Frequently Asked Questions

Safety Plan

The Santa Anita Little League (SALL) has traditionally emphasized the safety of its player as a critical part of a successful season. The purposes of our safety program is to make managers, coaches, parents and players aware of how to practice and play little league baseball and softball as safely as possible. The primary goal is to prevent injuries from occurring in the first place. However, since accidents can happen, another important goal is to ensure that injuries are treated in a prompt and effective manner. With everyone working together, the players will be able to participate in a safe and an enjoyable environment.

The SALL Board of Directors will review any violation of National Little League rules and/or the SALL Safety Code by Board Members, Managers, Coaches, Paid Employees, Parents, Spectators or Players. Depending on the seriousness or frequency of the violation, particularly if it involves player safety, the Board may assess disciplinary action, which may include suspension or expulsion from SALL. Thank you for your cooperation.

2025 Santa Anita Little League Safety Plan

Volunteering

Volunteer!
The league is an all-volunteer organization and relies on parent volunteers for a successful season each year. If you are not already a volunteer for SALL, please consider volunteering. Complete the volunteer form located on the forms page of the website.

How To Become an Volunteer?
Check the "will volunteer box" as part of online registration, or Email us. The volunteer registration is all online now. We will email all volunteers a link to complete their volunteer information online. We always welcome new help!

Become a Sponsor!
The league is a non-profit organization that relies on our sponsors and donations from generous individuals to fund our league’s operation, pay for umpires, balls, fields, uniforms, trophies, equipment and other operating expenses. If you or your business is interested in becoming a sponsor please let us know.

TRYOUTS

This section is intended for players and parents attending their first SALL tryouts. Hopefully this will answer any questions you might have, explain a little bit about how tryouts work, what to expect and why we do it.

When to show up?
Show up 20 minutes before the time slot for your age group to check in and allow time to warm up arms. Age groups are by "League Age."

What to bring?
Baseball glove, bat, helmet, cleats, cup, and any other baseball gear your player may need.

What will my player be expected to do?
At tryouts we will run the players through a few basic skills assessments where they will attempt do the following;

Attempt to field 3 ground balls then throw the ball from shortstop to 1st base.
Attempt to field 3 fly balls in the outfield then throw the ball back into the infield.
Hit (either off tee, soft toss or live pitching).
Run the bases, or do a timed run.
Pitch off the mound for those players interested in pitching. Pitching is not required.

What are the managers looking for?
Based on what they see at tryouts managers make a general assessment of the player’s baseball skill level relative to other players in the same age group. Based on their assessment they will draft their teams for the regular season from the players available to fill the slots on each team.

Is my players ’s performance at tryouts important to their baseball future and/or future athletic career?
Not really – this is only Little League. Every player will play on a team and have fun regardless of how well they catch a ball or hit at tryouts.

Why do we do tryouts?
Juniors, Majors, Minors and Prep teams are all formed by a draft by the team managers. We run the draft in order to provide evenly matched competitive teams and to keep kids safe by having kids with similar skill levels playing together. Tryouts provide an opportunity for the managers to see the players in action and help decide which players they will attempt to draft onto their team. It’s not perfect, and there are always a few kids unhappy about not being drafted up to a higher division, but it’s the best process we have for ensuring balanced teams and player safety. Each manager will draft what he sees as the top players to form the best team possible. The other managers will all be attempting to do the same thing.

Will every player get placed on a team in the division they requested?
No. Read the FAQ page on our site for a detailed description of how teams are formed, how the draft works, and why some players will not be drafted up into higher divisions.

When will I know what division and team my player was drafted onto?
Draft is conducted in mid-January. Prep teams will be formed up by the last week of January typically as soon as all tryouts are complete. Players not drafted into Prep will be placed on machine pitch teams. Actual draft dates for each division are on the league calendar on the SALL website.

How does the draft work?
See the FAQ page on our site for a detailed description of the draft process.

THE DRAFT

The Draft - How does it work?
Majors, Minors and Prep teams are all formed by a draft by the team managers. Below is a summary of how the Draft works and relevant factors.

The Draft - Why do we do this?
We run the draft in order to provide evenly matched competitive teams and to keep kids with similar skill levels playing together. It’s not perfect, and there are always a few kids unhappy not being drafted up to a higher division, but it’s the best process we have for ensuring balanced teams and player safety.

The Draft - Who runs it?
The Player Agent runs the draft with support from the Board.

