2020 Wilton Spring Little League
2020 Indoor Clinics - mark your calendars
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Welcome to Spring Little League Softball in Wilton
We are excited to offer several indoor clinics to get our players ready to hit the field. These clinics will be runs by parents coaches. All clinics will be held at Wilton Sport & Fitness, 644 Danbury Road, Wilton. The entrance to the facility is behind the back of the building.
As a registered Little League Softball player, your daughter is invited to attend all available clinics. (Kickball will start outdoors on opening day). Please review the descriptions below and add the appropriate clinics to your calendar. If you have any questions regarding the clinics please reach out to Matt McMahon, VP Little League Softball, mcmahonmp@gmail.com League descriptions are below
Sunday February 23rd 3:00 – 3:45 A & T – Bring your mitt, sneakers and water bottle. Session will focus on basic throwing, catching and hitting mechanics. 3:45 – 4:30 AA/AAA – Bring whatever gear you have. Bats, helmets and face masks will be provided. Session will focus on throwing, catching and hitting mechanics.
Sunday March 1st 3:00 – 3:45 Beginner pitch – Please bring your mitt, sneakers and water bottle. Session will provide basic instruction on pitching mechanics. All players with an interest in pitching are encouraged to attend. 3:45 – 4:30 Advanced pitch - Please bring your mitt, sneakers, water bottle and a catcher (parent, sibling, friend). Session will provide players who have pitched before with the opportunity to practice and improve on their form.
Sunday March 8th 3:30 – 4:30 A & T – Bring your mitt, sneakers and water bottle. Session will focus on basic throwing, catching and hitting mechanics. 4:30 – 5:30 AA/AAA – Bring whatever gear you have. Bats, helmets and face masks will be provided. Session will focus on throwing, catching and hitting mechanics.
Sunday March 15th 3:30 – 4:30 Beginner pitch – Please bring your mitt, sneakers and water bottle. Session will provide basic instruction on pitching mechanics. All players with an interest in pitching are encouraged to attend. 4:30 – 5:30 Advanced pitch - Please bring your mitt, sneakers, water bottle and a catcher (parent, sibling, friend). Session will provide players who have pitched before with the opportunity to practice and improve on their form.
Sunday March 22nd 3:30 – 5:30 Majors - Bring whatever gear you have. Bats, helmets and face masks will be provided. Session will focus on throwing, catching and hitting mechanics plus fielding and contests.
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Kickball (Pre-T)
- Ages 4 and 5 (2014-2015 birthdays)
- Introduction to Wilton Little League and Softball
- Focus on Fun and learning the basic rules of softball. Includes your player’s first Wilton Softball jersey.
- Uses a kickball
- One-hour games each Saturday morning
Tee-ball
- Ages 5 and 6 (2013-2014 birthdays)
- Introduction to Softball
- Focus on Fun…and begin softball fundamentals
- Hitting, Throwing and Catching
- After one season in T-ball, players move to A-Ball
- Uses 10-inch soft ball
- One Saturday scrimmage and one practice (either during week or before the game)
A (7U)
- Ages 6 and 7 (2012-2013 birthdays). Players who have completed one year of tee-ball should play A ball.
- Coach pitched league
- Uses 11-inch ball (RIF1 or RIF 10)
- Focus on core skill development
- Hitting, Throwing, Base Running and Catching
- Introduction of inter-town play
- One Saturday game and one practice during the week
AA (9U)
- Ages 8 and 9 (2010-2011 birthdays). 2010-born players who are new to the game should play AA.
- Introduction of player pitch with boundaries (ie coach relief after 1 walk)
- Intermediate base-running
- Uses 11-inch ball
- Pitching from 35 feet
- Increased percentage of play is inter-town during season
- Can be eligible for AAA district team
- One Saturday game and one practice during the week. Occasional weekday games
AAA (10U)
- Ages 9 – 10 (2009-2010 birthdays). This includes all 2009’s and the more-advanced 2010’s. 2010-born players who understand the game and are comfortable with throwing, catching and hitting should play AAA.
