Committed to Excellence

You will not see division details until you have successfully established and account and set up a player profile with our league. In order to keep the registration as streamline as possible and ensure the integrity of the registration data our system is setup to automatically calculate your child's league age based on the DOB you enter.

Once you complete the account and player profile set up you will see these division options in the green oval to the right of your child's name in your account. Once you have clicked this green oval you can then see division details by clicking the blue circle with an "i" in the middle.

What are the Division requirements to make sure I sign up for the correct one?

Instructional Division

The Instructional Division is a co-ed non-competitive/instructional division with player ages ranging from 4 to 6 years of age. Players coming into the Instructional Division are not required to go through tryouts and draft processes. Coaches pitch at this instructional level. Players league age 7 may remain with league approval. This division usually starts play in early May and plays 14-16 games (weather permitting). Games will be played on Saturday afternoons and Thursday evenings.

Criteria to play :

A player must be within the ages of 4 and 6 years old, or age 7 with approval.
Must be willing to have a lot of fun

AA Minors Division

The Minor AA Division is an instructional division with introduction to competitive ball for players typically ranging from 7 to 8 years of age, with some players being league age 6 and 9. Age 6 may tryout for the division provided at least ONE year in Instructional Division and selected in the player draft. Age 9 may remain in AA if they only have participated in one previous AA season.

Scores and standings are kept. The league may implement Coach pitch or Machine pitch for part of the season, while also introducing player pitch for development of pitching and hitting for advancement to the Minor AAA Division. The defensive team fields 10 players. A catcher, pitcher (next to coach), 4 infielders and 4 outfielders. During the course of the season, each player should have the opportunity to play every position on the field. The offensive team will utilize the continuous batting order for all players. Pitching rules for coach/machine and player pitch phases of the game will be determined by local league rules prior to the season. Games are tentatively planned for Saturday mornings and Wednesday Evenings. The AA division participates in the end of season inter-league tournament (end of June/beginning of July).

Criteria to play :

A player must be 7-8 years old. 6 year old's may tryout, pending evaluation, draft selection and roster size allowance. Age 9 with league approval.
All 7 year old's must try out for the Minor AA Division. If the player is not drafted he will return to his existing Instructional team. If the player is new to LLL, he will be placed on a team.
Once a player is placed on a team, he will stay with that team throughout his Minor AA Division Career.

AAA Minors Division

The Minor AAA division is an upper tier instructional division with players ages ranging from 8 to 10 years of age. Scores and standings are kept. The number of teams in the minor AAA fluctuates from year to year, depending on the number of new players who sign up, number of players moving up from the Minor AA level and returning Minor AAA players. Depending on the number of teams, the AAA division may be divided into two divisions. During the course of the season each player should have the opportunity to play many positions in the field. The offensive team will use the continuous batting order for all players. The defensive team will field 10 players (pitcher, catcher, 4 infielders and 4 outfielders). Players pitch in this division, with Little League pitching rules including pitch count regulations. This division is differentiated from Majors, with no dropped third strike rule, for example. Stealing rules may be phased in as the season progresses.

This division usually starts at the end of April and runs through the end of June. The division plays approximately 16 games (weather permitting). Games are played on Tuesday nights and Friday nights. Teams could play from 1- 3 games per week due to bye or makeup schedule demands. There are All Star teams that players can be selected to (9u and 10u). These tournaments are in July.

Criteria to play:

All players must at least be 8 years old and no older than 10 years of age.
8 yr old's may try out for the Minor AAA Division. If the 8 year old is not drafted he will return to his existing Minor AA team.
All 9 yr old's coming from Minor AA or new to the league must tryout for Minor AAA.
All star criteria requires 50% of league games played, in addition to all age and residency requirements

The Show

This division is designed to introduce the players to a more competitive brand of baseball and put to use the skills they have learned from the instructional leagues, such as the Minor and Instructional Divisions. The Show players range from 10 to 12 years of age. The number of teams in The Show fluctuates from year to year, depending on the number of new players who sign up, returning Show players and the number of players moving up from the Minors. Depending on the number of teams, there may be two divisions with playoffs.