Registration Sets Number of Players at each age group
Registration is completed in December. At this point in time player counts are known at each age group, then team counts can determined in order to accommodate as many players as possible while still creating competitive teams. This is a key reason why its very difficult to accommodate new players late. Its difficult to find Managers and add teams. Each additional player we add to Majors, Minors or Prep means one more player competing for a fixed number of slots on teams. This means one more to be drafted and creates another cut for another player to a lower division. For example if we add one twelve year old late to majors, this means for certain one 11 year old must be bumped from Majors into Minors order to make room for that 12 year old.

Waitlist
Why is my child on the waitlist? We open up registration in divisions based on several factors. The main factor is how many volunteers we have to manage a team. Field space is also a factor. If your child is on the waitlist, the main reason is because we are still recruiting managers to take on a team in the division. We thank you for your patience! As we recruit a manager to take on a team, we can then open up more spots on the waitlist. You may email us to see how things are going on the waitlist, but know that we will open up spots as soon as we can. We are usually able to accomodate everyone who registers. Of course, the fastest way to get off the waitlist is to volunteer to manage a team!

Team Managers Selected
In early December Team Managers are selected at each division.
Majors and Minors Managers are interviewed and voted on by the Board.
Prep Managers are typically volunteers from last years Machine Pitch division or returning Prep Managers
At all divisions we may have more volunteers for the manager slots than we have teams and we have say "no" to some great volunteers/managers.
In some cases when we have a shortage of volunteers to manage a team, the number of managers may set the number of teams or create large roster sizes

Team Counts and Roster Sizes Determined
Team Counts and team managers must be finalized before Tryouts, as each team manager needs to be present at tryouts.
Team counts are driven by the number of players signed up, the availability of managers to take teams and the number of 11 year old and 12 year old players signed up.

If there is a shortage of willing team Managers, teams counts may be reduced or rosters sizes increased, this will create more cuts as less slots are available to be filled by the draft. Our goal is to have enough teams for each kid that wants to play to have a spot on an 11 or 12 player roster, however if we don't have team managers, this can be a challenge.

Team Counts
Twelve year olds must play in the Majors division.
Majors teams are always 12 man rosters unless a special waiver is granted by the District Administrator to go lower or higher.
The number of teams are determined by how many register for the division. Players that do not make majors are drafted in the minors pool.

Minors rosters are typically 11 or 12 man rosters depending on enrollment and availability of managers to take teams.
11 year olds must play minors if not drafted to majors.
Prep Rosters may be between 11 to 13 player rosters depending on enrollment and availability of managers to take teams. We always attempt to keep Prep at 11 player rosters in order to speed play and give players the maximum number of turns at bat.

9 and 10 year olds must play prep if not drafted to minors.

Machine pitch rosters and T ball rosters may be between 10 to 12, depending on enrollment and availability of Managers to take teams.

8 year olds must play machine pitch if not drafted to prep.

Tryouts - January
All managers for draft programs attend the tryouts and watch the players in order to asses their skill level. It is at the tryouts the managers will be looking for players to draft onto their teams. After the final makeup tryout, typically mid January, the Draft is conducted, starting with the Majors division.

The Draft - Slotting Players
Manager's kid/player are slotted in rounds (1st round pick through 12th round picked) based on where they would likely be drafted. This is done by the Player Agent and with the agreement from all the other Managers. The Managers have seen all the players at tryouts and know them from previous season and typicaly agree one where each player should be slotted into the draft. If there is a debate as to the correct slot for a manager's player, the player agent will make the final decision. The slotting typically happens a few days ahead of the draft.

The Draft - Draft Order
Draft order is picked by random draw. Each team is given a draft order, 1, 2,3 etc. This is done by the player agent, typically a few days before the draft. The draft order drawn may impact the manager's strategy on draft picks.

Draft picks are done as a "snake" meaning the managers pick according to their order in each round of the draft as follows; 1,2,3,4, then 4,3,2,1, then 1,2,3,4, then 4,3,2,1 and repeat until all teams have filled all their roster slots.

The Draft - Majors
Majors teams conduct their draft from the players at tryouts.
The majors teams will then be filled with all the 12 year olds signed up and the top 11 year olds and occasionally on a very rare occasion exceptionally skilled 10 year olds. All 12 year olds must be drafted to majors. 11 year olds and 10 years are drafted to majors based on the majors manager's assessment of players ability. The majors is a very competitive division. Managers are motivated to draft the strongest team possible. They typically draft their team based on their perception of player talent/coachability. During the draft, the Majors managers each manager wlll select their top from those available to form their teams in the order described above.
After all the picking is done and rosters are filled, the floor is opened to trades if any manager wants to make any. Managers are not required to trade if they don't want to.

