Age: Typically, this division is comprised of players with a league age of 7-8 years old. In certain instances, where an individual has advanced skill and awareness, has reached a league age of 6 AND has played at least one Spring season in Competitive Tee Ball, he/she will be provided the opportunity to be evaluated for playing in the Junior Minor Division.
Philosophy: The Junior Minor Division commonly fields between 18-24 teams with an average of 12 players per team. The Junior Minor Division (also referred to as Machine Pitch) is known for exciting, action-filled games and a noticeable improvement in skills by its players. The goal for our young players at this level is to develop a strong foundation in the principles of sportsmanship and teamwork, and, most importantly, having fun learning the fundamentals of baseball. Junior Minor baseball is an enjoyable transition from Tee Ball and an instructional introduction to traditional baseball. Batters are allowed up to six pitches thrown by a pitching machine.
Team Managers and Coaches: Parent participation is one of the keys to the success of any youth volunteer league. Coaching is a great way to enjoy time with your child while introducing the skills essential for children in this age group and developing the fundamental elements of baseball. Responsible parents are needed as managers, coaches, sponsors, team parents, and scorekeepers. We are asking for volunteers now to begin to experience the joys of providing young players with a fun and lifelong baseball experience. Please sign up as a volunteer at the CSLL website or during registration.
Prior to each Spring and Fall season, we conduct coaching training to review practice techniques and drills to make practices more productive.
If you cannot help, please remember that your coach is a volunteer and give them your full support.
Equipment: CSLL provides players with a cap and game jersey. Parents will be responsible for player pants, socks, and belt and glove. The manager of the team will inform parents of the team jersey color and will recommend what color socks, belt and pants to purchase. In addition, there will be bats, helmets, and catcher's gear at the field for players to share. A baseball glove is the only equipment required. The glove should be the softest and largest the player can handle. Well broken-in leather gloves work best and will enable the child to catch and hold onto the ball better than a smaller, stiff, plastic version. Rubber baseball cleats are recommended.
Players are permitted to bring their own batting helmets and/or bat provided that they meet Little League standards. At this level, it is recommended that players use a bat length of 27 or 28 inches and a drop of -8 to -13 (i.e. 28 inches and 15 ounces). Bats must Little League-approved.
Evaluations: Players in this division must attend Player Evaluations in order to be eligible for All-Stars. The purpose of the evaluations is to promote a competitive balance between teams. Check the Facebook page or the website for the Player Evaluation dates for each season. We will also try to send out an email with these dates.
Player Clinics: Players and parents are encouraged to attend skill clinics that are provided by CSLL to help ensure that players, parents, and coaches develop a clear understanding of the necessary skills and that fundamentals of baseball will be of foremost importance each season. These clinics are generally held in the Spring.
Team Formation: Teams are formed via a draft which takes place after Player Evaluations. Each team is allowed 1 Head Coach/Manager and 3 Assistant Coaches and their children on a team, then the remaining players are drafted in snake format. There is only 1 protected Assistant Coach in this division. More details on the draft process can be found in the CSLL Ground Rules Manual. Due to the size of our league, requests for specific teams, players or coaches are unable to be honored. Once teams are formed, coaches will contact and inform the team of practice schedules and other essential information. Team placements are considered final once the draft process is complete.
Player Notification: After the teams are formed, your coach will send out an email with all the team information. The coach will be your primary contact person throughout the season.
CSLL also utilizes TeamSideline for all our communications. Information about teams can be found through this application. We encourage you to download the TeamSideline app and sign up for TeamSideline communications.
Rules: All divisions play by the rules set forth in the current version of the Little League rulebook. Additionally, local ground rules have been established to implement best practices for our league.
Practices and Games: The practice schedule for this division will consist of multiple practices per week. Once games begin, there will be two games per week typically on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. All games will be held at Brian Bachmann Park or Wayne Smith Park. The regular season will comprise approximately 8-12 games.
Practice and game schedules will be available on the website when we have them ready. You can also access this information through TeamSideline.
Post Season (Spring Only!): CSLL Junior Minors are given the opportunity to participate in an end of season tournament against other teams within District 33. If your child decides to participate on one of the teams, the season will likely extend into the last week of June. To be eligible for the tournament, your child must have attend/participated in spring evaluations, also players must live or attend school within the CSLL boundary. More information will be given out in May through TeamSideline communications.
Field Conditions: The City of College Station updates their field conditions after 4 pm daily. In the event of weather, we will make a determination about games after we speak with the City of College Station. There is a link on our homepage for Field Conditions. We will also update via the Facebook page and through TeamSideline communications. You should also hear from your coach.
CSLL utilizes TeamSideline for all our communications. We encourage you to download the TeamSideline app and sign up for TeamSideline communications.