Where can I register? You can only register online. Please click on the "Registration" tab and follow the instructions. All prior registration information has been transferred to our new website. Therefore, if your child played Scarsdale Little League in the Spring, 2012 season, simply enter your email address and the system will send you a new password to access your member information. Otherwise, you must create a new account. All payments must be made by credit card.
When can I register? Registration will remain open until Friday, January 18, 2013, after which late fees will apply. Registration will be closed on Friday, January 25, 2013. Late registrants are subject to a $50 late fee.
What program should I register for? Please see the tab entitled "League Description."
What’s new for the 2013 season? There are several changes that are carried over from last year that will expand the depth, variety and tradition of the program. These changes have been made after great discussion, analysis and consideration by the Scarsdale Little League board. We are excited for the future of baseball in Scarsdale. We have returned to our roots by restoring a dedicated 4th grade league and transitioning the Pacific/Atlantic leagues back to 5th and 6th grades. There are no changes to the programs for K, 1st, 2nd or 3rd grades. Our prior National/American leagues (which included some 6th grade players and all 7th and 8th grade players) now consist of just 7th and 8th grade players in one in-house league known as Junior League. Travel teams also will be formed for this age group. The precise number of teams formed will be determined after registration closes.
A number of age-based travel teams will now be offered to players in 5th through 8th grades and provide an outlet for kids who seek a more advanced and competitive baseball experience. 5th and 6th grade players who choose to play travel will be required to actively participate in the in-house SLL program (Atlantic/Pacific) while 7th and 8th graders will be given the opportunity, but will not be required, to play in the 7th and 8th grade Junior League. They will be offered the opportunity to "Opt-in" or "Opt-Out" of Junior League at the time of registration. Feedback from Junior League last year was good, so we encourage all to participate.
Tryouts will determine eligibility for the various travel teams as well as participation in the Atlantic League. Please click on the "Tryouts" tab to learn more about tryouts, when they are scheduled and how they will be conducted.
What's with the new website? We have upgraded! We are pleased to introduce this new website, which should offer us much more functionality with regard to communication, scheduling and team formation. One key feature of the new website allows parents to opt in and out of reminders for games and practices. Parents also will have better control over the contact information that we maintain for parents and players. We encourage you to update contact information for you and your ball players as this information will be used by your coaches once teams are formed.
Must my child try out?All 5th and 6th grade players MUST try out if they would like to play in the Atlantic League and ALL 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade players interested in being considered for a travel team also must attend tryouts. Due to Village of Scarsdale policy, no player in a grade lower than 5th grade will be permitted to try out for, or participate on, a travel team, even if their age and ability might otherwise make participation possible.
When are try outs? We have scheduled tryouts earlier than usual this year to allow enough time to make teams, pair teams with coaches and order and distribute all uniforms and equipment. Tryout dates are Sunday, January 27, 2013 from 7 - 11 PM and Sunday, February 10, 2013 from 7 - 11 PM. All players should arrive at least 30 minutes early to register. In addition, all players who try out must try out on BOTH dates. Further information about these dates and tryouts will follow. See the "Tryout Information" tab for more information.
Are Scarsdale's travel teams organized by grade or by age?Where will travel games be held?We're excited to report that Scarsdale Little League's travel program has been expanded. We will now field age-based teams at the 11U (i.e. 11 and under), 12U and 13U levels, all of which will be professionally coached and entered in an age-based Westchester County travel league whose member teams are primarily from Southern Westchester. Assignments to Scarsdale travel teams will occur after tryouts end and will be based on player birth dates and tryout results. Please note that due to Village of Scarsdale policy, no player in a grade lower than 5th grade will be permitted to try out for, or participate on, a travel team, even if their age and ability might otherwise make participation possible.
We expect that many players will be placed on a travel team with players from their grade, but that will not be universally true. In our experience, players grouped by skill will have a far better and more rewarding travel season than those grouped primarily by grade.
