Here is a list of frequently asked questions. If you do not see your question answered here, please email us.
ABOUT RIVERSIDE LITTLE LEAGUE
What is Riverside Little League?
Who can register to play in Riverside Little League?
Is Riverside Little League affiliated with any club/travel baseball or softball organizations?
REGISTRATION AND TEAM INFORMATION
When is registration?
In which division will my child play?
How does my child "Play Down" or “Play Up” a level?
What are the key dates for the 2020 season?
Which teams play where?
What is the schedule like?
Is it possible to have my children’s games scheduled at certain times?
Is it possible to have my children’s practices scheduled at certain times?
Is it possible to have my child placed a team with a friend?
Why are some games held late at night?
Are there All Star teams?
What equipment will my child need before the first practice?
What equipment does the league provide?
How many players are on a team?
Why do we "draft" players and how is it done?
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
Who can volunteer for Riverside Little League?
What volunteer opportunities are available?
How do I apply to volunteer to coach or help with my child’s team?
What is the process for becoming an approved volunteer?
If I have coached in past seasons, am I automatically allowed to coach this season or in future seasons?
Why was my volunteer application denied?
OTHER INFORMATION
What if I have questions that have not been addressed here?
What is Riverside Little League?
Riverside Little League (RLL) is chartered member of Little League International since 1953. We are a member of the Great Lakes Region, Illinois District 9. District 9 is comprised of the following organizations:
- Berwyn Little League
- Brookfield Little League
- La Grange Little League
- La Grange Park Little League
- Lyons McCook Little League
- Lyons Township Little League
- North Riverside Little League
- Riverside Little League
- South Cicero American Little League
- Stickney Little League
- Western Springs Little League
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Who can register to play in Riverside Little League?Players who meet the age requirements and meet one of the two following residency requirements:
- Reside with a parent or guardian in Riverside, Illinois
- Attend a school located in Riverside, Illinois
- Ames
- Blythe Park
- Building Blocks Preschool
- Central
- Hauser
- Riverside - Brookfield HS
- Riverside Presbyterian Preschool
- St. Mary
- Tallgrass Sudbury School
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Is Riverside Little League affiliated with any club/travel baseball or softball organizations?
No.
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When is registration?
Registration for 2022 Riverside Little League Tee Ball, Pee Wee, Baseball and Softball is currently open. Please note the registration deadline is March 15,2024. Register at www.riversidell.com.
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In which division will my child play?
Use these Charts to determine the child's Little League age:
RLL leagues are based on age eligibility standards set by Little League International. The following is a list of the team divisions and ages:
- Girls & Boys Tee Ball (age 4-5)
- Girls & Boys Pee Wee (age 6)
- Softball Jr. Minors (ages 7-8)
- Baseball Jr. Minors (ages 7-8)
- Softball Minors (ages 9-10)
- Baseball Minors (ages 9-10)
- Softball Majors (ages 11-12)
- Baseball Majors (ages 11-12)
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How does my child “Play Down" or "Play Up” a level?
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 RLL Board will evaluate requests to "play down" or “play up” to the next division on a case-by-case basis. The decision is based upon criteria that include, but are not limited to age, skill level and league registration.
Parents should register players in their age appropriate division and request a Play Down or Play Up during the registration process. The Board will notify parents of our decision prior to the Spring draft. Parents are expected to pay the fees of the division in which their child is playing, which means RLL will issue refunds for granted Play Down requests and parents will have to pay the division difference for granted Play Up requests.
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What are the key dates for the 2024 season?
Tee Ball
- Teams are formed in mid April are announced in early May.
- Practices begin in early May
- Game schedules will be available in mid-May
- Games begin in early May but are scheduled around the use of the TBD field
- The season ends in mid-June.
Pee Wee
- Teams are formed in late March or Early April
- Practices begin in mid-to-late April.
- Game schedules will be available in late April or early May.
- Games begin in late April or early May.
