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WHY PLAY LITTLE LEAGUE!
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It’s affordable
– Fee
schedule is attached. We believe in low fees so leagues have more
money in their fund to deal with important items such as operating
costs, equipment, and safer facilities!
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It’s easy
– Chartering
with Little League is really very simple. For many leagues, the
chartering process takes less than two weeks.
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The World Series
– A true World Series is played in four divisions of baseball and
four divisions of softball. Making it to the granddaddy of all youth
sports world championships, the Little League Baseball World Series
in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, happens to 16 communities around the
world each year.
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Instant
recognition
– The words “Little League” have symbolized the very best in youth
sports for more than six decades. Little League is played in more
than 70 countries, and all 50 U.S. states. This year, 40 Little
League Baseball and Softball games of the International Tournament
will be televised nationally on ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC. No other youth
sports organization comes close.
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Little League
pays YOU for travel
– Once you advance, all expenses are paid by Little League to travel
to Canadian Championships as well as World Series for a nominal
entry fee.
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Insurance
– as a province we receive a preferred rate.
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Coaches Kit
-Included in Alberta's Charter Fee rates, all Little League teams
receive a coaching kit filled with a coaching manual, rule books,
scorebook, individual passports and contracts for each player and
other pertinent information for each team. Additional kits are
available for a nominal fee.
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Always on duty
– Little League has a free, full-time rules interpretation service
by telephone and e-mail.
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Training
– Little
League offers clinics and seminars at various locations around the
country each year for league officers, managers/coaches, and
umpires.
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Rule changes
– Through the Little League International Congress, local league
volunteers have a democratic voice in changes to the rules and
regulations.
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Challenger
Division
– Little League has a Challenger Division for physically and
mentally challenged players, giving every child a chance to be a
Little Leaguer.
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Boundary
protection
– No Little
League program can “raid” players from another Little League
program. In fact, the same rules and regulations apply to all
chartered Little Leagues worldwide.
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A healthy
combination
– At its core, the purpose of Little League is to provide a safe,
fun, wholesome combination of recreation and competition to players
ages 5-18 through regular season play among local teams. For those
players whose skills are more advanced, the Little League
International Tournament provides the largest sports tournament in
the world, with more than 40,000 games played each summer on the
road to the various World Series tournaments. (Compare this to
“travel ball” or “elite teams” for which parents pay exorbitant
amounts of money, and players get burned out.)
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Education
programs
– Little League offers a variety of easy-to-implement programs for
local leagues that help keep children safe, and make the game more
fun for everyone: A Safety Awareness Program (ASAP), and the Little
League Manager/Coach Education Program, just to name two.
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Child protection
– Through the innovative Little League Child Protection Program,
Little League was the first national youth sports organization (and
remains the ONLY national youth baseball/softball organization) to
mandate background checks on managers, coaches and other key
volunteers. But it doesn’t stop with a mandate. Little League
provides leagues with advice on how to perform the checks simply,
and affordably (free, in most cases).
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Support
Organizations -
Little League
offers many levels of support. Starting at the League level where
the President and his/her Board operate the league as they desire
within the general parameters of the program. Close by, the
District Administrator and his/her staff, are there to ensure each
league has all their concerns and questions answered in a timely
fashion. The District Administrator also operates and oversees the
playoffs in each District. Little League Alberta offers programs
and support for all of the leagues in the Province. Little League
Canada coordinates all National business, including the travel for
all teams to National Championships. Little League, Inc. provides a
successful infrastructure to oversee the entire program worldwide.
All of these groups provide excellent support to make each player in
the program receive a memorable and satisfying experience.
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House &
All-Star League Divisions |
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T-Ball |
Tee Ball
Baseball is for boys and girls 5-6 years old (with a local
option for 7- and/or 8-year-olds) who want to learn the
fundamentals of hitting and fielding. |
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Coach Pitch
AAA
AA |
Minor League
Baseball programs for boys and girls may be operated within each
division for younger players with less experience. The minor
league may be players ages 7-12. Divisions may be established
within the Minor League for "machine pitch," "coach pitch" or
"AAA." By local option, a player who is league age 6 for the
current season and has played a year in Tee Ball may be "moved
up" to a coach pitch division. A local league might have its
7-8-year-olds in the Minor League Coach Pitch Division, while
its 9-10-year-olds are in the Minor League AAA Division.
However, by local option, some of the 9-year-olds could "play
down" in the coach pitch division, and some of the 8-year-olds
could "play up." This is entirely the choice of the local league
board of directors. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and
the pitching distance is 46 feet. For the AAA & AA programs
the Prairie Division offers tournament play in an All-Star
format for each division in the months of July and August. |
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Major |
Is for boys
and girls ages 9-12. A local league may choose to limit its
Major Division to 10, 11 and 12-year-olds, or 11-12-year-olds.
