League Basics
When is baseball season?
Over 500 kids participate at Village during the spring season, which is our primary season and runs from January - May with evaluations held in early December for the Farm through Majors divisions. Enrollment typically begins in September.
The fall season (“Fall Ball”) is played in cooperation with other leagues in the district and has a less competitive focus. It runs from August - November. Enrollment typically begins in May.
How do I know my kid lives or goes to school in Village’s boundaries?
Lakewood Village Little League welcomes participants from Long Beach and neighboring cities. To check if you live within the designated LVLL boundaries, please visit this link . If your child lives or attends a school within boundaries, they are eligible to play. If not, please send an email to [email protected] so we can work with you on the paperwork needed. Everyone plays at Village.
Per Little League rules, players league age 7 and under — along with their siblings — may join any league, regardless of where they live or attend school.
How do I know my kid’s baseball league age?
Please use this
link to determine your child’s league age.
Which division should my child play in?
Village offers the following divisions during spring and fall.
Quickball (age 4-5): Quickball is a modified and structured version of baseball, designed by an ex MLB player, developed for young children. It provides a positive introduction to the fundamentals of baseball. Friend requests are welcome. We encourage kids to start with Quickball and move to Coach Pitch after. Players will need baseball pants and rubber cleats. NO gloves, bats, or helmets required. Village provides all needed equipment.
Coach Pitch (age 5-6): Kids will have the opportunity to swing at slower pitches from their coach or hit off a tee while continuing to learn baseball fundamentals. Friend requests are welcome. Players will need baseball pants, a batting helmet, USA Baseball tee ball bat, and rubber cleats.
Farm (age 6-7): This division focuses on teaching the fundamentals of baseball and it is designed to build a solid foundation for becoming a successful player. Kids will swing from a farm machine at a speed of 35MPH. They will learn base running, fielding techniques and understand basic field positions while building teamwork. Players will need baseball pants, batting helmet, USA Baseball bat, rubber cleats, and baseball cups (for boys).
Minor B (age 7-9): This division focuses on continued development of baseball fundamentals including the introduction of pitching and catching positions. Players will need baseball pants, batting helmet, USA Baseball bat, rubber cleats, and baseball cups (for boys).
Minor A (age 8-11): Players continue to develop at a more competitive level, focusing on sharpening skills and strategy. Players will need baseball pants, batting helmet, USA Baseball bat, rubber cleats, and baseball cups (for boys).
Majors (age 9-12): Players will advance the foundation laid in the Minor divisions as they take on the next level of competition. It is designed to teach advanced pitching and batting techniques. Players will need baseball pants, batting helmet, USA Baseball bat, rubber cleats, and baseball cups (for boys).
What is a USA Baseball bat?
Little League follows the USA Baseball bat standard. USABat Standard bats must be used in all divisions. USA bats are designed for safety and a wood-like performance. Use of another bat will result in a warning and eventual ejection of player and coach. Look for the following logo printed on the bat:
Please label your player’s bat and other equipment with their name!
What are the game time and mercy rules?
Please refer to our bylaws. Little League also provides a rulebook.
How will I get information through the season?
Our league uses the GameChanger app for all team communication. Families will receive an email invite to join. Practices, games, and league events will be added there. Please download the app and turn on notifications.
What’s included with the uniform?
The league provides jerseys and a team hat. The coach will choose a color for the pants, belts and socks. Families will need to provide those for their player to be worn at games.
What is the best way to stay up to date on Village news?
Please follow Village on Instagram and Facebook for the latest Village news, including information regarding last minute rain delays. Village also sends frequent email communications during the regular season. If you are not receiving these emails, please contact [email protected].
Where can I go if I have questions?
The best place to start is with your Manager or Team Parent. You can also send an email [email protected] or any of the Board Members below.
President [email protected] Matthew Lauwers
Vice President [email protected] Kevin Nottage
General Manager [email protected] Clara Lauwers
Player Agent [email protected] Steve Borish
Treasurer [email protected] Vanessa Smith
A-Team President [email protected] Danielle Russell
Evaluation and Draft Process
What are evaluations?
We require kids who sign up for spring season to attend evaluations. In early December, Village will host a weekend for all registered and waitlisted players to attend player evaluation. All registered players are guaranteed a place on a team. The evaluation will consist of basic baseball drills such as hitting, throwing, catching, and running to help the coaches and independent evaluators determine the skill level of players. This assessment is used during the draft process to create fair and competitive teams. Players who do not attend evaluations will be randomly placed on teams.
How are the teams determined?
Quickball and Coach Pitch teams are randomly assigned. Players may send buddy requests to [email protected]
For Farm, Minor B, and Minor A, teams will draw to determine draft position. The Manager’s player and Assistant Coach’s player may be locked. The remaining positions are filled using a snake draft.
Majors draft order is determined based on the previous year’s in-house tournament. All previous Majors players will remain on the same team unless they elect to return to the player pool. For new managers, the Manager’s player and Assistant Coach’s player may be locked. The remaining positions are filled using a draft.
Volunteers
What are the different roles of volunteers at Village?
Team Manager: Team Managers will take the lead in practices and games to teach players the fundamentals of baseball.
