Stratford Little League FAQs

When does the season begin?

Typically, and depending upon the division of play, the regular season begins in late March with pre-season practices, and games begin in early April and continue through mid June. 

Additional playing opportunities exist for players who are selected to play on SLL's All Star teams for participation in Little League International Tournaments. Tournament play can last until late-July for AA/AAA Division All Star Teams or extend into mid-August for Intermediate, Majors, Juniors, and Divisions. 

What days and times are practices and games played?

Coordinating practice and games schedules for over 30 teams across all our divisions is not an easy task, and as a result, our practice and game schedules are usually not finalized until early April. 

*Practices may be scheduled any day of the week after school hours, on Saturdays, and on Sundays after noon.

*Games are typically scheduled in the evenings Monday through Friday and on Saturdays throughout the day. Games are not scheduled on Sundays as Sunday afternoon is reserved for rain-outs and make-ups. 

Practice and game frequency and duration varies by division. 

Tee Ball - teams generally practice for one hour once a week, and play one game per week on Saturdays. 

"A" and "AA" - teams generally practice for 1 ½ hours, twice a week, and play two games per week. 

"AAA", Majors Softball - teams generally practice for 1 ½ to 2 hours, two times a week, and play two games per week. 

Intermediate and Juniors Softball - teams may practice for 2 hours, 1 to 2 times per week and play two games per week.

When will I find out what team my child will play on?

Players and their parents will be directly contacted by their manager by phone or by email in early March.  If you don't hear from a manager by March 7th, please contact the VP of Baseball or the VP of Softball.

Can a player ask to be placed on a team with his or her friends?

SLL baseball and softball is one Little League Charter operated under one Board of Directors. Both SLL Baseball and Softball use a draft system at most levels to ensure a balanced distribution of player talent throughout the teams in a league. Due to our chartering rules and our drafting process, the league is unable to honor teammate requests, with the exception of the T-Ball and AA division.

If a player decides not to play, is it possible to get a refund?

If a player decides to withdraw, a refund of registration fees is available only up to the time of a player's first game. Parents should contact the Player Agent (for Baseball) or VP Softball (for Softball) about the decision not to play and a refund.

If my child is a talented player, should I consider signing up for a higher division? If I am concerned about my child's skill level or emotional maturity, should I consider signing up for a lower division?

Little League International sets minimum age requirements for certain levels of play. You cannot register a player to a division for which he or she does not meet the minimum age requirement.

"Playing up" typically means that a child is at the lowest allowable age of a division instead of falling somewhere in the middle of a division's age range. Most children benefit from playing with others within their age group rather than playing up as they will generally get more playing time, have more opportunities to play preferred positions, play with their school age peers, and receive opportunities to take on leadership roles. Usually, these things turn out to be more important to players than what division they play in. While there are some players who may have a more positive experience playing up, there are many very good players for whom this would be a mistake. For instance, a child might possess the physical skill to play up but lack the emotional maturity to relate successfully with older team mates. This can be a difficult decision for a parent to make and it should be one that is made only after careful consideration. If your child has not played organized baseball or softball or if you have concerns about your child's skill levels and ability to play safely at a designated level, it may benefit him or her to "play down" a division. Ordinarily, a child will do best when he or she is surrounded by his peers and friends. However, Stratford Little League is happy to conduct safety assessments to assist in your decision-making about the appropriate level of play.

What equipment will a player need to bring to the first practice?

Players should arrive at their first practice with a glove, hat, appropriate pants, rubber molded cleats (tennis shoes are fine for Tee Ball), and water bottle. 

Use of an athletic cup is mandatory in ALL Baseball Divisions

For all of our Softball Divisions, all batters must wear a batting helmet with face guard.
All Majors Division softball players must wear a protective face mask when playing a defensive position. 

Balls, batting helmets and catcher's gear are provided to each manager by Stratford Little League.