Questions about Erial Little League are common. Whether it's your first time or you've been around for many seasons, it's natural to wonder what the upcoming season will hold. Hopefully this FAQ can help answer some of your concerns!
Q: I live in a neighboring town. Can I sign my child up to play Erial Little League?
A: Little League asks that all players participate in the town/league in which they reside. Some exceptions can be made if there are extenuating circumstances, however they will require approval of both towns as well as the District. If your home town league does not have a team in your child's age group, please let us know and we may be able to combine teams with your home town to give your child a place to play. Players who do not live in the Erial Little League, may not be eligible to play on District Teams(All Stars).
Q: Will we continue to be placed on the same team every year? We've developed a great rapport with the coach!
A: Little League requires us to evaluate and draft teams evenly prior to each season. As such, we cannot make any promises as to which coach your player will have from season to season. We simply cannot accommodate all coach requests.
Q: Can my children who are in the same division be placed on the same team?
A: Absolutely! The only exception might be at the older ages if kids need to be split up to keep teams fair.
Q: Can we make sure that all of the kids who play soccer/hockey/track together be placed on the same team?
A: In order to keep the teams balanced, we utilize a draft for all divisions above tee ball. Coaches will only be allowed to reserve a limited number of players before the draft. Maintaining a balanced league where teams are as fair as possible, and everyone can have fun is important to us.
Q: Do you know what night practices/games will be?
A: Unfortunately, until we know the number of players and teams in each division, it's impossible to know when practices and games will be held. Field availability limits the amount of flexibility that we have in scheduling but coaches will be heavily involved in choosing dates/times. We try to schedule most everything on weeknights with the exception of tee ball games, which are mostly Saturday mornings.
Q: What equipment does my child need?
A: Your child will need a glove. Cleats are recommended but not required at the younger levels if you're just trying out the sport. Batting helmets, a USA bat, athletic protector, and cleats for the older ages will need to be provided by the parent/guardian . The league will provide each team with catchers gear, balls, etc. The league also provides a uniform; which will consist of hat, jersey, socks, and pants.
Q: What does my registration fee pay for?
A: Little League registration is kept as low as possible for us to continue to function properly. Your registration cost includes uniform (hat, jersey, socks, and pants), charter and insurance fees, team equipment, field maintenance materials, and umpire fees where necessary. We try to fund-raise as much as possible throughout the year to keep the registration fees among the lowest in our district.
Q: When will we know what team we are on and when do practices start?
A: We are as eager to know this information as you are!! That's why it's critical to SIGN UP ASAP! We hope at that time to be close to our final numbers so that we can determine how many teams are needed in each division. Player Evaluations will be held in early March for coaches to get a look at the players to help ensure a balanced draft. Teams will be drafted in early March. Practices are expected to start in mid-March.
Q: What are "Evaluations" and do we have to attend? Is my child at risk of not making a team?
A: Evaluations are an opportunity for coaches to view the talent level of players in a specific division. No child will be refused a team assignment! The purpose of the evaluation is to distribute talent among the teams as evenly as possible. As an example, we are trying to avoid a scenario where one team has all of the best pitchers in the league but no experienced catcher. Following the evaluation dates, all players will be drafted by the coaches evenly. All players in the Minors and Majors division will be invited to attend one of two brief sessions. While attendance is not mandatory, we strongly recommend that all players try to attend in order for our coaches to properly evaluate. Evaluations will be mandatory for any player trying to play up in a division above their age level. For more information on player evaluations please visit Little League's Website: https://www.littleleague.org/university/articles/what-are-little-league-tryouts/?utm_source=tpc+january&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tryouts+link