FAQ
General information
1. What levels of play are provided in Canyon Creek Little League?
Please click here for more info on levels of play offered.2. How old does my child have to be in order to be eligible to play Little League?
If your child is "league age" 5 years old in a given year, then they are eligible to play Tee ball that year. In order to determine league age, click here and view the league age determination chart.3. Can girls play in little league?
Yes! Canyon Creek is for both boys and girls. We encourage girls to sign-up and be a part of the fun! If girls are interested in softball, please visit www.srvgal.org.4. Are there any volunteer opportunities?
Absolutely! There are plenty of volunteer opportunities you can do for both your team and for the league. At the team level, you can volunteer to manage, coach, be a team parent, or be the scorekeeper for your team. At the league level there are also many positions on the board of directors where you can participate in opening day ceremonies, league safety, field maintenance, fundraising, league publicity, picture day, team/league sponsorship, fall ball, team parent orientation, tournament, or assisting with the league's communications efforts. By participating in these positions, you are helping the Little League Organization to provide the best possible playing opportunities for your child!5. What do I do if I want to be manager or coach? What if I've never managed or coached before?
During registration, there will be a volunteer application process available for you submit your name as a candidate to manage or coach. Don't worry if you've never coached before. If you have a good understanding of the game and the skills involved, the league provides excellent training that will help you get started.6. What equipment/apparel does the league provide?
At minimum, your child will need a baseball glove and boys also will need to wear an athletic supporter with a hard cup. The league will supply a team shirt/jersey and hat. Most children will also require uniform pants, belt, and (non-metal) cleats, which the league does not provide. The league provides each team with several bats, several batting helmets, and catcher’s gear. Players can bring their own bats, helmets and catcher’s equipment if they choose, but are not required to furnish these items themselves.7. How do I get notified of league information?
General league information is provide on this website.8. Do you have a softball program?
No, sorry. Just baseball here. For San Ramon girls softball, check out www.srvgal.org.9. What is the Scholar Athlete Program?
The Scholar Athlete Program is a celebration honoring Canyon Creek Little League baseball players (6th grade and above) who, in addition to playing baseball, have put forth the scholarly effort to attain a 3.0 GPA or higher. Through the festivities of the Scholar Athlete Banquet, the CCLL Board will recognize those players who have demonstrated their ability to balance sports and academic achievement.Registration
1. Why does registration occur so far in advance?
There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into properly setting up all the divisions and reserving city fields. Tryouts in many divisions have to take place, then rosters have to be set, uniforms/equipment have to be ordered and schedules have to be made. Many other things go on behind the scenes to make the Little League experience a great one for everyone involved. It is a lot of work and the board members do all this on a volunteer basis - nobody gets paid!2. How do I know if I am eligible to play in CCLL?
In order to play in CCLL, your address must reside within the CCLL boundary.3. Can I play with specific friends or for a specific manager/coach?
For T-ball, Rookie and Single A levels, please contact the appropriate Player Agent for these special requests. They will do their best to accomodate your requst. For AA, AAA and Majors levels, the draft selection process does not allow for these requests.4. I have two or more kids - can they play on the same team?
We will make every effort to keep siblings on the same team. However, it may not always be possible because of the age structure or differences in player abilities. Please talk with the Player Agent who may be able to help you with your specific situation.5. What does it mean to "cap" a player?
During Online Registraton, parents/guardians of players, age nine to twelve (9-12) only, may request their child be “capped” to a particular level or division. Capping a player means that the player would not get selected (drafted) by a team at a level of play higher than the division a parent requests. This is typically used by parents when they feel their player may not be ready to move up to the next level. Requests for capping will not be honored once a player has been assigned to a team. In addition, a player who is capped will not be eligible to participate in All-Stars. Requests for capping will not be honored once a player has been assigned to a team.6. How much does it cost to register?
The league fees are based on the "league age" of the player being registered. Please go to Registration for more details.7. What do I need to do before registering my player?
Before registering your player, please determine your childs league age, verify the division your child is eligible to play in, verify you live in the CCLL broundry and have your childs medical and insurance information handy.8. What if I missed the registration dates? Can my child still play?
Unfortunately, once registration is closed, the league does not accept any more registrations. The number of teams that will be formed is based on the number of players that register and this needs to be frozen at some point. Once the number of teams is determined for each level, the league begins the manager selection process, reserves the fields, orders any necessary equipment and uniforms for that number of teams and sets all the schedules. It is not feasible to go back and add more teams later because of the amount of planning and lead time required. Fortunately, there are several sessions that provide ample opportunity for everyone to register!9. Does my 12-year-old have to play in Majors?
One of the agenda items voted on by District Administrators at the 24th Little League International Congress in Houston earlier this year, was a regulation requiring that all league age 12-year-olds must be placed onto a Major Division team.The purpose of the new regulation is to ensure that local leagues are using the Minor Division as a training ground, and not keeping capable 12-year-olds from “moving up.” For those 12-year-olds who may lack the skills to play at the Major Division level, exceptions can only be made with written approval from the District Administrator, and only if approved at the local league level by the Board of Directors and the parent of the candidate. (Note: the prohibition on 12-year-olds pitching in the Minor Division remains.)
