Dorchester Little League

League Ages 8 -12 (Player's Age as of 08.31.24) - As of 04.01.24, we are on waitlist for ages 8-12.

Any  league age 7's are all set!  We will continue to place these league age 7 players in Single A division only.

 

 

NOTE: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE  (FA) IS AVAILABLE FOR FAMILIES IN NEED.  TO REQUEST FA PLEASE EMAIL    DORCHESTERLITTLELEAGUE@GMAIL.COM

 

THE DESCRIPTIONS BELOW ARE FYI AND ARE NOT SELECTION OPTIONS.  KEEP SCROLLING DOWN TO "CONTINUE"

 

A  (Standard Eligibility: 7 on 08.31.24)

The jump from the T-ball program to Single A is made as fun and enjoyable as possible. Our young players enjoy a sense of being on the real diamond and experiencing a bit more of the real feel of participating in a little league baseball.

 

The first 2 weeks of our time together are teaching based clinics with an element of evaluation so that we can arrive at three or four teams that are equal.

 

Once the season starts, we ask coaches to have at least one practice per week. and that would be coupled with one game per week. Practices are typically held at the convenience of the coach in close communication with parents.

 

Games are held on Saturdays between nine and noon at the Challenger field at McConnell Park in Savin Hill. Players warm-up and practice for 15-20 minutes followed by then the game that lasts no more than 60 minutes.

 

We use the Tee ball rather than a hardball and find that our players very much enjoy this.

 

Our program is primarily coach pitch. This keeps the games and players moving, allows for more hitting, player fun and enjoyment of the game. As appropriate our coaches will do their best to give players an opportunity to pitch from the mound in a learning and nurturing environment. We do not want players to become bored with baseball and coach pitch is a major component of keeping the game fun and players engaged!

 

We will try to have skill clinics as time and volunteer participation allows.

 

 

AA, AAA, Majors

 

Placement is determined by Age, and Player Evaluations.  These are Evaluations and not Try-outs, as every child is placed into an appropriate division based upon the evaluation.   

 

Your child can request to play down but may not request to play-up.   Request to "play-down" are usually based upon a perceived confidence or safety concern of a parent.  Any parent considering a request to "play-down" is encouraged to contact the league @dorchesterlittleleague@gmail.com for consultation.

 

AA  (Standard Eligibility: 8, 9, 10 as 08.31.24)

This level is part player-pitch and part coach-pitch. The pitcher's mound is moved forward three feet. There is no stealing, bunting or other advanced concepts of play, and there will be a larger emphasis on instruction within games. Teams will hit through the entire lineup, and players will play at least three innings in the field (though many coaches try to do better than that when they can).

 

Most games are played on Saturday between nine and two. Games are six innings, but end in 2 hours. On school nights, extremely strict enforcement applies to make sure kids get home as scheduled. Game scores and league standings are recorded. 

 

AA is perfect for kids who are suited to a less intense and stressful competitive environment, or for those who are still developing their fundamental skills. This level is designed to prepare players to graduate to AAA.

 

A week typically features: A Saturday game, 1 hour of AA skills (encouraged, not required), and 1 hour+ of practice. two weeknights of baseball (combination of games and/or practice), as well as a game on Saturday morning. Pre-season practices will start in the month of April in advance of Opening Day. The regular season will take place from late April to early June, culminating with playoffs in mid-June with an end date typically around the time school lets out for the summer.

 

A requisite level of skill is required for certain positions (i.e., a player must demonstrate the ability to consistently catch a ball thrown at them to play first base, to ensure each player’s safety for example). That said, many coaches try to find opportunities to give all their players a chance to learn various positions in practice and play multiple positions when they can, if players may safely do so.

 

Selection into AA: After the Majors and AAA divisions are filled, slots in AA are filled with players aged 8 through 10 starting with the players with the highest remaining evaluation scores and working down until all teams are filled. All 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds who did not get assigned to the Majors or AAA will play in AA.

 

Note:  The structure of AAA/AA is currently under review by DLL Board of Directors and is subject to change in the best interest of the kids and the league.

 

 

AAA (Standard Eligibility: 9, 10, 11 as 08.31.24)

An effective way to think of AAA is “Majors Lite” or “Majors B.”

At this level players are allowed to steal bases except for home. There is no dropped third strike rule. There is some strategy involved, but you will see less bunting, set baserunning and defensive plays etc. than you will in the Majors.

 

A typical week features two weeknights of baseball (combination of games and/or practice), as well as a game on Saturday morning. Games and practices typically last 1.5 to 2 hours. Practices will start in the month of April. The regular season will take place from late April to early June, culminating with playoffs in mid-June with an end date typically around the time school lets out for the summer.

 

Teams will hit through the entire lineup, and players will play at least three innings in the field (though many coaches try to do better than that when they can).

 

A requisite level of skill is required for certain positions. That said, many coaches try to find opportunities to give all their players a chance to learn various positions in practice and play multiple positions when they can, if players may safely do so.

Selection Process:  After the Majors division is filled, slots are filled with players aged 8 through 11 starting with the players with the highest remaining evaluation scores and working down until all teams are filled. All 11-year-olds who did not get assigned to the Majors will play in AAA.

 

Majors (Standard Eligibility: 10, 11, 12 as 08.31.24)

The Majors is DLL’s highest and most competitive level of play. All 12-year-olds are placed in this division, and the remaining slots are filled with 11- and 10-year-olds, starting with the highest evaluation scores and working down until all teams are filled. We expect that 9 year-olds will be assigned to AAA and AA in 2024 - this is a pending policy decision for the Board,

 

At this level, players are allowed to steal bases, run to first base on a dropped third strike, and bunt among other advanced concepts. And you will see some great plays being made on the field defensively!

 

A week typically features two weeknights of baseball (combination of games and/or practice), as well as a game on Saturday morning.  Games and practices typically last 1.5 to 2 hours.  Practices will start in early April. The regular season will take place from April 20th to early June, culminating with playoffs in mid-June with an end date typically around the time school lets out for the summer.

Teams will hit through the entire lineup, and players will play at least three innings in the field (though many coaches try to do better than that when they can).

At this level, due to the advanced level of play, and strategy involved, players may not play each position. A requisite level of skill is required for certain positions. That said, many of our coaches try to find opportunities to give all their players a chance to play multiple positions when they can, if players may safely do so. There are several teams that give all players who want to the opportunity to pitch in a game for example.

Please direct questions to: 

dorchesterlittleleague@gmail.com

617-645-5417