Happy February! Your Rockford Little League Board is hard at work getting ready for the season. Each item is highlighted so you can skip over anything that doesn’t pertain to your family!! We’re excited for the season and hope you are, too!
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ENDS FEB 15 FOR MOST DIVISIONS
February
15-End of “Early Bird” registration (CP, AA, AAA, Majors, Int)
22-Registration Closes (CP, AA, AAA, Majors, Int)
March
13 -End of “Early Bird” registration, Tball, Juniors
20 - Registration Closes (Tball, Juniors, Seniors)
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! for all divisions, INCLUDING UMPIRES, at rockfordll.com! Save $10 per player by registering early!!! See the website for registration dates for each division. We encourage everyone to register early so you don’t miss out on a great season! A couple new things this season: registration fees will increase the last week of registration, families registering 3 or more children will receive a $15 discount, and there is now a family cap of $300. We will take registrations after close dates to fill any vacant spots remaining!
Walk Up Signups We love our RLL families so much that we want to spend Valentine’s Day with you!! Walk up Signups will be held February 14 at the Cannon Township Offices from 7:30-8:30PM. Registration is open online, but this is for anyone that would like additional registration assistance or would like to ask questions in person! This will be the only in person event this year, but you can always reach us at [email protected] if you need anything!
EVALUATIONS for kid pitch softball and baseball divisions (MINORS and MAJORS ONLY) will be held on February 25 at the North Rockford Middle School gyms. Plan 8am-noon for baseball and noon-2 for softball. Kid pitch teams are 100% drafted. Evaluations let us know where your child falls within his/her age group. This allows our coaches to draft balanced, competitive teams! We encourage every player to attend this event! We know families are busy and have a life outside of baseball. If you cannot make evaluations because of other plans, you’re going to be out of town, another sport…it’s not the end of the world! If your child played RLL last year, we’ll use the previous year’s evaluation assessment numbers. Unfortunately, there will not be a make-up date. It’s very costly for RLL to rent the school gym and it also takes a lot of time and effort for our volunteer board to put together and run. Players that do not attend evaluations and don’t have 2022 evaluation numbers will be a “hat pick” at draft night. Their name will literally be drawn for team selection. New in 2023: If your player participated in the 2022 All Star Tryouts, your player is exempt from evaluations as we’ll use those assessment numbers! We will need many volunteers to run this event. If you’re interested in helping, please contact Cindy at [email protected]. Are you coaching a kid pitch team? This is a great opportunity to volunteer and scout the talent you’ll be drafting!
We're looking for businesses to sponsor Rockford Little League!! You can sponsor a player, a team, multiple teams even, or have a banner hung at our fields and it's great advertising for your business! Rockford Little League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. That means your contribution is tax deductible. It’s an affordable way to support a local league and get a lot of advertising for your business, and there are a variety of packages available starting at $50.
Your sponsorship does so many things for RLL. It allows us to put money into the fields to keep them maintained and safe for our kids. It provides scholarships for families that may not be able to afford to play Little League otherwise. For the 2022 season we were able to replace a lot of the old, nasty, broken equipment baseball that's been used for well over a decade...all thanks to the businesses that invest in the kids and community as a sponsor. This season we’re planning on replacing the worn-out softball equipment. Email Kristen at [email protected] if you’d like more information or click this link:
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https://www.rockfordll.com/Default.aspx?tabid=692707
Need Financial Assistance? T-Mobile Little League® Call Up Grant Program - Little League is full for the 2023 season. Please contact us at [email protected] if you need any assistance. We don’t want to see any child miss out on playing ball due to financial reasons!
