Summer Baseball Third Notice
Tryout Times Announced
Norwalk Little League is proud to offer three (3) different options to continue playing baseball through the summer. These options are: 1.) The District Tournament Teams, 2.) Summer Travel Teams and 3.) Friendship League Teams. Continue reading to learn about each of these exciting options.
Players interested in our District Tournament Teams and the Summer Travel Teams must attend the June 2nd Tryouts at Broad River Field 1. Specific tryout times are as follows:
In the event of a rainout, Tryouts will take place during the early afternoon of June 3rd. Please continue reading this email for more information about each of our summer options.
1. District 1 LL International Tournament Teams - $160 per player
Players between the ages of 8-12 are eligible to tryout for our 10u, 11u & 12u District Tournament team. Each of these teams is entered into the Little League Tournament which concludes with the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA for the 12u team.
Competition and practices at this level are geared towards the more advanced player. District teams will compete against some of the best Little League players in the area representing their towns. Playing time, batting order and field positions will be focused on helping each team reach their goal of advancing as far as possible in the tournament. As a result, not all players on these teams will receive equal playing time.
Players who are chosen for this team are expected to attend all practices and games. Practices are generally everyday beginning shortly after tryouts and running until games start near the end of June. The season runs until the end of July or first week of August. Practices for the 10u District team are especially important since the players need to learn stealing home, no dead balls, bunting and signals. These are some things that are not stressed during the regular season but are critical to the success of tournament teams.
We have roster spots for a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 14 players on each of these District teams so a formal tryout will be held. Players who attend the tryout will select approximately 40% of the team. About 30% of the players will be selected by the vote of the Regular season managers. The Manager of each of the District teams, in consultation with League Officials, will fill out the remainder of the team roster. Players will be notified within a few days of tryouts if they made the District team. Players who wish to be eligible for District Teams must attend tryouts the morning of June 2nd. The rain out date for tryouts will be June the 3rd.
2. Summer Travel Teams - $100 per player
The Summer Travel program is our newest summer option. These teams are designed for players who want a competitive environment but were not chosen for the District teams. We hope to form up to four (4) teams: 12U, 11U, 10U & 9U. The 12U and 11U teams will play the majority of the games on the intermediate size field (50/70) and use intermediate rules. The 10U & 9U teams will play on the traditional LL 46/60 field size.
Games will be against Travel teams within Districts 1&2 in Connecticut. Games will run from late June through late July and end with a tournament at the end of July.
While not as competitive as the District level teams, players who are selected for the Summer Travel teams are still expected to make every practice and game. Practice and games at this level are focused on developing each player’s ability to play at a more advanced level. Players will work on their ability to steal bases, bunt, read coach’s signs and play with live ball rules.
Since there will only be one team per age group with limited roster spots on each team, players wishing to participate in our Summer Travel Program must attend the District Team tryouts on the morning of June 2nd. The rain out date for tryouts will be June the 3rd. Any player that does not make the District team will automatically be considered for the Summer Travel teams.
3. Friendship League Teams - $100 per player
Friendship League games are played against other Norwalk Little League Friendship League teams and against other Little Leagues in surrounding towns through the month of July. In previous seasons, we’ve had teams for 7/8 year olds, 9/10 year olds and 11/12 year olds. The teams for this season will be dependent on the level of interest in each age group. The goal is to give all interested players an opportunity to play into the summer.
There is NO tryout for any of the Friendship League teams. ALL players who would like to play are placed on a team.
Friendship League teams are generally more laid back with not as many practices. However players are still expected to make every practice and be responsible enough to let their coaches know if they cannot make a practice or game. We need to know how many players and at what age to determine the number of coaches and teams.
If a player does not make one of the District 1 LL Tournament Teams or Summer Travel teams, they will automatically be chosen for a Friendship League team.
We look forward to seeing you out on the baseball fields this summer!