Travel teams require a higher level of commitment than teams in our in-house leagues. Those who accept a spot on a travel team are expected to attend practices and games. Those who have regular conflicts with travel practices or games should consult the league before registering for a travel team.
As for the location of games, in past years, many travel teams from other towns have been club teams without reliable access to their town fields, so more games than usual have been played in Scarsdale. We're not certain whether that will be true this year, but we expect that trend to continue.
I see that Junior League is now one integrated league, and that it no longer contains American and National divisions. Will this year's Junior League be structured along the lines of the more competitive American League from past years, the less competitive National League, or something else? Since this year's Junior League contains only 7th and 8th grade players (prior years' American and National Leagues contained 6th grade players as well), we will use prior years' more competitive American League format. This means that we will play on the larger American League field (75' base paths and 52' pitching mound) and use true baseball rules, including full leading and stealing and the balk rule. Since this league is the culmination of the Scarsdale Little League experience, we feel it is essential to transition Junior League players to full baseball rules, which is how baseball is played in higher grades for those who choose to continue with the sport.
When does the season start? Practices will start during the first week of April, 2012. Opening Day is Saturday, April 13th.
When will I hear about my team assignment? Your manager will be in touch with you when teams have been formed, which will occur shortly after registation closes and tryouts take place. Players who try out for the 5th/6th grade Atlantic League or for travel teams will hear about tryout results before they are assigned to a team.
When will my team play? Until final schedules are made, we won't have all details, although your child's schedule will work more or less as set forth on the "Basic Schedule Guideline" tab to the left. Once final schedules are made, you can click on the "Master Schedule" tab to the left for specific information on your child's game and practice schedule.
When will we receive a uniform? What components of a uniform will Scarsdale Little League supply? Please refer to the "Uniforms/Equipment" tab for more information on uniforms.
I heard that some bats are illegal. Is this true? How do I know if my child's bat is legal? Please refer to the "Uniforms/Equipment" tab for more information on legal and illegal bats.
How do I register to manage or coach a team? When you log on to your account at www.scarsdalelittleleague.com, you should see player as well as parent information. By registering as a parent, you will have the chance to indicate your interest in managing or coaching a team. Please be sure to do so since we use registration information to determine who is interested in becoming a team manager or coach.
What is the difference between a manager and a coach? A manager is the head coach of a team. This individual controls matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. The manager reports to the grade coordinator and is also responsible for team communication, practice schedule, uniforms, equipment, etc. He/she may designate a coach to handle some or all of these duties.
Coaches assist managers in the smooth functioning of a team. A coach, like a manager, wears a team shirt and hat provided by the League to all events. A team's manager may elect to recruit parents to assist with practices, games, base coaching, etc. or to function as an assistant coach should the need arise. However, assistant coaches will not be issued a team uniform or cap.
Can I request a particular manager or coach for my child? First, we won't know who managers or coaches will be until we receive all applications from volunteer managers and coaches and selections are made. Second, the distribution of players, especially at the higher levels, is made with the intention of balancing teams competitively. While we will take requests for pairing with a particular manager or coach into account, our primary goal is the balancing of teams to make certain that all are competitive and, as near as possible, have an equal chance of success. Unbalanced teams and leagues breed unhappiness and discontent -- a result that we're anxious to avoid.
Where can my child practice over the winter? In January, 2012, for the first time, Scarsdale Little League hosted a winter workout program that was made available to all interested players in the 6th - 8th grades, although the program is limited in size because of the complexities of training large groups. The winter 2012 program included 31 players. We expanded our winter workout program for winter 2012/2013 to include the 5th - 8th grades and so far we've signed up more than 50 players. The league will consider expanding this program further in subsequent years if demand continues to grow. However, anyone can take batting practice at one of the many facilities in our area which have batting cages (i.e. ball machines in a "cage" which deliver baseballs to batters at designated speeds). Some of the better-known facilities, including links to their websites, can be found under the "Development/Training" tab to the left. Batting cages are fun and a great way to develop hitting skills in the off-season.
