RIVERSIDE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL, P.O. BOX 3, RIVERSIDE, IL 60546

• or drop in them off at the Riverside Parks and Recreation Department office now open at the Water Tower, 10 Pine Avenue between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday.
• Registration is open only to Riverside residents.

• Which division will my child play in?
  • Little League leagues are based on age eligibility standards set by Little League International.  Little League International’s Age Determination Dates for 2008 are as follows:
    • Baseball & Tee Ball - Player’s age as of April 30, 2008
    • Softball - Player’s age as of December 31, 2007
  • The following is a list of the team divisions:
    • Girls & Boys Tee Ball (age 5)
    • Girls & Boys Tee Ball (age 6) 
    • Girls Jr. Minors (ages 7-8)
    • Boys Jr. Minors (ages 7-8)
    • Girls Minors (ages 9-10)
    • Boys Minors (ages 9-10)
    • Girls Majors (ages 11-12)
    • Boys Majors (ages 10-11-12)
    • Girls Juniors (ages 13-14)

• My child will be starting Kindergarten in September 2008 - can he/she play Tee Ball this season?
  
  
  • If your son or daughter will be 5 years old on or before April 30, 2008, then you may register them to play Tee Ball.  If not, your child is not age eligible to play Tee Ball this year. There are no exceptions.

• How does my child “Play Up” a level?

o        In an effort to help players enjoy their Little League experience at the appropriate skill level, upon written request from the Parent/Guardian submitted with the Player Application the Little League Board will evaluate requests to “play up” to the next Division on a case-by-case basis.  The decision is based upon certain league criteria that include, but are not limited to, age, skill level and league numbers.  You will be notified of the Board’s decision prior to the Spring draft.

• When does the 2008 season begin?
  • Baseball and Softball teams are formed in late February or early March and are announced in March
  • Tee Ball teams are formed in late March or early April and are announced in April
  • A Spring Training Day will be held in April for all players - the date will announced
  • Baseball and Softball Practices begin in late April (weather dependent)
  • Tee Ball practice begins in late April and games begin in early May but are scheduled around the use of the Hauser field for school events
  • Regular Season Games start in late April/early May and end before July 4^th
  • Uniforms are distributed to the teams on or before the 1^st regular season game

• Which teams play where?
  • All Riverside Little League divisions, except Tee Ball, may have games scheduled with teams from other towns.  This is dependent on the number of players/teams at each division level in Riverside and in other towns in Illinois Little League District 9.  If games are scheduled with other town leagues, some of the games may take place in those other towns.
  • Tee ball games are normally held at Hauser Jr. High but occasionally games are held at the other Riverside baseball diamonds.
  • Baseball
    • Junior Minors normally play at the Harrington South field with occasional games at either of the Indian Gardens fields
    • Minors play at Indian Gardens (River Field)
    • Majors play at Indian Gardens (Road Field)
  • Softball
    • Junior Minors play at Harrington North
    • Minors play at Harrington North
    • Majors play at Big Ball Park
    • Juniors play at Big Ball Park

• What is the schedule like?
  • Tee Ball, Baseball and Softball teams play a 14 to 20 regular season schedule. Number of games is dependent upon available dates and number of teams in each league.
  • Playoff games may be scheduled after the regular season at the Minor and Major levels.
  • Games cancelled because of rain or field conditions may or may not be rescheduled.  This is dependent on the number of games each team has had cancelled, field availability, whether a game has playoff implications, etc.
  • Teams will normally have 1 weeknight and 1 weekend game every week.  Occasionally a team will have a second weeknight game or weekend game.
  • Baseball and Softball games held in Riverside are typically scheduled at about 6 p.m. M-F; 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays; and 12:30 p.m.& 3:00 pm on Sundays.  Every effort is made not to schedule games on Sundays.  These games typically last 90 to 120 minutes.
  • Games played in other towns may be played under lights and may start as late as 8:00 pm.
  • Tee Ball games begin at 6:30 on weeknights and 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm on Saturdays.  These games normally last 60 to 75 minutes.
  • Every effort is made to schedule around known conflicts that affect large numbers of children in a particular league such as school shows & 1^st Communions but the league cannot avoid them all.

• Is it possible to have my children’s games scheduled at certain times?
  • No.

• Why are some games held late at night?
  • We have a short season, unpredictable weather and a limited number of fields. There are times when games are scheduled late into the evening and sometimes on Sundays (particularly if played outside of Riverside). It is our intention to have games for the youngest players start and end earliest in the evening and to reserve the later night game time slots for older players. We appreciate your understanding.

• Are there All Star teams?
  • Yes there are two types. 
    • First type are In-Town All Stars for baseball and softball at the Jr. Minor and Minor levels.  2 teams are selected for each level and play against each other on the 4^th of July.
    • Second type are Travel All Star teams.  These are normally selected by age, 8 through 12.  These teams will play in Little League International tournaments as well as other events.  Play in these events is funded partially by RLL and the players involved.  Play in this events may extend into late July or early August.

• What equipment will my child need before the first practice ?
  • Players should arrive at their first practice with a glove, wearing clothes that are allowed to be muddied and rubber molded cleats.
    
    
• What equipment does the league provide?
  • The league provides a uniform consiting of a hat, jersey, socks and pants.  The league also provides gear for catchers, batting helmets, balls, bats, etc. However, many children bring their own bats for personal use. Many players use a baseball bag to transport bats, batting gloves, water bottles, gloves or mitts and other items.

• How many players are on a team.
  • Every effort is made to limit Tee Ball teams to 11 player and the other levels to 12 players. 

• Why do we "draft" players and how is it done?
  • The draft is intended to equally distribute players of all abilities to the teams in any given division.  The draft gives the volunteer coaches the opportunity to pick their teams.  Sometimes choices are made based on players known to the coach and at other times the coach is guided by player skills rankings that are collected at the end of the prior season (no rankings are applicable for Tee Ball).  The draft is conducted in a manner that gives each team the chance to select players on a rotational or other even handed basis.  Specific draft rules are discussed by the Player Agent with the coaches for a particular division.  Every player is selected to a team and once assigned to a team the order of selection is irrelevant.  The draft is done in an atmosphere of good sportsmanship and in a positive neighborly way.

• Contact the Riverside Little League by clicking here.