What is the A ? Machine Pitch Division?

• The A Division is reserved for players moving up from Coach Pitch or who have played in the division previously, but are not yet ready for AA.  Our goal is to have most of the players in this division be league age 7 or 8.  Any league age 7 year-olds who want to play in the division should have played at least one season of Coach Pitch as a prerequisite, and evaluations will determine the division placement (A Division vs. Coach Pitch).

• Teams will play a 10-game schedule leading to a single-elimination tournament at the end of the season. 

• Players will be at the field two times per week: a fixed weekday practice (or game) and a weekend game.  Most of the weekend games will be on Saturdays. 

• The A Division is a developmental division that uses MACHINE PITCHING.  These machines deliver mostly consistent pitches at age appropriate speeds. Your child will get to swing each at bat, putting the ball in play, which will create more action, more fielding opportunities, and more excitement.  
  
  If you would like to review the 2023 A Rules please click here. 

Information about player evaluations.

• Every player 7 and up must be evaluated. The league uses evaluations to help determine team and division placement.

Registration for the A Division does not guarantee placement in the A Division.

• Your player’s assigned evaluation time will be sent to you by email around January 4th.  Please keep to the assigned evaluation time.  We have hundreds of players to evaluate in just two days.  If it’s really not possible to attend, the league may post two make-up evaluation days. 

• Please have your player ready to warm up at least 20 minutes before the assigned evaluation time.  Players who come late and who do not warm up may not perform as well during evaluations.  Your player should come prepared with a baseball cap, baseball glove, bat, cleats, and a helmet.  Players will be catching, throwing, and batting during the evaluations. 

• You can help in other ways.  During evaluations we ask that parents and siblings please stay off the fields and out of the dugout so the league volunteers may give their full attention to the players. 

Information about team assignments.

• Team assignments will be made by the A Commissioner, the Player Agent, and other league officers. There is no player draft in the A Division. 

• Our team-building process follows Little League protocols. We focus on competitive balance, but other factors are considered too. 

• The registration form will invite you to indicate practice days on which your player would not be available. The form also allows you to give us other information about team placements you might prefer. The league will look at your requests in making team assignments, but we make no promises. You may need to adjust your schedule so your player can participate on his or her assigned team.

• We know some players have been together on teams for many seasons, sometimes even going back to T-ball.  That’s been fun for young players and in our lower divisions.  Players will have even more fun in the A Division, but A games are different than what younger players experience, and the league’s goals for A include broadening participation, allowing players to have new teammates, and making competitive teams. So in making the teams, the league will look at team assignments in prior seasons, but the 2024 teams will be made-up based on other factors. 

• You will get an email with team assignment from your team’s manager. Don’t worry if you do not hear from the league before then. 

Mandatory team meeting.

• Per Little League rules, your team’s manager will schedule a team meeting before practices begin. Players and parents must attend to discuss expectations for the upcoming season and review and sign codes of conduct.  

• Uniforms will be handed out before the first game. The league provides a baseball cap and jersey. Please visit our league’s Online Store for deals on baseball pants, socks, and other equipment.