The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance
is 46 feet. The local league has an option to choose a
Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 11-12-year-olds from within
this division including from the AA Division as well. All
chartered 11-12 year old players are eligible for Major All-Star
play. All expenses for the teams advancing to the Canadian
Championship and World Series (travel, meals and housing) are
paid by Little League Baseball. |
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Junior
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Is a program
for boys and girls ages 13-14, using a conventional 90-foot
diamond with a pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. (A
modified diamond is available during the regular season.) The
local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All
Stars") of 13-14-year-olds from within this division including
from the Junior AA Division as well. All chartered 13-14 year
old players are eligible for Junior All-Star play. All expenses
for the teams advancing to the Canadian Championship and World
Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League
Baseball. |
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Junior AA
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Is a program
for boys and girls ages 13-14-15, using a conventional 80-foot.
This division was setup for those players whose skill level is
not as developed as players that are high performance. For the
Junior AA program the Prairie Division offers tournament play in
an All-Star format in the months of July and August.
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Senior |
Is for boys
and girls 14-16 years old, using a conventional 90-foot diamond
with a pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. The local league
has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of
14-16-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within
the Junior League or Big League divisions). All chartered 14-16
year old players are eligible for Senior All-Star play. All
expenses for the teams advancing to the Canadian Championship
and World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little
League Baseball. |
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Big League |
Is for boys
and girls 16-18 years old, using a conventional 90-foot diamond
with a pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. The local league
has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of
16-18-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within
the Senior League division). All chartered 14-16 year old
players are eligible for Senior All-Star play. All expenses for
the teams advancing to the Canadian Championship and World
Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League
Baseball. |
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House League
Basics |
House league
baseball and softball are played in all divisions. Standard
house league season runs from the beginning of May to the end of
June. During this time there are a number of invitational
tournaments held throughout the province for each division.
These tournaments are to enhance the house league program by
allowing players from various areas to get together and have a
tournament. The teams are the regular rostered team from the
house league program with usually picking up 3 or 4 additional
players for the tournament. Little League in Alberta is looking
at the option of extended House League in the summer for
communities who desire such an option . |
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All-Stars |
Each league
may draft an All-Star team from all players within there house
league program in all divisions, These teams may only be
drafted and commence practicing after June 15 for the upcoming
All-Star season. Teams drafted in AAA, AA & Junior AA will be
eligible to play for a Prairie Division Championship. Teams
drafted in Major, Junior, Senior and Big League will play for a
District Championship with the winner advancing to the Prairie
Championships and the winner of Prairie Championships advancing
to the Canadian Championships and the Canadian winner advancing
to the World Series. Also at this time from July through August
there are a number of tournaments both before and after District
and Prairies tournaments. |
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Summer
Baseball |
Little League
Alberta is doing a comprehensive adaptation of our summer
baseball program with a renewed emphasis on community ball. The
Provincial Championship structure will be modified as well to
put a special emphasis on rural communities and the kids they
have that desire to play baseball through the summer. Details
on this exciting initiative will be released in the coming
weeks. |
HOUSE LEAGUE
Fees:
District
Assessment:
Per Player Up to $10.00
Little League Alberta Marketing
Fee: Per League
$200.00
Little League Alberta/Canada Team Fees
T-Ball $25.00 per team
(Includes a LLA Coaching Kit for each team)
Minor $45.00 per team
Major $45.00 per team
Junior $50.00 per team
Senior $50.00 per team
Big League $55.00 per team
League
Insurance:
Per Player Approximately $1.50 to $1.75 per player plus
optional coverages
ALL-STARS
Fees:
District
Assessment::
Per Team Up to $150.00
Little League Canada Team
Fees
Major $200.00 per team
Junior $200.00 per team
Senior $200.00 per team
Big League $200.00 per team
Little League Canada Team Fees Divisional
Major $350.00 per team
Junior $350.00 per team
Senior $350.00 per team
Big League $350.00 per team
Little League Canada National Tournament Entry Fees
Major $625.00 per team
(Transportation Paid by Little League Canada)
Junior $625.00 per team
(Little League Alberta subsidizes these fees)
Senior $625.00 per team
Big League $1125.00 per team
NOTE: In addition to the low fees charged above, Little League Canada
offers an additional discount of $10 for T-Ball, $30 for Minor, $5 for
Major, $10 for Junior and Senior, and $15 for Big League to any new
leagues registering for the first time. |