There will be many 11 year olds signed up for Majors that will not be drafted that are then moved to the Minors draft pool. Inevitably, some will not be happy this. Prior to conducting the Minors draft all Majors players/parents are contacted to confirm they will participate for the season. If for any reason a player chooses to quit/cancel, an additional player must be drafted to fill the open slot. This can be very damaging for a team if a high draft pick chooses to quit after the draft, as that player will be replaced by a player from the division below. We do our best to vet all the majors players seriousness to play before the draft to avoid any surprises.

The Draft - Minors
Those not drafted onto a Majors team are then part of the Minors draft pool.
Minor's manager's kid/players are slotted by the player agent.
Minors managers are assigned their draft order, by random draw.
The minors managers then conduct a draft, each manager selecting their top picks from those available to form their teams.
All remaining 11 year olds must be drafted into Minors
After all the picking is done we open the floor to trades if anybody wants to make any.

The Draft - Prep
Those not drafted onto a Minors team are then part of the Prep draft pool.
Prep manager's kid/players are slotted by consensus agreement of the prep managers
Each prep manager can bring with him one assistant coach, the assistant coach's player will also be slotted.
The prep managers then conduct a draft, each manager selecting their top picks from those available to form their teams.
All remaining 9 and 10 year olds must be drafted into Prep.
Those not drafted into prep will move into the machine pitch pool of players.

Machine Pitch & Tee Ball...Those teams formed up next
In Machine Pitch and Tee Ball we do our best to honor parent and player requests as well as team mate pairing requests. We also try to balance the kids ages and experience level on each team. Know all the players you want on your team? Volunteer to manager a Machine Pitch or Tee Ball team and we will do our best to give you all the players of your choosing.

First Half/Second Half of Season

First Half/Second Half of Season - What's this all about?
In Minors, Majors and Juniors the season is divided into two halves, first half and second half. Typically a season is approximately 20 games with an even split of games between the two halves. For each half of the season team standings are kept and a winner is declared for each half. The team with the most wins is the first place team for the half. At the end of the season the winner of the first half will play against the winner of the second half in a one game playoff to determine the overall first place and second place teams for the season. If the same team wins both first and second half that team is automatically the first place team for the season and then the second place team for the season will be determined by one game play between the second place team from the first half and the second place team from the second half.

The first place team from the season moves on to play in the postseason Tournament of Champions (TOC). This is a tournament played among all the other first place teams from other leagues in District 17.

The second place team for the season will move on to play in the postseason City Championship Tournament. The City Championship is a tournament played among all of the second place teams from other leagues in District 17.

Why do we do First Half/Second Half?
Why not just one long season? Why not just a playoff tournament at the end? SALL follows Little League's suggestion of having the first half winner plays the second half winner for the league championship. This is a time honored tradition that has been part of the SALL bylaws for over 50 years.

Advantages to this approach: 1) This helps ensure that the players get to play more competitive and meaningful games from the very start of the regular season all the way to the end. 2) Rewards teams that play consistently well. 3) Allows teams that do not start off well to get a fresh start in the second half. 4) In our Little League pledge we ask kids to do their best, which is hard to do if we ask them to play 19-20 games that don't count. Learning how to win with humility and lose with grace is part of sport.

In the long history of the Santa Anita Little League, in championship seasons and not, our boys and girls have improved more rapidly and enjoyed the best baseball experience by playing in meaningful games, which the 'Half' scheduling system best provides. This is especially true when the schedule includes inter-league games with our District 17 rivals.

Pool Players

POOL PLAYERS GENERAL

In Juniors, Majors and Minors, rules require that games be played with 9 players.

Kids get sick, get injured, go on vacation etc. If a team is short handed they may add a "pool player" to their roster. A pool player is a substitute from another team in the same division. Below are the rules and SALL policies on pool players. Some of these items are Green Book rules, some are SALL polices which we expect managers to follow. In all cases Green Book Rules will be followed. Teams with 10 players or more are not permitted to use a pool player.

Pool players are extra players available in the event the manager is unable to field a team of nine. Players volunteer to be on the pool player list at the beginning of the season. The Player Agent manages the pool player list. Per green book rule 4.16 and rule 4.17 a game may not be started or resumed in the event a manager cannot place 9 players on the field. It is the manager's responsibility to ensure that a team has the required minimum number of players. In the event a manager is unable field the required minimum the manager will contact the player agent to to obtain a pool player.

SALL POLICIES ON POOL PLAYERS

1. The Player agent will maintain a list of eligible players per regulation 5, that meet the age requirement and general classification of players as described under Regulation 3 and 4 of the Little League green book.