This division usually starts at the end of April/early May and play approximately 16 games, weather permitting. All games are played on Monday's and Thursday's. Weekends if necessary. There is an end-of-season inter league tournament played for The Show division, seeded from regular season standings. This occurs at the last weekend of June or beginning of July. There is an All Star tournament that players can be selected to. These tournaments usually start around the first week of July.

Criteria to play:

All players must be at least 10 years of age and no older than 12 years of age.
All 10 year old's can try out (they can also elect to stay on the Minor AAA team they were on last year) prior to the season. There is no guarantee a player will be drafted into The Show. If a player is not drafted, he will play in the Minors that season. All other players who have never played in The Show Division (11 & 12 years of age) must try-out prior to the season. Returning players do not have to try-out.
Once you are drafted to a team, you will stay with that team throughout your division career.
To be considered for the All-Star team, besides meeting age and residency rules for regular season, each player must participate in 50% of the league games.

When are Practices?

The Board does not determine or set practice dates, times, duration or locations. These are set by the Team Manager once the teams have been established. Managers are limited to three days per week for practice/games. A Manager can opt to hold up to but no more than three practices during preseason. Once the Season is underway, Managers are limited to one practice per week as the two weekly games constitute two of the three permitted meetings.

What kind of commitment is expected?

You should plan on making a 3 day a week commitment if you register with Lakeland Little League.

Lakeland is an officially chartered Little League program through Williamsport and as such Managers in our program are allowed three (3) official meetings with players per calendar week. This means that in the pre-season a manager may hold practice up to three (3) times a week but no more than three(3) practices a week. When the season starts teams play two (2) games per week. These count as official meetings and as such managers may only hold one (1) practice per week. Managers may hold an additional practice in the event of a rain out or game cancellation. In the event of make-up game the manager can not host a practice the week of the scheduled make-up game.

Are there tryouts for Instructional Division?

No there are no tryouts for the Instructional Division. Lakeland does its very best to form teams according to school district so that athletes get the opportunity to learn the great American past time with friends! This being said there are no guarantees regarding roster assignments.

What equipment will I need to provide for my child?

Equipment requirements vary based on level of play. The list is not comprehensive but will give you a solid foundation to start the year. Please note, metal cleats of any kind are prohibited in all Divisions.

The League will provide the following for all Divisions:
-Catchers Gear
-Uniform and Hat
- Baseball Bats

The following items are a list of items each player could bring in each division, required items needed will be marked as such.

INSTRUCTIONAL BASEBALL
-Baseball Glove (required)
-Athletic Support
-Batting Gloves
-Cleats
-Baseball Bat

AA MINOR DIVISION BASEBALL
-Baseball Glove (required)
-Athletic Support (required for catching)
-Helmet (required WITH facemask)
-Batting Gloves
-Cleats
-Baseball Bat

AAA MINOR DIVISION BASEBALL
-Baseball Glove (required)
-Athletic Support (required for catching)
-Cleats
-Helmet (Required, facemask/shield recommended)
-Batting Gloves
-Baseball Bat

THE SHOW DIVISION BASEBALL
-Baseball Glove (required)
-Athletic Support (required)
-Cleats (required)
-Helmet (required)
-Batting Gloves
-Baseball Bat

JUNIORS DIVISION BASEBALL
-Baseball Glove (required)
-Athletic Support (required)
-Cleats
-Helmet (required)
-Batting Gloves
-Baseball Bat

8U SOFTBALL
-Softball Glove (required)
-Cleats
-Helmet (required with facemask)
-Batting Gloves
-Softball Bat
-Fielding Mask (required for Infield positions)

10U SOFTBALL
-Softball Glove (required)
-Cleats
-Helmet (required with facemask)
-Batting Gloves
-Softball Bat
-Fielding Mask (required for Infield Positions)

12U SOFTBALL
-Softball Glove (required)
-Cleats
-Helmet (required with facemask)
-Batting Gloves
-Softball Bat
-Fielding Mask (required for Infield Corners, HIGHLY recommended for all infield)

14U SOFTBALL
-Softball Glove (required)
-Cleats
-Helmet (required with facemask)
-Batting Gloves
-Softball Bat
-Fielding Mask (HIGHLY recommended for Infield)

What size bat will my Player(s) need?