9. What if I can't afford to register my child. Is financial assistance available?
CCLL's policy is that no child will ever be turned away from our program due to a financial hardship. Please see any CCLL board member for specific needs.Team formation
1. What are tryouts? Does my child need to try out?
Tryouts give managers an opportunity to evaluate and assess each player's skill level. Tryouts consist of a series of drills including fielding, throwing, hitting and running. Tryouts are necessary for league placement and to aid managers in drafting teams with equitable talent.All players that are "league age" 9 to 12, except previous Major division players retained by their prior year's team, are required to attend at least one tryout session. Failure to attend a tryout will cause the player to be ineligible for the draft. No refund will be made of registration fees for players not attending a tryout. Players are only required to attend one tryout but may attend a second tryout if they prefer.
Only 8-year-olds wanting to play in the “AA” Division (kid pitch) are required to try out. 8-year-olds, which do not tryout, will be placed in the “A” Division (coach pitch). The 10-year-olds, who want to be considered for drafting into Majors, must attend the 10-year-old tryout designated for Majors. All other 10-year-olds must attend the regular 10-year-old session. The 10-year olds that attend the regular tryout will not be eligible to play Majors.
2. My child has never played before. What level should he/she be placed?
It is our goal that players are drafted or placed into the appropriate division based primarily on their skill level although there are age restrictions as well. Every player that has registered will be placed on a team; there are no "cuts"!3. What is a draft and how does it work?
The draft is a process where the goal is to attain parity among teams for AA, AAA and Majors divisions. Based on player tryouts and evaluations, the managers do their best to select players in the order of judged skill and ability. In AA and AAA, managers draw lots to see who will have the first, second, third, etc., choice in the draft. In the Major division, where a player can “return” to their prior year’s team, draft selections in each round of the draft are made in the inverse order of the prior year’s regular season finish in the standings.Pursuant to Little League rules, the player selection draft is conducted in secrecy: “Players shall never be told the position in which they were drafted.” Discussion of what occurs in the “draft room” is strictly prohibited.
4. When will I know what team my child will be on?
The league generally has tryouts completed by the end of January with the draft typically occurring a week or two later. After the draft is complete, managers for all levels will notify each player of what team they are on.5. What is the manager selection process?
Candidates to manage regular season teams are interviewed and selected by a vote of the Board of Directors. Generally, the Board is seeking candidates who will uphold our league objective (see Organization) and promote a positive environment of fun, sportsmanship and skill development.Practice and games
1. When do practices and games begin?
Practices can begin as early as February for the higher levels with games beginning in March after the city opens all the fields.2. How many times per week are games and practices?
The length of each practice and the number of practices and games increases with each level. Typically with T-ball, there is one practice and game per week for 1 - 1.5 hours. At the Majors level, there could be as many as 3 practices or games per week at 2 hours or more each. The team manager will provide the practice and game schedules for each team.3. What equipment does my child need to play?
At minimum, your child will need a baseball glove and boys also will need to wear an athletic supporter with a hard cup. The league will supply a team shirt and hat. Most children will also require uniform pants, belt, and (non-metal) cleats, which the league does not provide. The league provides each team with several bats, several batting helmets, and catcher’s gear. Players can bring their own bats, helmets and catcher’s equipment if they choose, but are not required to furnish these items themselves.4. What is inter-league play?
Little League rules allow games to be scheduled with adjoining leagues (San Ramon American, San Ramon National, etc) if this is mutually agreeable. In general, CCLL will pursue inter-league play opportunities when possible in the upper divisions. At lower levels, where the number of teams is greater, we will probably not actively pursue inter-league play. The extent of inter-league play may vary from year to year.5. Who keeps score of the games?
Each team at levels AA and above are required to have a scorekeeper who is familiar with keeping score. There are typically one or more parents from each team that volunteer to keep score when needed by the manager. Scorekeeping training is made available to those who need it before the season starts. Generally, the home and visitor scorekeepers sit together during the game to score consistently. The home team scorebook is the official scorebook. If there are any questions by the umpire or others on the status of the game, the home scorebook is used. Score is not tracked in levels below AA and a scorekeeper is not required from teams at these levels.6. When does the baseball season end?
The regular season typically ends in mid-June, coinciding with the end of the school year. Post-season play continues for All-Star players and Tournament of Champions teams into July (typically on a single or double elimination tournament basis).7. Who umpires the games? How can I become an umpire?
For AA and above, the games are umpired by anyone interested that is age 12 or older, including adults. The umpires are trained prior to league play and depending on years of experience and skill are assigned to the various levels. The umpires are paid a fee for this work. Fans should not be communicating (good or bad) about umpire calls. It is the responsibility of the managers on each team to communicate with the umpires if there is an issue. At the farm level, parents or coaches umpire the games. At the T Ball level, umpires are not needed since the coaches are on the field and fill in as umpires. Volunteers are a key in making this a successful program. If you are 12 or older and interested in being an umpire please contact the Chief Umpire.