2. Pool players must be appointed by the player agent. Coaches may not obtain a player without the approval of the player agent. The Player Agent may not empower a coach to find a player. If the player agent is unavailable the President, Vice President or designated officer on on the board of directors who is not managing or coaching may serve in place player agent.

2025 Player Agent - Barbi Lona
2025 Player Agent #2 - Gabriel Gonzalez
2025 President - David D'Alvarez
2025 Vice President - Cameron Miille

3. Talent or ability will not be considered in furnishing a player to a team. The player agent will provide the first available pool player. The player agent will maintain a pool player list that is dispositioned randomly and accumulated consecutively in the order it was dispositioned. Once a pool player is used that player will go to the bottom of the pool player list.

4. Games may not be started with less than 9 players (rule 4.16). Games may not be continued with less than 9 players (rule 4.17). If a team is unable to place 9 players on the field the game will be postponed, rescheduled, and resumed at the point it was discontinued on a later date, or deemed final.

5. A manger not following SALL policies on pool players, or using an unauthorized player in a game will result in a forfeit of the game.

6. Pool Players may not be utilized for any Post-Season play.

DISTRICT 17 ON POOL PLAYERS DISTRIBUTED BY DISTRICT 17, 2016
WHEN TEAMS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH PLAYERS FOR THE SEASON
GREEN BOOK PAGE 38(c) and (d)

The following will apply:
A. The Player Agent will create and run the pool
B. The Pool is by Division Only ( no exceptions)
C. Players may not be borrowed from an opponent. They must be assigned by the PA
D. The Player Agent will assign players on a rotating basis to teams short of players
E. Managers and Coaches WILL NOT have the rights to pick and choose players
F. Pool Players will not be able to pitch for the team using them
G. Pool Players will wear their own uniforms
H. Pool Player must play at least nine consecutive defensive out and bat once.

Tournaments & All-Stars

Tournaments
At the end of the season there are several tournaments played among the best teams and players from Little League's California District 17 of which SALL is a part of. Below is a list of those tournaments and a few details explaining what each tournament is all about. See the California District 17 site for a list of other Leagues in our District.

Expected Behavior at Tournaments
Everyone should take a moment to remember - The reason we play baseball is to have fun. This is only Little League baseball, these kids are 8 to 12 years old, this isn't the MLB World Series, no college scholarships will be awarded, none of this is a big deal and worth getting worked up over. However, it's an inevitable side of effect of competition - Once we start keeping score and the games really count, the competition can get heated. Unfortunately before the end of the tournament each year we typically witness at least one coach or parent lose their cool and likely embarrass themselves and their children. At Santa Anita let's all strive to make sure that regardless of the outcome of the game this person is never one of us. We are role models for these kids, we should all behave in such a way to represent our league and our children well. This is true all season long, but especially important during tournament play.

End of Season Tournaments General
The end of season tournaments, these match up all the top finishing teams from Little League CA District 17 which SALL is part of. Below are the leagues which comprise District 17;

Santa Anita LL
Arcadia American LL
Central Altadena LL
East Altadena LL
Pasadena American LL
Pasadena Southwest LL
San Marino LL
Sierra Madre LL
West Pasadena LL

Prep & Machine Pitch Tournaments
Prep and Machine Pitch divisions may also hold end of season tournaments, however these are organized at the league level. In recent years SALL has participated in Prep and Machine pitch tournaments with our neighboring leagues which we typically play inter-league games with during the regular from the season. The end of season tournament is typically a double elimination tournament ending in a final game to determine a champion. As these are younger players we do our best to keep these tournaments competitive and fun, but but still low key and appropriate for these younger players.

Tournament of Champions (TOC)
The first place team from each league plays in the Tournament of Champions to determine the District TOC Champion. This is single elimination tournament run over one week played the week immediately following the regular season. Participating Divisions: Majors & Minors. Typically one league will host the TOC and all games will be played at the host league's field. At the end of the Tournament a Minors TOC winner and Majors TOC winner is crowned.

City Tournament
The second place team from each league play to determine the City Tournament Champion for the District. This is single elimination tournament run over one week played immediately following the regular season. Participating Divisions: Majors & Minors. At the end of this tournament a Minors City Championship Winner and Majors City Champion Winner is crowned.

All-Stars
All-Star teams are formed from each league for several age groups. The All-Star teams from all the league in the District play in a double elimination tournament ultimately deciding the District All-Star champions for the season for each age level. For the 11-12 age group, the winning All-Star team will continue on to compete for a slot in the Little League World Series. All-Star team rosters are set in early June. Games start in late June with the final games typically held in the second week of July.

