The League
Q. What is Elmsford Little League?
A. Elmsford Little League is a chartered member of Little League International, Inc. and operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization. ELL was established in 1953 and is a member of Little League District 20 in New York. We are a volunteer-based organization and rely on the support of our families, local businesses, and corporate and community sponsors.
Q. Who is eligible to play in Elmsford Little League?
A. Children who live or go to school within ELL’s boundaries are eligible to play in the league. To determine eligibility, please visit Little League International’s League Finder and enter your home or school address.
Q. Who runs Elmsford Little League?
A. Elmsford Little League is chartered by Little League International and must follow its rules, regulations and guidelines. Elmsford Little League’s Board of Directors—volunteers elected by the league’s members—oversee the day-to-day operations of the league. Current members of the Board of Directors are listed here.
Q. What spring programs does Elmsford Little League offer?
A. ELL offers baseball, softball and tee-ball programs for children who have a Little League Age of 4 to 16. Baseball is entirely in-house through age 12: ELL teams play against one another. Softball teams and Intermediate (age 13), Juniors (14) and Seniors (15-16) baseball teams compete against other teams from New York’s Little League District 20. Tee Ball is an in-house program featuring instructional sessions and mini-games.
Q. What are the dates of the spring season?
A. Practices typically begin for the baseball and softball divisions in mid-March. Games for all divisions typically begin in early-to-mid April. All programs run until mid-June.
Q. Does Elmsford Little League offer summer and fall programs?
A. Yes. ELL fields teams in multiple age groups which play games against each other as well as teams from other Little Leagues in New York’s District 20. Summer and fall baseball and softball require less of a time commitment and place more of an emphasis on games than practices. ELL also offers a tee-ball option similar to the spring program.
Q. When can I register?
A. Registration for ELL’s Spring 2024 season opened on November 17 and will close on January 2, after which registrants are added to a waitlist without guarantee of admission. Registration for the summer season usually opens in May and closes in June. Registration for the fall season typically begins in late July and closes in mid-to-late August.
Q. Can I receive financial assistance?
A. Yes. ELL’s philosophy is simple: Any child who wants to play baseball or softball should be able to play baseball or softball. The T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant program offers assistance for the spring season each year; information is available here. Families can apply by following that link. ELL also provides scholarships to families for whom the registration fee constitutes a financial burden. If you are in need of assistance, please contact us at [email protected]; any requests are handled confidentially.
Divisions and Programs
Q. What is the structure of Elmsford Little League’s spring baseball program?
A. During the spring baseball season, players are placed in the following divisions:
-Tee Ball
-Rookie League
-Single-A
-AA
-AAA
-Majors
-Intermediate (Age 13)
-Juniors (Age 14)
-Seniors (Ages 15 and 16)
Q. What is the structure of Elmsford Little League’s spring softball program?
A. During the spring softball season, players are placed in the following divisions:
-6U
-8U
-10U
-12U
-14U
How are players placed in a spring baseball division?
A. Players are slotted into different divisions based on a combination of age and ability. ELL aims to put players in the best position for them to succeed—physically, socially and emotionally. All 12-year-olds must play in the Majors division; all Pre-K children must play tee-ball. From there, ELL takes great care to place players at the appropriate level, utilizing several different methods of evaluation, including reports from the previous season’s coaches and winter evaluations.
Q. Should I register my child for tee ball or baseball/softball?
A. If you are having trouble deciding between tee ball and baseball/softball for your child, please follow these recommendations:
Children who are not yet in kindergarten should play tee ball.
Current kindergartners who have not previously played tee ball are strongly encouraged to register for tee ball.
Current kindergartners who played tee ball last year can register for either tee ball or baseball/softball based on their skill level and interest in the game.
First-graders must register for baseball/softball.
Q. How are players placed in a spring softball division?
A. In softball, players typically compete in their age bracket. For example, 9- and 10-year-olds play 10U. Occasionally, a particularly advanced player will compete in an older division if there is a need to fill roster spots.
Q. How is a player’s age determined?
A. Players have a "Little League Age" each season:
-In baseball, “Little League Age” is determined by a player’s age on August 31 of that calendar year. For example, for the 2024 season, a player born on 4/7/14 is “Little League 10.” A player born on 10/3/14 is “Little League 9.” The 2024 baseball age chart can be viewed here.
-In softball, Little League age is determined by a player’s age on December 31 of the previous calendar year. For example, for the 2024 season, a player born in 2015 is “Little League 8” for softball. The 2024 softball age chart can be viewed here.
