LEAGUES

Click here to check on the official Little League age for participants.

Check the list below to see the division for which this candidate is eligible in the current season.

Tolland* Specific Leagues Information

*For Little League General League Descriptions visit the Little League Website

Baseball Divisions

T-Ball/Rookie/A-Divisions (Between Ages 5-8)

T-Ball Division – Instructional is for five-year-olds to become acquainted with some of baseball’s basics. We ask that parents consider their child’s readi-ness for baseball. Some children are not ready for the slower pace of baseball and become easily distracted. Although coaches make every effort to maintain participation and safety standards, a child who is not physically or socially ready could injure himself or another child. For this reason, we require a parent to remain present at all practices.  T-Ball typically meets only once a week on Saturday mornings.

Rookie Division – Rookie Division is for players age six. Live pitching by coaches with a softer safety ball is used at this level. At this level, all players will work on skill development with an emphasis on teamwork at a non-competitive level.

A-Division – A-Division is for players who are seven and eight years of age. This level will include batting against pitching machine.  This level will have more emphasis on the rules of the game to prepare them for the next Division (AA).

Majors/AAA/AA Divisions (Between Ages 9-12)

Majors Division – All teams will be re-drafted each year; therefore all players interested in playing in Majors must try out, including those players who played in Majors last year. If you do not try out, you cannot play in the Majors Division. This year’s 11 and 12-year-olds that played on a Majors team last year are guaranteed to be on a Majors team this year but not necessarily on the same team. In order to maintain a competitive bal-ance among the Majors teams, requests for players to be placed on teams with friends or with specific coaches cannot be accepted.

AAA Division – For 11-year-olds not drafted by the Majors; and for 10-year-olds who are not ready for the Majors or who tried out for Majors but were not selected. Nine-year-olds are eligible for AAA, but must try out during the scheduled times.

AA Division – This is the entry level Division for “competitive” baseball. Half of each game is pitched by machine, half by players. The goal is fewer bases on balls, fewer strikeouts, more balls put into play, with more field-ing opportunities. The players in this Division are 10-year-olds not selected for AAA and 9-year-olds. Parents of 8-year-olds who want to play AA should contact the AA Director. Also, 7-year-olds are NOT permitted to tryout for AA.

Junior/Senior & Legion Divisions (Between Ages 13-19)

Junior League is comprised of 13 to 15 year olds,  honing their skills before going to the next level. The season starts in late April and ends in mid-June. There is an All-Star team that can play through July.

Senior League is 15-16-year-olds. It starts in June and ends early July. There is also an All-Star team at this level and you can possibly play through August. Both teams will again play in the District 8 league. It will consist of home and away games in surrounding towns.

American Legion Program is designed for older, more serious ballplayers and our team is made up of players from Tolland, Stafford, Willington, and Ashford. In 2005, Legion extended the age requirement to include 19-year-olds. This year’s team will mostly be made up of players ages 17-19, but younger players are encouraged to try out. If there is enough interest, we may field a Junior Legion team for players ages 14-17. The Legion season begins in early June and extends through early August. We may play as many as 35 games, meaning players can expect to practice or play 5 to 6 nights per week during the season. Tryouts will be scheduled for late May.

Challenger Division

Challenger Baseball is a division that allows physically and mentally challenged individuals to participate in the national pastime. Eligibility is for players between the ages of 6 to 18 years, or the completion of high school. Participation in a team sport, skill development, and fun are the goals of this division. With each player being assisted by an indi-vidual, on-field Buddy, players are helped to whatever degree needed to achieve their own success. This is a great chance for handicapped individuals of Little League age to truly take part in the fun of baseball.

Softball Divisions

Instructional Softball (ages 5-6) Instructional is for children to become acquainted with some of softball basics. We ask that parents consider their child’s readi-ness for softball. Some children are not ready for the slower pace of softball and become easily distracted. Although coaches make every effort to maintain participation and safety standards, a child who is not physically or socially ready could injure herself or another child. For this reason, we require a parent to remain present at all practices.  This division will meet once a week on Saturday mornings for practice/games.

Farm Softball (ages 7-8) Farm Softball is a developmental league with the emphasis on softball skills and techniques. Softball pitching with be taught and practiced but coaches will pitch during the games.

Minors Softball (ages 9-10) The Minors is an entry level division for “competitive” softball. Girls continue to develop their individual skills while learning more about team play. Games will be played against in-town teams as well as some from neighboring towns.

Majors Softball (ages 11-12) The Majors is a more competitive division with increased emphasis on team strategies and individual skills. We field 2 to 3 in-town teams and also participate in a multi-town league.

Juniors Softball (ages 13-14) The Juniors is a league for the older girls who want to increase their skill level and enjoy playing on a team with their friends. We participate in a multi-town league and even play some night games “under the lights”.

The Tolland Summer Softball Program is a great program to play in for girls looking to continue their softball training throughout the summer or to just play in a competitive league with their friends. Tolland currently has three teams (U12, U14, and U16) that play in the Northern Connecticut Girls Softball League (NCGSL). The NCGSL is an ASA league with ASA certified umpires and is more competitive than recreational softball and a great place for girls wishing to step up their game. These girls play against other towns including Ellington, Vernon, South Windsor, Glastonbury, Canton, Suffield, and many others. The teams also play in a tournament at the end of the season and have two players that play in an All-Star game.