (1) one friend they wish to play with, the friend must also list your player. If a registration has more than 1 (one) teammate listed as a request or the friend did not also list your player the teammate request will not be honored. All divisions higher than TeeBall will be subject to the Cattle Practice and Player Ranking Process in an effort to create as even teams as possible and Teammate request will NOT be honored.
Can I request to be placed on a team that practices on a specific day?
Requests to be placed on a team that practices on a specific day of the week will not be honored. Each coach will determine where and when the team will practice during the season and with our wonderfully unpredictable spring weather even plans frequently have to change early in the season.
Are siblings able to be placed on the same team?
The short answer is yes, if siblings (or even cousins) are playing in the same division they will be placed on the same team unless otherwise requested. Please note the name of the sibling or cousin on the registration form especially if the kids have different last names.
What is Cattle Practice?
Cattle Practice or ‘Show Me Day’ are sessions in the gym where players will showcase their skills to evaluators. Evaluators score players in a variety of categories, these scores are then used to create rosters that have as equal a skill level as possible.
Who attends Cattle Practice?
All players League Age 7 and older need to attend cattle practice regardless of years’ experience. Players League Age 6 should attend Cattle Practice if they have 1 or more years’ experience in TeeBall. League Age 6 players meeting the experience requirement should attend Cattle Practice even if they registered for TeeBall, the intent of them attending is to ensure they are placed in the division that will benefit them the most developmentally. You will get a notification email in Late February/Early March notifying you if your child is going to be scheduled for Cattle Practice, the week of the Cattle Practice you will get another email with a specific time for your players session.
How is my players Cattle session determined?
Week 1 of Cattle Practice is determined strictly by League Age, when a LA has too many players to accommodate in a single session players will be broken up alphabetically by last name.
Week 2 of Cattle Practice is determined by a combination of age and skill level observed in Week 1, your player may be moved to play with slightly older or younger players as we try to group players by skill.
What do I need to do if I think my player should ‘play up or play down’?
If you think your player should Play Up (PU) or Play Down (PD) first you should make sure they meet the base requirements to do so:
· Players are eligible to be evaluated to PU/PD 1 (one) LA
· PU Players must have played in the division they would be ‘moving from’ last season
· If a player played down last season they are NOT eligible to play up the following season
If your player meets the base requirements please note that you are requesting your player to be evaluated to PU/PD on the registration form and email the Player Agent to initiate the PU/PD process.
What is the ‘play up & play down’ process?
The process is very similar to the standard Cattle Practice with an extra eye being kept on your player and a few extra rankings being utilized. During Week 1 your player will be placed with players of the same League Age ONLY regardless of a PU/PD request so they can be evaluated amongst their peers. There are specific benchmarks that PU/PD players must meet for Week 1 in order to continue with a PU/PD evaluation for Week 2, following the first Cattle session you will receive an email letting you know if your player will be continuing with PU/PD evaluation for Week 2 or if they did not meet the requirements for Week 1 and are being denied PU/PD.
If your player continues with PU/PD evaluation Week 2 they will be ‘cattling up or down’ with older or younger players of a like skill level. Again, there are certain benchmarks the player must reach for Week 2 in order to be officially approved for a PU/PD. Following Week 2 you will be notified via email of your players final approval or denial of PU/PD request.
Why was my player placed in a division I didn’t register them for?
With Cattle Practice, we are able to evaluate each individual player and ultimately put them in a division that fits them best skill AND age wise instead of relying on a sometimes-arbitrary birthday cutoff. If your player is being recommended to play in a division other than the one they would play in based strictly on age and you did NOT request PU/PD at registration you will be contacted via phone after Week 2 to have a discussion on where your player falls, our recommendations and ultimately your decision on accepting or declining our recommendation.
What is provided by the league?
NELL will provide players with team shirts and either hats (baseball & teeball) or socks (softball). We provide each team with a set of catchers gear, team bat(s) and balls.
What do I need to provide for my player?
You will need to provide a glove, gray ball pants, cleats (Coach Pitch and up) and fielders mask (softball). We recommended each player has their own helmet however, if that is not possible for your family please get in touch with our Equipment Manager as we do have some helmets players can borrow for the season.
What is the Challenger Division?
Challenger is our adaptive baseball program for children and adults with disabilities. They play games of modified baseball and accommodate people of all ability levels, in the past we’ve had everyone from players with Autism to players in wheelchairs to players with Down Syndrome and everything in-between. For more information on Challenger please contact the Challenger Director.
Can my disabled player play in a traditional baseball/softball/teeball division?
The short answer is yes. If your player has a disability that can be accommodated without altering the basic structure and equipment of the game they are more than welcome to play traditional ball. Please get in touch with the Player Agent to discuss any accommodations that may need to be made or to discuss proper placement of your disabled player.
We can’t afford registration, is financial aid available for my player?
Yes! Little League has partnered with T-Mobile to offer the T-Mobile Call Up Grant for Little League players in financial need. This grant can be used to completely cover registration and fundraising costs.
For more info or to apply visit: https://www.littleleague.org/call-up-grant-program/
My player didn’t qualify for the T-Mobile grant is there other assistance available?
North East LL has a special fund for situations and players not covered by T-Mobile, if you applied for the T-Mobile grant and were denied please reach out to our Secretary to move forward with our internal financial aid application. You will need to provide proof that you were denied the T-Mobile grant in order to qualify for internal aid.