- Player pitch with coach relief after two walks
- More advanced base-running
- Uses 11-inch ball
- Pitching from 35 feet
- This year, most of the play will be v. neighboring towns
- One Saturday game and one practice during the week. Occasional weekday games and Saturday double-headers with a minimum 12-game schedule. Goal is 13 games.
- *Submits an AAA (10U) District All Star Team
Majors (12U)
- Ages 11 and 12 (2007-2008 birthdays)- more advanced and older players
- Play full Little League “book” rules
- Play is both in-town and inter-town
- Pitching from 40 feet
- Uses 12-inch ball
- One Saturday game and one practice during the week. Occasional weekday games and Saturday double-headers with a minimum 12-game schedule. Goal is 13 games.
- *Submits a 12U district team. May also submit a separate 11U district team.
Juniors (14U)
- Ages 13 and 14 (2005-2006 birthdays)- most advanced and oldest players
- Play full Little League “book” rules
- Freshman that play high school team are eligible once school season ends
- Pitching from 43 feet
- Uses 12-inch ball
- Most play is inter-town
- 1-2 games per week plus one practice.
- *May submit a 14U District All Star Team.
Notes:
- Practice Nights for each team will be determined by each team’s manager. When dividing teams, the League Director will pay attention to availability information which you enter during registration. S/he will do their best to assign players to a team whose practice night will align with their availability. In the event that a team assignment with a workable practice night cannot be found, a full refund can be issued.
- Cost differential – The program costs increase as the player move to higher levels. The costs to you increase as it costs Wilton Softball more to put on the program. Some of the factors which contribute to cost increases include the introduction of umpires, the move from teen to adult umpires and a larger number of games played.
- Equipment – Players need only bring cleats/sneakers, water bottle and a mitt. Little League provides bats, balls, helmets, face masks and catcher’s gear. As players progress through the program, many players choose to buy their own bats, helmets and face masks.
- District All Star Team – Starting at 10U, towards the end of the spring season, players and managers will vote on players to invite to an All-Star team which will compete in the District Tournament in early July. Teams which win their district advance to a Sectional Tournament. Sectional winners advance to States. State Champions advance to Regionals and Regional Champions advance to the Little League World Series. There is an additional nominal fee for players who participate on the team.
Little League Post Season
Many of you are familiar with the Little League World Series, which takes place in Williamsport, PA each August. Little League Softball also has a World Series, which will take place in Portland, OR this August. Like with Little League Baseball, each team which participates in the World Series begins as a town All-Star team.
This year, Wilton may field All-Star teams at the 10U, 11U (TBD) and 12U levels to complete in a District Tournament. Wilton plays in Connecticut District 1. The winner of that tournament will compete in a Sectional Tournament. The winner of that Section will compete in State Tournament. The State Champion will compete in the New England Regional Tournament. The New England champion will compete in Portland.
I’d like to give you a little bit of background on how we form this All-Star team. About two-thirds way through our Little League season, the Wilton Little League Softball Board will convene and elect a Manager for each of our District All-Star teams. Shortly after that, each team will vote, via secret ballot, to name the best players on their team. The Manager will name two coaches and the three will gather to choose the All-Star team, based on both player and coach input.
Little League prohibits announcing the District Team before June 1. On, or shortly after June 1, the Manager will invite the players who are selected to join the team. Teams usually consist of 11-13 players. Players who accept the invitation should only do so if they are willing and able to make the commitment – which consists of being available for practices and scrimmages most days in June. In addition, players who accept will need to be in town and available to play for the first two-three weeks in July. The District Tournament runs the first week of July (and often plays on July 4). Teams will usually play between three and five games. The Sectional Tournament runs the second week. The State Tournament runs the third week.
For those who participate on the All-Star team, they will enjoy a five-plus week immersive experience. Win or lose, the players will develop a good deal as players and truly bond as a team.
Because Little League rules prevent us from publicly-naming managers, coaches or players before June 1, the process I described will largely happen in the background. Hopefully, the information in this note will help you better understand what is going on.
*Some years, many towns do not field 11U teams. If no neighboring towns enter 11U teams, ours will advance directly to the Sectionals or even the State Tournament.