Players are selected to play on the All-Star team based on a combination of nomination by the regular season team managers, votes by the players themselves, and by the All-Star team manager's selection of players. Rosters are typically 12 to 13 players. The selection process is not perfect and unfortunately not everybody that wants to play all stars will get to. Below are the age groups for All-Star Teams and the order in which the teams are normally filled.

Juniors All-Stars
Typically formed from players in the Juniors division. This team is selected by the All-Star Manager for this team.

Intermediate All-Stars
Typically formed from players who are baseball age 13 in the Juniors division. This team is selected by the All-Star Manager for this team.

10-11-12 All-Stars
Typically formed from players form the Majors Division. This teams roster is selected by a vote by players and mangers in the Majors division. The winner of the 11-12 All-Star tournament will move on to play against the winning 11-12 all-star teams from other Little League Districts, this continues all the way to the Little League Worlds Series held annually in Williamsport, PA.

9-10-11 All-Stars
Typically formed from players from the Majors Division, some players from minors may be selected to play on this team as well. This team is selected by the All-Star Manager for this team.

8-9-10 All-Stars
Typically formed from players from the Minors Division. This team is formed by a vote by managers and coaches in the Minors division. Any 10 year old playing Majors will automatically be placed onto the 9-10 team.

7-8-9 All-Stars
Typically formed from players from the Minors division, some players may be pulled up from the prep division to complete the 8-9 team roster. This team is selected by the All-Star Manager for this team.

All-Star Team Managers
The All-Star team managers must be approved by the board as a suitable candidate to represent our league in the All-Start Tournament. Managers are selected following current SALL by-laws. Typically a different league will host the tournament games for one of the age groups, with all games for a particular age group being played at the host league's fields.

Sectional Play
Winners of the District All-Star tournaments will move on to Sectional play (except for 8-9 team), competing with the winners from other Districts' All Star winners. Winners of the Sectional tournaments then move on to play in the State Tournaments which lead to Regionals, which then lead to the Little League World Series.

helping your kid play better from the stands

Does screaming at my player from the stands help them play better?
Typically, No. In fact this often ruins baseball for kids. Try to avoid this if you can. They will fail, and they will make mistakes, let them do this without fear of hearing about it from the stands. It's a lot easier to learn and improve if you know you can make a mistake on the field during games and practices without any negative feedback. Let the coaches provide the instructions.

Does providing polite instructions to my player from the stands help the play better?
Typically, No. The coaches have a hard time keeping the attention of 12 kids. Usually, your child can't hear you anyway. But once the parents have the kid's attention that means the coaches don't, try to avoid this. It makes the coach's job harder. Yes, you will most certainly see your player doing things at games and practices you wish they weren't doing. Resist the urge to talk/yell/scream at them on the field. Just leave it to the coaches, they may not see it as immediately as you do (as they are looking at 12 kids, not just 1), but they will eventually and when they do, they will address it. If the coaches need your help coaching your player or controlling them on the field, they will ask for it. Good advice is let the coaches coach, let the kids have fun, and from the stands just sit back and enjoy watching while taking a 1 to 2 hour break from having to be in charge of your child. Don't be the parent that hangs of the back fence talking in the players ear at every at bat provide tips, pointers and complaints about what they are doing wrong. Just let the kid play ball. If you are not actively coaching a team, you should not be part of the action on the field in any way. Tournament rules specify that no one can approach the dugout to speak to a player or coach during a game, and this is a good rule to follow during the season as well.

FALL BALL

What is Fall Ball About?
Fall Ball is pretty low key. Fall ball is developmental. We don't formally keep score or standings. Basically all games are a a well organized scrimmage with umps.

How often are games and practices
We typically do one practice a week and one game on Saturdays for 10 weeks.
When daylight saving end and days get too short we may drop down to zero practices.
Team managers are always welcome to do more, however its not expected.
Some managers may elect to do Sunday practices only and avoid the weekdays entirely.

When does it start and end?
Starts in last week of August ends early November. There may be a short one week single elimination tournament at the end.

What Division should my kid play in?

Typically kids will play fall in the division they will likely play the next season. As a result the level of play drops a bit in all divisions. Fall minors will be a few returning younger minors kids and a bunch from prep. Majors will be a mix of 11 year olds from majors and new kids coming up from minors etc.

How are Fall team Rosters selected?
We are much more flexible in Fall than our regular season. No draft, teams are basically a combination of coach pick, and first come first served on parent request, coach requests, and a reasonable attempt to keep teams balanced.

Consider Managing a Fall Ball Team!