Assistant Coaches: Assistant coaches will help with practices as well as during games. base coaching, pitching, and catching/home plate coaching.
Team Parent: Team parents are the communication link between the league and the team. They organize team events, schedule snack duty, and help in the dugout. They may have other tasks throughout the season, but those are the main responsibilities.
Scorekeeper: A scorekeeper’s job is to keep track of what happens during the game so there’s an accurate record for both teams. We provide training and a scorekeeper buddy to support you.
Do I need to do any training if I want to volunteer?
All volunteers must register in their player’s SportsConnect account. They must complete a LiveScan background check (this is needed once and tied to LVLL), online safety courses (varies each year), and one in-person safety class (every 3 years). These certifications do not transfer over from other leagues, so if you volunteer for another sport or league, you will still need to complete these steps at Village.
Will there be any support if I am a 1st time manager or coach?
There will be a Coaches Clinic where drills, practice plans, etc. will be discussed. We will share details on that once scheduled. You also have access to your Division VP as well as our Coaching Coordinators for any support you might need.
I want to help. How do I register as a volunteer in Sports Connect?
Go to www.villagebaseball.org and login to your player’s account.
Click the volunteer tab at the left side of the screen.
Click “Find Volunteer Roles” and select the role you’d like to volunteer for.
The screen will show two options for signup. If you created the account, you can sign up as a registered user. If someone else created the account, you can click “Sign up new user”. Click “Continue”.
Fill in all information on the next page.
How does my family qualify for a volunteer deposit refund?
The following activities qualify for a single refund:
Team Manager
Team Scorekeeper + scorekeeper or announcer for two district postseason games
Scorekeeper, announcer, or field rep for four district postseason games
Two field day shifts
Two snack bar grill helper shifts
How do I receive the refund?
Please provide the following information to [email protected] and [email protected] once the activities are completed:
Name
Child(ren)’s name(s) and team(s)
Venmo/Zelle account or check request
Description of activities completed
Why do I have to volunteer for district postseason if I was a Team Scorekeeper during the regular season?
To ensure we can continue to host post-season tournaments and provide this benefit to our athletes, a broader base of volunteer support is essential. We are a Village and here for all our children.
Hosting Privileges: Village (and our district counterparts) host a month of district activities after the end of the in-house tournament. This is a privilege and convenience for Village teams, allowing them to compete locally without additional travel.
Volunteer Shortage: Historically, we have relied on a very small group of dedicated volunteers to cover over 150 timeslots during the postseason. Most of these volunteers are helping when their own children are not on the field. In most cases, Team Scorekeepers only participate during their normal attendance period. The league requests just two more games to distribute the effort.
Tournaments
What is the difference between our in-house tournament and district 38 tournaments?
All spring Village teams from Farm to Majors will participate in our in-house tournament which runs in May. Seeding for this tournament is random for Farm to Minor B and based on standings for Minor A and Majors.
The top Village teams from our in-house tournament will move on to the district 38 tournaments called TOC (Tournament of Champions) and AD (All District). The number of teams going to each of those vary every year.
What is All-Stars?
Please refer to ourbylaws
Fundraising & Sponsorships
What is the difference between fundraising and sponsorships?
Fundraising - Village holds one major fundraising event per year during the spring season. Players are encouraged to reach out to friends and family to bring in funds for ongoing improvements to our fields and facilities. Players may earn extra hits in our annual Hit-A-Thon and/or additional prizes based on level of fundraising.
Sponsorships - Village is continuously seeking partnerships with local businesses, many of which come in the form of a team sponsorship. Based on the level of sponsorship, businesses may receive different types of appreciation, including but not limited to recognition via social media, a field banner, advertisement on our GoDog streaming service, or the opportunity to attend a league event. Teams are encouraged to solicit sponsors and may earn rewards for reaching certain thresholds. For more information, please go to our Sponsorship page or contact [email protected].
What is the point of fundraising and sponsorships?
Both fundraising and sponsorships raise funds used to offset the costs of running our baseball programs and invest in field and facility improvements. Recent improvement projects include: new fencing and sod, dugout improvements, sun shades, snack bar renovation, practice facility upgrades, a new scoreboard, and transitioning to a dirt infield for our Coach Pitch field which has allowed for more games.
Parent Expectations
What is expected of parents?
Little League parents are expected to be positive role models, emphasizing good sportsmanship, fun, respectful language and understanding. Our parent community is one of the primary factors driving whether our players have an enjoyable season.
Parents are expected to:
Maintain a positive attitude. Encourage all players from both teams and praise effort and improvement over winning.
Bring your player to practices and games on time and with all necessary equipment.
Communicate schedule or special circumstances with coaches.
Do not coach from the sidelines. This often conflicts with coaching directions and confuses the players.
Respect coaches and umpires. Understand that you may not agree with all decisions. If a decision is unclear or controversial, parents may follow up after the game by directing concerns as described below.
Respectfully communicate with umpires, coaches, players, and other parents. Refrain from insults and name calling.
Do not interact with umpires or coaches from either team during the game.
Do not consume, be under the influence, or distribute alcohol or illicit drugs.