- The season ends in late June.
Baseball
- Teams are formed in late March or Early April
- Indoor practices may take place in Feb/March
- Outdoor practices begin as soon as the fields are playable, usually in April.
- Game schedules will be available in mid-April.
- Regular season games start mid-April and run through June.
- In-town playoff games begin on or around June 20th
- In-town All-Star game takes place on July 4.
- Little League International district games begin around July 4.
Softball
- Teams are formed in late March or Early April
- Outdoor practices begin as soon as the fields are playable, usually in April.
- Game schedules will be available in mid-April.
- Regular season games start mid-April and run through June.
- Little League International district games begin the last week of June
- In-town All-Star game takes place on July 4.
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Which teams play where?
Games are typically held at specific fields. From time to time, these games may be moved to accommodate other events or make-up schedules.
Tee Ball
Pee Wee
- Games are held at Harrington Park North
Baseball
- Junior Minors play at Harrington South field
- Minors play at Indian Gardens (River Field)
- Majors play at Indian Gardens (Road Field)
- Juniors play at Indian Gardens (Road Field)
- Note: All Riverside Little League Baseball divisions 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.
Softball
- Junior Minors play at Harrington North
- Minors play at Big Ball Park
- Majors play at Big Ball Park
- Juniors play at Big Ball Park
- Note: All Riverside Little League Softball divisions 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.
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What is the schedule like?
Tee Ball
- Teams play 14 to 16 games per season; the exact number of games is dependent upon available dates and number of teams in each league.
- Teams will normally have 1 weeknight and 1 weekend game every week. Occasionally a team will have a second weeknight game or weekend game.
- Games begin at 6:00 pm on weeknights and anytime after 9:00 am on Saturdays. These games normally last 60 to 75 minutes.
Pee Wee
- Teams play 14 to 16 games per season; the exact number of games is dependent upon available dates and number of teams in each league.
- Teams will normally have 1 weeknight and 1 weekend game every week. Occasionally a team will have a second weeknight game or weekend game.
- Games begin at 6:00 on weeknights and anytime after 9:00 am on Saturdays. These games normally last 60 to 75 minutes. There may be occasional Sunday afternoon games.
Baseball
- Teams play a 16 to 20 regular season schedule; the exact number of games is dependent upon available dates and number of teams in each league.
- In-town playoff games will take place at the conclusion of the regular season, will begin on or around June 20th and last about 10 days.
- Teams will normally have 1 weeknight and 1 weekend game every week. Occasionally a team will have a second weeknight game or weekend game.
- Games held in Riverside typically begin at 6:00 pm on weeknights and anytime after 9:00 am on Saturdays. 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.
Softball
- Teams play a 16 to 20 regular season schedule; the exact number of games is dependent upon available dates and number of teams in each league.
- Season runs through the end of June.
- Teams will normally have 1 weeknight and 1 weekend game every week. Occasionally a team will have a second weeknight game or weekend game.
- Games held in Riverside typically begin at 6:00 pm on weeknights and anytime after 9:00 am on Saturdays. There may be occasional Sunday afternoon games. 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.
Every effort is made to schedule around known conflicts affecting large numbers of children in a particular league, such as school shows, religious events, community events, etc.
When games are canceled because of rain or field conditions, they may or may not be rescheduled. This decision is dependent on the number of games each team has had canceled, field availability, whether a game has in-town playoff implications, etc.
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Is it possible to have my children’s games scheduled at certain times?
No.
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Is it possible to have my children’s practices scheduled at certain times?
No.
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Is it possible to have my child placed a team with a friend?
Unfortunately, no. To make the process as fair as possible, we do not take requests for kids to be on specific teams (including with friends), because we try to make sure the teams are balanced from an age/experience/skills perspective.
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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.
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Are there All Star teams?
Yes, there are two types of All-Star teams.
- In-Town All Star teams are selected for baseball and softball. Two teams are selected for each level and play against each other on the 4th of July.