Breakdown of Divisions RLL Offers:
***Refer to Little League International’s Age Chart to determine your child’s little league age here à Where can I download the 2023 age chart for Little League Baseball, Softball, and Challenger? - Little League
T-ball: ages 4-6
**We offer baseball teams, softball teams, and co-ed teams!**
Baseball Divisions:
Coach Pitch: ages 6-8
AA Minors: ages 8-10, drafted
AAA Minors: age 11, roster filled with drafted players age 10
Majors: age 12, roster filled with drafted players age 11
Intermediates: age 13 (parents can request their 11-12 yo to play this division)
Juniors: age 14
Seniors: ages 15-16
Softball Divisions:
Coach Pitch: ages 6-8
Minors: ages 8-10, drafted
Majors: ages 11-12, drafted
Juniors: ages 13-14
Seniors: ages 15-16
There are some age overlaps which allow you to decide whether your child should play up or down a division based on ability and family needs. If age allows, Little League International requires one season of T-ball before your child advances to the coach pitch division. We follow Little League International's age chart to determine age. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions ([email protected]).
Reminders:
We need proof of age with each child’s registration! This only needs to be done ONCE in their RLL career! There are two ways you can accomplish this!
1). Attach a copy of your child(ren)’s birth certificate in their file at rockfordll.com. You can black out everything except their name and date of birth. A hospital birth certificate cannot be accepted, it must be state issued.
2). Show a copy at Walkup Signups February 14.
If your player’s birth certificate was verified in a previous season, it doesn’t need to be uploaded again, however it will require you to upload something. A picture of your floor or favorite pet is fine.
Email Cindy at [email protected] if you need any help.
Umpires:
Umpires: ages 11-99
Umpires are paid per game. RLL will provide training and all the gear you will need. Online registration must be completed by anyone who is interested in umpiring at RLL. If you are age 18 or older, please complete the Volunteer Registration/Background Check Form at rockfordll.com. Your age and experience will largely determine the divisions for which you may umpire. Email [email protected] with any questions!
The first Umpire Clinic is on the books, so mark your calendar:
Saturday, April 15, 2023, 10am-1pm (includes lunch) at Algoma Township Hall
Algoma Little League has invited us to join them once again for an umpire clinic you won’t want to miss. The clinic will cover both classroom and on-field instruction by Nick Sweeney, a local Cedar Springs resident who has over 25 years of experience umpiring NCAA Division I, II, & III ball games! This is a great opportunity for umpires of all ages and levels to learn and improve in their umping skills. Please be sure you are registered to umpire with RLL. Email [email protected] to get on the list to attend this clinic!
There will be two more clinic dates, but we strongly encourage our umpires to attend the clinic with Algoma LL.
Hit, Pitch and Run Competition hosted by RLL:
RLL is bringing back the hit, pitch and run competition in 2023! All players ages 7-14 are welcome to participate. It only takes each player 10 minutes to run through each drill and the top players in each age group have the opportunity to advance to local and regional competitions, and they can even advance to the World Series for the final competition! More information will be provided as it becomes available, but plan for some time during the week of May 15!
Important Dates:
Keep in mind dates may change, and if they do, we’ll pass that information along ASAP!
February
14-Board Meeting, Walk up Signups 7:30-8:30 Cannon Twp Offices
15-End of “Early Bird” registration (CP, AA, AAA, Majors, Int)
22-Registration Closes (CP, AA, AAA, Majors, Int)
25-Assessments
27-Drafts (Majors BB/SB) coaching clinic/ safety meeting
28- Drafts (AAA BB, AA SB) coaching clinic/safety meeting
March
2 - Drafts (AA BB) coaching clinic/safety meeting
8 - Practice Schedule Released (CP-Int)
13 -End of “Early Bird” registration, Tball, Juniors
14 - Board Meeting
18 - Coaches Clinic of non drafted leagues/Safety Meeting
20 - Practices begin (CP-Intermed)
20 - Registration Closes (Tball, Juniors, Seniors)
24 - Tball, Juniors Rosters and Practice Schedules Released
28 - Game Schedule Released all levels except Interleague schedules
April
3 – 9 SPRING BREAK (Practice optional)
10 - T ball, Juniors Practices Begin
11 - Board Meeting
15 - Field clean up
15- Umpire Clinic with Algoma Little League 10-1pm
16 - Field clean up (make up day)
24 - Games Begin (CP-Intermed)
May
1- T ball Games Begin
9 - Board Meeting
15 - Week pause for practices - no games unless makeup is needed
21 - All-Star Tryouts
27-29 No Games Memorial Day Weekend
June
10 - Season ends
2nd and 3rd week of June-Majors, Intermediates, Juniors D9 Tournaments
13 - Board Meeting
We Need Help!!