Fall is a great way to try out managing or coaching a team. It is only one practice and one game a week and as its non competitive, very low key. We value our volunteers! If there is anything we can help to make it easier to say "yes" to taking a team let us know.

Tee Ball

How often are tee-ball games and practices?
T-ball games are typically Saturday mornings. There may just a few weekday games.

What day will tee ball practice be?
Teams typically practice one weekday each week. Each team will be assigned a practice day. Practices are held late afternoon. early evening depending on available daylight. We don't know what day each team will practice until the teams are formed and the team managers pick their practice day. If you have a specific day you need to have your practice we suggest you volunteer to manage a team and then you can control the practice day and influence the game schedule as well. If there are specific days your player cannot practice, please note that constraint at sign ups and we will attempt to put your player on a team that practices on a day that works for you, however there are no guarantees here.

My player will play tee-ball do we need to attend tryouts?
No. Tee Ball players do not need to attend tryouts.

How serious is tee ball?
This is a non competitive instructional division designed to teach the basics to tee-ballers ages for 4-6 years old. This is very low key. We don't keep score, or take attendance. Everybody bats, nobody strikes out, we changes sides after the team has gone through the line-up. Getting three outs is cheered for, but doesn't happen often.

What ages are allowed?
Tee ball is for ages 4-6. With the new little league age determination date of August 31st, it is possible that a player can be "Baseball Age" 4 yet play the entire season before his or her fourth birthday. As a league, we think 3 years old is far too young for tee ball, we would not encourage players to join tee ball until they have reach four years of age or older and show an interest in playing. 3 is too young! Yes there will be exceptions, but in general we don't encourage 3 year olds to play tee ball.

My Kid Didn't Get Drafted Where They Wanted. What Do I Tell Him/Her?

For a kid, not getting drafted up into a higher division can be a difficult experience, especially when some of their friends were drafted up. It is part of life and much like successes and failures on the diamond, the disappointment of not getting drafted and overcoming it is a learning opportunity for the kid (and parents). Having a great season on the team that drafted the player is the best response to a disappointment on draft day.

The draft is not perfect. There are always a few kids that don’t get drafted up into the division they wanted to be in, or onto the team they want to be on.

Sometimes it is a numbers game. 12 year olds must be drafted into Majors. That leaves a limited number of slots for 10 or 11 year olds to play in Majors. The mix of ages and team counts is different each year. Unfortunately sometimes the numbers and mix of ages signed up drive a reduced number of slots and there just isn't room for all the players that want to go up. Likewise for 10 year olds in minors - 11 years olds must play minors, this leaves limited slots for kids 10 and under in minors.

Typically, players just on the border of making it up into a higher division who were not drafted up, end up having great seasons in the lower division, becoming team leaders and making many great memories. There are usually more infield and pitching opportunities, and batting at the top of the order. It often ends up a much more fun experience than if they had gone up to play in the division above with older and more skilled players. Being an above average player in a lower division can be a lot more fun than being a marginal player in an upper division. We have seen many players disappointed not being drafted into majors go on to have their best season ever in minors, and they were happy for the experience.

Remember the draft is a competition between the managers present to put together the strongest teams they can. They are all trying to assemble the best possible team they can from the pool of players available. If a player is better than the others still left in the pool, they will draft him or her. A player not drafted up into a higher division is one of many players that all the managers unanimously decided not to draft onto one of their teams. The managers all saw things the same way and all decided to pass. A player not being drafted up is nothing personal. From the manager’s perspective, based on what they saw at tryouts and their knowledge of the player (and parents) from past seasons they selected other players for their team they felt were more suited to round out their roster. The managers do sometimes make mistakes, a kid might get overlooked, but this is rare. All the managers are hoping the other managers missed a player they spotted as a hidden gem at tryouts. Managers may also choose to draft a particular player because they know the parents are helpful assistant coaches showing up for practices and games week after week. If on draft day a manager has a choice between two players that are similar in skills, the player with the parent that will come out and help coach the team week after week is often an easy choice. It’s hard to fault a manager for snapping up the help of a good parent can offer by drafting the player.

Managers also consider the attitude of the player and the parents when drafting players. A season is long, and it’s even longer (and way less fun) if there is a difficult player on the team with a bad attitude or parents that are difficult or negative in any way. If a player really is much better than the kids drafted ahead of him/her, sometimes the mental attitude of the player (or parents) can be a deciding factor for the manager on who to draft. A parent or player that brings a negative energy to the team, complaining from the bleachers, yelling at umps, arguing calls etc - This is a top reason to pass on a player in the draft.

What do I do if I have a dispute with a manager or a player, or any other aspect of Little League?