Q. Are girls allowed to play baseball?
A. Yes. While ELL offers a softball program as well, girls are welcome to choose baseball at any age.
Q. Does my child need to try out to make a team?
A. No. There are no tryouts/cuts for Elmsford Little League. Anyone who wants to play can play. New players are required to attend an evaluation, though, so they can be placed in the appropriate division.
Teams
Q. How are spring teams formed?
A. In the younger baseball and softball divisions (tee ball, Rookie League baseball and Coach Pitch softball), we try to group kids with friends or schoolmates. In the older divisions, we utilize a draft structure with the goal of creating balanced teams.
Q. What are player evaluations?
A. During the winter, we hold indoor evaluations to assess players’ abilities. These are not tryouts to make a team. The goal is to collect information to help place the player in the right division, and then to balance the teams within that division. We require all new players to be evaluated, and will occasionally ask returning players to attend as well.
Q. Do you honor requests to play with friends?
A. No. While ELL does try to place players with children they know in the youngest divisions (tee ball, Rookie League baseball, 6U softball), we cannot guarantee that any specific players will end up on the same team. In our older divisions, we cannot factor any friend requests into the creation of teams. In fact, we believe that one of the most rewarding aspects of our program is the formation of new friendships among teammates.
Q. What equipment does my child need?
A. ELL’s equipment guide can be viewed in English or Spanish. The league provides all players with a hat and jersey; players are responsible for the remainder of their equipment and uniform.
Q. What is the time commitment? How many games/practices do the kids have each week?
A. Spring programs vary by division:
Tee Ball
Baseball
Rookie League: One game (either on Saturday or Sunday) and one practice (typically on a weekday late afternoon/early evening) per week.
Single-A through Majors: Two games and at least one practice per week. (Some coaches may schedule additional practices).
Softball
NOTE: Schedules for summer and fall are more fluid and vary from team to team.
Q. What time are games held?
A. Game dates and times vary from week to week, due to the number of teams that need to be scheduled onto available fields. We cannot produce schedules until after teams have been drafted; for the spring season, that process typically is completed by late March. All teams have at least one weekend game per week; teams may also play on weekdays.
Q. I'm trying to plan my child's schedule for the spring, and am worried about potential conflicts. Can you tell me when his/her games and practices will take place?
A. Unfortunately, we simply aren't able to provide that information until late in March. Why? First, we rely on the town and local schools for access to practice fields, and they aren't able to tell us what's available until March. Second, game schedules don't get produced until teams have been drafted. Teams don't get drafted until registration ends, evaluations are completed and coaches are chosen. Finally, practice times also can't be allotted until we have teams and coaches assigned. Coaches then sign up for available slots. There is simply no way to do that before March, unfortunately.
Q. Who coaches ELL’s teams?
A. All of ELL’s coaches are parent/guardian volunteers.
Q. How are coaches selected?
A. Parents/guardians interested in coaching should sign up while registering children to play. The ELL board then meets to go over the candidates for each division and selects head coaches for each team. Each head coach can choose one assistant coach prior to team selection and then can add assistant coaches from his team’s roster. Each team should have multiple assistant coaches, so there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer, even if someone is not selected as a head coach.
Q. Where are games and practices held?
A. ELL utilizes multiple locations throughout Greenburgh. Our main complex is located at 2305 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford, NY, 10523 -- the facility includes two fields for games (Arciola and Piccoli), two batting cages, a clubhouse, a snack bar, restroom facilities, a playground and an outdoor pavilion. Games are held at other locations, including Rumbrook Park, Secor Woods Park, Yosemite Park and Webb Field. Teams practice at various local parks and schools.
Q. My child plays another sport which may conflict with games/practices. Can he/she still play?
A. Yes. Elmsford Little League believes in the importance of playing multiple sports, and encourages children to participate in as many activities as they want. If a player has a significant conflict that will lead to low attendance, we ask that you let us know ahead of time, so that we can balance teams accordingly.
Health and Safety
Q. Are coaches required to go through a background check?
A. Yes. No adult is allowed to coach ELL players without passing a background check.
Q. What Covid protocols does ELL have in place?
A. ELL is required to submit a safety plan to Little League International, which includes Covid-19 guidelines and procedures. The safety plan is located here.
Miscellaneous
Q. What is your refund policy?
A. If a player has registered for ELL's spring season and teams have not been drafted/formed yet, we will issue a full refund if there is a request to withdraw from the league. If the request to withdraw comes after team assignments have been made (and uniforms have been ordered), we will refund half the registration fee up until Opening Day. Once the season starts, ELL will not issue refunds for withdrawals.
Q. Can I watch ELL games online?
A. Yes! All games at Piccoli and Arciola fields are streamed live through Local Live. You can access the stream here.