RLL runs on volunteers, and we need help. Lots of help!
Open Positions
Facilities Manager: The facilities manager is responsible for: the upkeep of the facility and its equipment. Maintaining the baseball and softball fields, assists in preparation, maintenance and restoration of grounds as needed. Ensures sure tools and equipment are cleaned and repaired as needed. Ensures use of proper equipment and adheres to safety standards and precautions. Some duties under this position are paid!
Evaluations:
We will need many volunteers to run this event. If you’re interested in helping, please contact Cindy at [email protected]. Are you coaching a kid pitch team? This is a great opportunity to volunteer and scout the talent you’ll be drafting!
Be on the lookout for a sign up for field cleanups once the season begins. We’re aiming for the week of April 10 to get the fields and facilities in shape for the season. Some of the work can be done during the week while the kids are practicing. Please consider helping! Lots of hands make light work. Best of all, no experience needed!
We are always looking for help in some form or another. Below is just a small list of Volunteer & Committee opportunities. Continue to watch your email and Facebook for opportunities to plug in and help the league. Many hands make light work!
- Concessions: We need individuals to work alongside 2 employees during games. If we don't have any volunteers, the fans will have to deal with longer lines.
- Preseason/Opening Day Preparation: Get the fields ready for the start of the season.
- Field Maintenance & Equipment: assure our gear and fields are the best they can be.
- Pictures: Help get teams ready for their time slot and hand out pictures when we get them in.
In addition to the above roles needing to be filled, we'd like each family to consider volunteering 1 hour of their time just once during the season. Most of our volunteer board members bring their whole family out when volunteering at the fields. The kids get together and play a game of pick-up ball while the parents tackle the fields. It's a great way to give back to your community and a great way to invest in the children. And it's always fun getting to know other baseball and softball families! If you have any interest in helping, get in touch with us, or watch for opportunities via email or facebook!
Interested in Coaching??? Does your child want to be on a team with their friends??? Another thing to consider when registering your child is coaching. Please consider being a head coach or assistant coach. One parent is usually at the fields with their child, so why not have some fun and give back to your community. Kids learn and improve faster when they have more coaches helping to run practices and get in more repetitions. If you’re not sure where to start, being an assistant is a great place! If your child wants to play on a team with their friends, consider coaching with that group of parents! Reach out to Chris if you have any questions about coaching at [email protected]. We could also use our kid pitch division coaches to assist at evaluations. Let us know if you’d like to help!
We love our Families!!
Please reach out to us if you have any questions. We are always looking to improve and receive input from our families. You can email us at [email protected]. Please give us up to 36 hours to get back to you; we’re all volunteers here! Follow us on Facebook for the most up to date information! Www.rockfordll.com is also a great source for information. Check out the FAQ section!
We look forward to a great 2023 season and can’t wait to see everyone on the fields again!
Your Rockford Little League Board
Tenille Schlachter -- President
Kristen Williams -- Vice President, Sponsorship Coordinator
Chris Bosman -- Coaching Coordinator
Cindy Oakes -- Player Agent
Melissa Pitsch -- Treasurer
Emily Ziemba -- Secretary, Information Officer
Jackie Bosman -- Equipment Coordinator
Vince Scheffler -- Safety Officer
John Parris -- Voting Member, Umpire-In-Chief