Disagreements can come up during a season. There can be disagreements with the manager or coach, with another player, or with various aspects of the league. We encourage disputes to be handled directly with the person in question, although common sense should prevail as to the timing of when this should happen. For example, it would not be best to discuss playing time with the manager immediately after a difficult loss. If a dispute cannot be handled after an initial discussion, or if more assistance is required, the player agent is available to help. The player agent is a member of the executive board, and can help to mediate a situation, or be a sounding board for questions. If still more assistance is needed, members of the executive board are available to help, including the president of the league. If a dispute goes beyond the executive board, Santa Anita Little League is in District 17, and the District Administrator would be next in the chain of command.

We usually distribute year-end surveys, and that is another important opportunity to make your concerns known, but we do want issues to be handled expediently. Please do contact us with any questions or concerns.

JUNIORS, SENIORS, and INTERMEDIATE

What is Juniors?
Junior League Baseball is intended for 13 and 14 year old players who are not yet playing high school baseball. Juniors is run as preparation for high school level baseball. Games are played on a high school sized diamond (90' bases. Pitching distance is 60' 6"). We have run Spring and Fall Juniors programs continuously for many years. We can accept players that are in boundaries for SALL, Arcadia American, Arcadia National, and Sierra Madre.

What is Seniors?
Senior league is for players aged 13 through 16 who played high school baseball. Due to a lack of interest, we have not run a Seniors program for several years. Without enough players its difficult to put together a season.

What is Intermediate?
Intermediate division is for players age 12 to 13 using a 50 foot pitching distance and 70 foot base paths. Santa Anita does not have a field that fits this dimensions, and so we do not currently run an Intermediate division at this time.

Why is this program called "Arcadia Juniors"? Why does SALL run it?
Arcadia Juniors is intended to be joint effort of all the local leagues, Arcadia National Little League (ANLL), Arcadia American Little League (AALL), Sierra Madre Little League (SMLL) and SALL. SALL administrators the program as someone needs to run it, but we welcome players and VOLUNTEERS and sponsors from ANLL, AALL, SMLL and any other leagues the may have players signed with us.

Do Arcadia National LL and Arcadia American LL and Sierra Madre Little League sign up for Juniors here too? Why?
Yes. Currently AALL and ANLL and SMLL do not have their own Juniors programs. We want these kids to keep playing baseball. We welcome any players from other leagues which do not have a Juniors program to sign up and play ball in the Arcadia Juniors program. Any player who's home league does not have a juniors program is welcome to sign up for Juniors with us. We have seen players and coaches from many leagues in the surrounding area enjoy great seasons with us.

How will regular season teams be formed?
Players from the four leagues will be placed into a common pool of players from which the teams will be drafted. There is a tryout in early January for all Juniors players. Unlike the other divisions, players from ANLL, AALL, SMLL SALL and other leagues can play together on the same team in Junior and Senior divisions.

How are the All-Star teams formed?
District 17 dictates to us what we are allowed to do with all stars. It is subject to change each season at the discretion of the District 17 Administrator. Recently we have not been permitted to create a single combined all star team comprised of all players from all the leagues signed up for Juniors. The direction we have been given by District in recent seasons is that if we have enough ANLL and AALL and SMLL players signed up to create a separate all star team, then these players will be placed onto a separate all star team. Players in boundaries for SALL would be placed on a separate SALL All Star team. Some players may in boundaries for both leagues depending on whether they use their school address or residence. Players in this situation may want to consider filing a school waiver form during sign ups to provide more flexibility on possible all star play.

Although SALL does not have an Intermediate division, SALL has been able to take 13 year old players to form an Intermediate All-Star team, using a local field with Intermediate dimensions. As with Juniors, the All-Star team was composed of players that were permitted by the District.

Where will the teams in the division practice and play?
The home field for the Junior and Senior divisions will be Bonita Park in Arcadia. Since this field has lights, some games will be played at night.

How does Junior and Senior and Intermediate League play differ from play in the Majors division?
There are many differences between the rules applicable to the Majors division and those applicable to the Juniors, Seniors, and Intermediate division. Generally, the Juniors, Seniors, and Intermediate division rules, in most respects, are the same as those used in professional baseball. Some of the key differences between the Juniors/Seniors/Intermediate rules and the other divisions of play are:

Juniors and Seniors use a full size baseball field. There are 90 feet between bases and the pitching rubber is 60 feet 6 inches from home plate. Intermediate uses a field with 70 feet between bases, and a pitching distance of 50 feet.
A regulation game in Juniors/Seniors/Intermediate divisions is 7 innings.
Double headers are permitted in the Juniors/Seniors/Intermediate divisions.
Runners can lead off in the Juniors/Seniors/Intermediate divisions.
Head first slides are allowed in the Juniors/Seniors/Intermediate divisions.
Players in the Juniors/Seniors/Intermediate divisions can wear metal spikes.
Players in the Juniors/Seniors/Intermediate divisions can use big barreled bats.
See the Green Book for Juniors/Seniors/Intermediate rules

Is there All-Star play in the Junior and Senior and Intermediate divisions?
Yes. Just as with the 11-12 year old division, there is a World Series in the Junior and Senior and Intermediate divisions.

