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Highlands Little League

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions
Who can play in Highlands Little League?
Anyone who is between the ages of 4-16 and resides/attends school within Highlands Little League boundaries is eligible to participate in the league. Confirm league boundaries HERE.

When does the season start and end?
The Spring season begins with practices in early/mid March and the season runs through the middle of June.  Players selected to All-Star teams play deeper into the summer.  Registration for Spring ball typically occurs in November, December, January and February.

When HLL begins a fall program practice starts at the beginning of September and the season runs through the end of October.  There is no post-season play in the Fall.  Registration for Fall Ball usually takes place in August.
  
What is the difference between Spring baseball/softball and Fall baseball/softball?
Spring ball is the traditional Little League season.  There are more teams than in the Fall and there are evaluations for the older age groups.  There are tournaments for the Minors, Majors, Intermediate, and Junior baseball age groups and softball typically plays other teams in the district. All-Star tournaments follow the Spring season.

Fall Ball is more instructional in nature.  Practices run through the entire season and players are encouraged to develop skills that will be utilized at the next age level.  There are no standings kept.

How can I volunteer to help out at Highlands Little League?

Highlands Little League encourages all to volunteer.  Parents are needed to volunteer for team managing, coaching, score keeping, umpiring, and field maintenance. Our Board Members are eager to share their experiences and offer training for any of these positions. Managers are in need of team moms once the season begins, and all parents are required to support and participate in team fundraising once the season begins. The Board of Directors for Highlands Little League is always looking for individuals interested in leadership positions. All volunteers; managers, coaches, board members, and team moms are required to fill out a volunteer application and submit to a background check in order to volunteer. There is no cost to you, the volunteer.

What is the difference between a Manager and a Coach?
The manager is the person in charge of the team. He/she is the direct contact between the team and the Highlands Little League Board of Directors. The manager is responsible for all actions and conduct of the team, its players, coaches, and fans. Managers schedule practices, disseminate game information, and are the point of contact for Umpires during games. Managers are assisted by coaches. Two coaches and one manager are allowed to be in the dugout during games. Coaches help support the manager on the field or in the dugout during games. They help with field prep before and after games. During practices they help carry out the practice plans and drills that the manager has planned for that day. Coaches will report to managers and managers will report to their division's player agent. The player agents are listed under the Board of Directors in the pull down menu.

Why do we need to participate in fundraisers?
Highlands Little League feels that our fees for each division is a reasonable amount to play although it costs much more to actually play Little League. Because of the low registration fees, we try to bring in more money to be able to provide your children the best Little League experience they can have. Registration fees and fundraiser fees help pay for uniforms, equipment, merchandise, insurance, and helps keep our fields maintained. This is how we can keep our league fees low.

Is there practice every week, if so, what days?
Before the season, there are generally more practices per week.  Older divisions practice more often. The weeknight practices may not be on a fixed night of the week and could rotate every week. Once games begin, practices may wane but are up to the discretion of the manager. 

Are games played on weeknights or weekend? 
Teams play at least two games per week.  Depending on team numbers in a division, one game is on Saturday and one game is on a weeknight or two during the week.

How can I find out if a field is open or closed?
Rain outs on the Highlands Little League fields are determined by the home team manager/coaches. You can find out if a field is rained out by receiving group text messages from your manager on the day of the game. This is a feature of our web site and all text info runs through our online site. You can sign up for our text message system at registration. You may also receive a phone call from your manager prior to the game. We try to update the Facebook page in a timely manner, but sometimes we are not always able to. Your team manager should always have the latest information. If a game is rained out, please respect that decision and stay off the fields.

My two sons/daughters are the same age.  Can I be assured they will be placed on the same team?
 
Yes.  Siblings playing in the same division will be placed on the same team. For Minors and above, certain procedures must be fulfilled, per the Little League rule book, but most times we can make it work.

My son/daughter would like to play on the same team as his/her friend or with a certain coach.  Is this possible?

HLL's policy is to allow parents to request their children be placed with friends in the T-Ball and PeeWee divisions.  As children move beyond these entry divisions our goal is to maintain competitive balance and follow Little League International's guidelines with an all-player draft.

What equipment does the league provide?
The league provides balls, bats, batting helmets, catching equipment.  Players also receive a cap and jersey as part of their uniform.

What equipment must I provide for my son/daughter?
Your son/daughter needs to have their own pants, socks, belt, baseball/softball glove, cleats and for boys we recommend getting a hard cup from Pee Wee Division and higher. Only players 13 and up can have metal spikes (and this is still limited depending on the field the game is being played at). The younger ones need to have plastic cleats. Although it's not a must, it is recommended to have a bat or find someone who will share a bat.

Does my son/daughter have to use equipment provided by the league?

No.  Players may use their own bats, helmets, catchers equipment, etc.  However, personal equipment must conform to the Little League rules listed in the rule book.

Can we bring our pets to the Highlands Little League Fields?
This is generally shunned as we share the property with the church and want to respect their grounds as well as keeping the complex highly maintained and presentable to those visiting us from other leagues. Sunflower seeds and alcoholic beverages are also forbidden at the Highlands Little League fields.