Choosing the right bat can be difficult! There is no exact science to picking the right bat for your child as bat preference is often unique to the individual. Just about every sporting goods store has a bat chart somewhere on site and usually they will have someone onsite to help you select the right bat. All this being said there are some Little League Bat Rules that you should be aware of.

You can also use the following bat size chart to assist you in your selection:

I want my kid to be on his friends team.

Don't we all? Let's face it playing baseball is fun! In fact, the only thing better than a summer of baseball memories is making those memories with friends! In our Instructional Division, we go to great lengths to ensure that athletes are placed on teams with friends. However, sometimes this is not possible and we have to teach our children/athletes that it's good to meet new people and make new friends! When this happens a good approach to take with your child is to remind them that they already have something in common with every single player in the league, everyone here loves baseball!

In the AA Minors and up teams are formed through a draft. These draft rules are strictly adhered to and there are no guarantees that your child will be placed on a team with his or her friends.

In many respects the best way to teach sportsmanship is by having friends compete against one another! This often lends itself to teaching fair and friendly competition.

Tryouts FAQS:

When are tryouts held?

Tryouts are typically held in early March for both Softball and Baseball.

Can my kids be on the same team?

Absolutely! This is done automatically unless otherwise specified by the parent.

If my child is changing divisions and automatically placed on a team because they have a sibling on that team do they still need to tryout?

Yes they still need to tryout so that they can be given a draft ranking this ensures that team are formed fairly.

I am managing a team does my child have to tryout?

If your child is changing divisions then yes he or she would need to tryout in order to receive a draft ranking.

My child is playing in the same division as last year and rejoining their team. Does my child need to tryout?

No if you are in your second or third year in a division and you wish to stay with your previous team you DO NOT have to tryout again.

Athlete Remediation/Playing Down

What is athlete Remediation

Athlete Remediation is commonly referred to as "playing down" a division. There are a multitude of reasons parents might request that their child be allowed to participate an additional year in a division that they have age out of. Some of the more common are as follows:

I want my child to play on a team with his friends
I feel that my child would benefit from the confidence boost of being the oldest
I am worried that my child is smaller than the other children in this division
I am worried that my child does not have the skill sets necessary to compete at the next level
I am worried that my child can not safely compete at the next level

While all of these items are legitimate concerns for parents athlete safety is Lakeland Little League number one priority. It is important to keep in mind that we have to balance the concern for safety of all our athletes with the benefits gained from athlete remediation. When considering athlete remediation a parent must also consider the following:

Things You Should Consider

Little League age eligibility rules are not based on January 1st (start of the year) December 31st (end of the year). Instead Officially Chartered Little Leagues across the nation base their age eligibility rules in accordance with Williamsport guidelines. Under this structure the year runs from September 1st (beginning of the year to August 31st (end of the year) because of this your child's actual age may be slightly different from their "league age". Frequently this age differential is not isolated to one or two athletes in a division.
Athlete remediation creates an age bubble for the athlete in question. In other words the athlete being remediated will lose a year of eligibility in a subsequent division and perpetuates the issue of the athlete being behind in age appropriate skill development. When remediated the athlete will refine old skills but they will in all likelihood not develop new age appropriate skill sets thus the remediated athlete is not one year behind in terms of skills rather they are two years behind. As the athlete ages and advances through the divisions this skill gap becomes more and more difficult to bridge. For athletes who continually play a year down due to remediation may desire to continue to compete beyond Lakeland Little League at the high school level. These athletes may find themselves competing for a roster spot with the skill sets of a 12 to 14 year old against athletes who have the skill sets of 15 to 16 year olds or better.
Are you more concerned about the new division than your child? Children are not naive. While as a parent your concern surrounding your child's movement from one division to the next comes from a place of caring it is important to consider whether or not your child shares these concerns. As well intentioned as our actions may be it is important to remember that young athletes are very observant. When they are remediated they are frequently very excited to be the "ringer" or the oldest player on the team. This confidence boost, however, is short lived as the athlete begins to realize that a majority of his peers are playing at the next level. As the player realizes this they tend to attribute their success less to hard work and skill development and more to the fact that they are competing against a younger opponent. In the end more often than not a parents effort to boost an athletes confidence through remediation sadly backfires.
Some divisions have restrictions for remediated athletes. For example a common division for athlete remediation requests is the AA Minor level. In the AA Minors 9 year old athletes are prohibited from pitching during competition. The best a 9 year old can hope for is to pitch batting practice in a non competitive setting. This rule was implemented to ensure the safety of all players within that division. It is important to consider the restrictions your child may face due to remediation
Have you explored alternatives to remediation? Frequently an athlete is not a far behind in skill development as the parent might think. All athletes develop at a different pace. It is easy to compare your child to the "ringer" on last years team. It is important to remind yourself that the ringer on a team is the exception and not the norm. Have you considered how your child stacks up against the norm? Would a skills camp be a more appropriate and beneficial experience for your child?
Are you aware that Lakeland Little League will remediate an athlete without parental request? If an athlete demonstrates that he or she lacks the skill sets to safely compete and experience success at the age appropriate level League officials will often suggest remediation to the parent. In this scenario the parent can either accept the suggestion or request that the athlete play in the age appropriate division. The advantage to this course of action is that league officials can often more readily weigh the pros and cons of remediation and often do so only if the benefit to the athlete is greater than the potential hurdles doing so creates down the road.

Remediation Process

In the interest of safety, fairness, and transparency Lakeland Little League has implemented the following process that must be followed for player remediation. This objective of this process is to first and foremost to ensure the safety of all players. Second to that objective is to ensure fair play and third transparency. The end goal for remediation is to equip the athlete with the skill necessary to be competitive at the next level of play. As stated above the remediated athlete will need to bridge additional skill gaps in order to make the transition from one division to the next. As such transparency is necessary so that the athletes needs can be properly identified and the appropriate course of action can be implemented to ensure the maximum potential for success now and in the future. The remediation process is as follows:

The parent or guardian notifies a league official of their desire for athlete remediation
The parent attends a board meeting to answer questions regarding their request
The athlete must then register (if they haven't already) and tryout for the age appropriate division unless otherwise specified by the board
At the draft managers will be notified of the request for remediation and the leagues intent to grant that request unless a manager feels that they saw something that they could work with and is willing to use a draft pick in order to roster the athlete. In this event the parent can accept the roster assignment or insist on remediation. This step also provides the league with an opportunity to gather a consensus on necessary skill development managers in the age appropriate division would like to see developed or refined in order for the athlete to experience success at the age appropriate level of competition. This information can then be provided to the manager of the remediated athlete.

Questions You Should be Prepared to Answer

Why are you requesting to play down?
Has the manager of last years team suggested that your child play down?
Are you aware of and have you carefully considered the ramifications of remediation?
What is your primary objective that you hope to accomplish through remediation?
Have you carefully weighed the pros and cons of remediation with that of your expressed objective?
Are you aware of alternatives to achieve your objective other than remediation?
Have you given these alternatives careful consideration?
What if anything is keeping you from further exploration of those alternatives?

What days are game days?

Note: The times listed are game start times and are subject to change

All athletes should arrive thirty (30) minutes before game start time.

Baseball games typically start the third week in April with the regular season ending the second week of June. We then have an end of Season tournament which extends the season into the first week of July. Ideally we try to wrap-up before the 4th of July!

Softball games typically start in early May. Regular season will wrap up around mid-July, with the end of season Tournament extending play until the end of July. Ideally we try to wrap up the softball season prior to the start of August.