- Little League International All Star teams (also known as District teams) are normally selected for ages 10 through 14. These teams will play in Little League International tournaments as well as other events. Play in these events is funded by RLL. Play in these events may extend into late July or late-August culminating with the Little League World Series. Players must commit to be available through the end of play.
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What equipment will my child need before the first practice?
Players should arrive at their first practice with a glove, batting helmet with protective guard or face mask(softball) and bat. Players should wear clothing that can get dirty and rubber molded cleats.
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What equipment does the league provide?
The league provides a uniform consisting of a hat, jersey, and a pair of socks. Pants are provided at the Tee Ball and Pee Wee levels. Players in the baseball division must provide their own gray pants. Uniforms are distributed to the teams before the 1st regular season game. The league also provides balls and gear for catchers.
Players must provide their own bats, gloves and batting helmets. Many players use a baseball bag to transport bats, batting gloves, water bottles, gloves or mitts and other items; these items must also be provided by the players.
PLEASE REVIEW THESE LITTLE LEAGUE BAT REGULATIONS BEFORE PURCHASING A BAT FOR YOUR CHILD
On January 1, 2018, Little League began using a new standard established by USA Baseball which replaced the old 1.15 Bat Performance Factor. USA Baseball bats are the only Little League-approved baseball bats. The USA Baseball standard only applies to baseball, however, so if you are looking to buy a softball bat for the holiday season this year, be sure it follows the specifications in the Little League Softball® rule book. For more information on the bat standard, and to know if your bat will be allowed, visit LittleLeague.org/batinfo.
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How many players are on a team?
Every effort is made to limit Tee Ball & Pee Wee teams to 10 players and the other levels to 12 players.
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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 for each level is conducted by a “Player Agent” who is a member of the RLL Board. The player agent will determine the order of the draft and the volunteer coaches 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 each division. By the end of the draft, every registered player is assigned to a team; once the draft is complete, the order of selection becomes irrelevant. The draft is done in an atmosphere of good sportsmanship and in a positive neighborly way.
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Who can volunteer for Riverside Little League?
RLL is always looking for responsible and enthusiastic individuals to support and coordinate events and activities. Volunteers should have a keen interest in the safety, well-being, and overall development of children. Anyone can apply to become a volunteer. All parents of children involved in Riverside Little League baseball and softball are strongly encouraged to volunteer.
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What volunteer opportunities are available?
RLL has four general volunteer positions: Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Team Volunteer, and League Volunteer.
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How do I apply to volunteer to coach or help with my child’s team?
Interested applicants can sign up to volunteer through the RLL website. All applicants will then be sent an email with a link to a secure site to complete their application.
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What is the process for becoming an approved volunteer?
RLL is required by Little League International to conduct background checks on managers, coaches, board of directors members and any other persons, volunteers or hired workers, who provide regular service to the league and/or have repetitive access to, or contact with, players or teams. All volunteers are also required to take a LL approved training to be provided prior to season. Individuals are also required to complete and submit a Little League Volunteer Application. When applying to become a volunteer, individuals give RLL permission to conduct all necessary background checks and agree that, regardless of previous appointments, RLL is not obligated to appoint anyone to a volunteer position. The RLL Board carefully reviews each volunteer application, results of the background check, and other
information related to the applicant and decides to approve or reject applicants. On rare occasions, RLL may deny individuals the privilege of volunteering for reasons, past or present, which may be detrimental to the positive development of young people, other volunteers, RLL, and/or Little League International.
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If I have coached in past seasons, am I automatically allowed to coach this season or in future seasons?
All coaching appointments are annual. No coach has any tenure whatsoever, regardless of the years of service.
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Why was my volunteer application denied?
If an individual is not approved as a volunteer for the coming season, the RLL President and/or Board of Directors does not need to give a reason.
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What if I have questions that have not been addressed here?
Contact the Riverside Little League by clicking here.
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