Who will the Juniors and Seniors and Intermediate Teams play?
In addition to games against the other teams in the SALL Juniors program, there will be inter-league games with other teams from surrounding Little Leagues. Possible interleague partners include San Marino LL, Pasadena Southwest LL, East Altadena LL and Glendora LL, among others.

Why is there a different schedule for the Seniors division?
The Junior division is primarily intended for players who have not yet entered high school or who are not playing on a high school. Accordingly, the Juniors season runs concurrent with the typical Little League Season. The Seniors division is intended primarily for high school players. Under CIF rules, a high school baseball player cannot play for any other team during the high school season. As a result, the Seniors division does not start play until after the High School regular season has completed. However, because All-Star play in all levels, including the Seniors division, starts at the same time (late June of each year), the Seniors division plays a compressed schedule with at least 3 games per week.

LITTLE LEAGUE INSURANCE

Little League Insurance Information (Last Updated November 2016)

WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT LITTLE LEAGUE® INSURANCE

The Little League Insurance Program is designed to afford protection to all participants at the most economical cost to the local league. The Little League Player Accident Policy is an excess coverage, accident only plan, to be used as a supplement to other insurance carried under a family policy or insurance provided by an employer. If there is no primary coverage, Little League insurance will provide benefits for eligible charges, up to Usual and Customary allowances for your area. A $50 deductible applies for all claims, up to the maximum stated benefits. This plan makes it possible to offer exceptional, affordable protection with assurance to parents that adequate coverage is in force for all chartered and insured Little League approved programs and events. If your child sustains a covered injury while taking part in a scheduled Little League Baseball or Softball game or practice, here is how the insurance works: 1. The Little League Baseball and Softball accident notification form must be completed by parents (if the claimant is under 19 years of age) and a league official and forwarded directly to Little League Headquarters within 20 days after the accident. A photocopy of the form should be made and kept by the parent/claimant. Initial medical/dental treatment must be rendered within 30 days of the Little League accident. 2. Itemized bills, including description of service, date of service, procedure and diagnosis codes for medical services/ supplies and/or other documentation related to a claim for benefits are to be provided within 90 days after the accident. In no event shall such proof be furnished later than 12 months from the date the initial medical expense was incurred. 3. When other insurance is present, parents or claimant must forward copies of the Explanation of Benefits or Notice/ Letter of Denial for each charge directly to Little League International, even if the charges do not exceed the deductible of the primary insurance program. 4. Policy provides benefits for eligible medical expenses incurred within 52 weeks of the accident, subject to Excess Coverage and Exclusion provisions of the plan. 5. Limited deferred medical/dental benefits may be available for necessary treatment after the 52-week time limit when: (a) Deferred medical benefits apply when necessary treatment requiring the removal of a pin /plate, applied to transfix a bone in the year of injury, or scar tissue removal, after the 52-week time limit is required. The Company will pay the Reasonable Expense incurred, subject to the Policy’s maximum limit of $100,000 for any one injury to any one Insured. However, in no event will any benefit be paid under this provision for any expenses incurred more than 24 months from the date the injury was sustained. (b) If the Insured incurs Injury, to sound, natural teeth and Necessary Treatment requires treatment for that Injury be postponed to a date more than 52 weeks after the injury due to, but not limited to, the physiological changes of a growing child, the Company will pay the lesser of: 1. A maximum of $1,500 or 2. Reasonable Expenses incurred for the deferred dental treatment. Reasonable Expenses incurred for deferred dental treatment are only covered if they are incurred on or before the Insured’s 23rd birthday. Reasonable Expenses incurred for deferred root canal therapy are only covered if they are incurred within 104 weeks after the date the Injury occurs. No payment will be made for deferred treatment unless the Physician submits written certification, within 52 weeks after the accident, that the treatment must be postponed for the above stated reasons. Benefits are payable subject to the Excess Coverage and the Exclusions provisions of the Policy. We hope this brief summary has been helpful in providing a better understanding of the operation of the Little League insurance program.

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Santa Anita Little League