1. How long is the spring season?
- Players begin practicing, weather permitting, in the middle of March with games beginning in early April and continuing until the first or second week of June.
- Some leagues just offer the minimum 12 games for minors and up but we believe in playing as much baseball as we can fit in. More games provide players with additional opportunities to refine their skills. Repetition is crucial for skill improvement, and more games allow players to gain valuable experience.
2. What days will practices and games be played on?
- Schedules will be known once the teams have been formed.
- Initially, there will be a minimum of two practices per week until games start. Initial practice days and times will be based on the coach's and field availability. We usually are booked Monday-Friday evenings and all day Saturdays the first few weeks. At Christiana, where most practices and games are held, fields are unavailable on Sundays, but we may use other local fields on Sundays (and other days) for practices and/or games, dependent on the number of teams ultimately fielded.
- Once games start, coaches will be required to hold a practice every so often based on field availability.
- The game schedule will be developed in the period between the teams being formed and the end of March. There will be at minimum 2 games per week (1 for T-Ball). If there are an odd number of teams in a division, there may be situations requiring a 3rd game. Each year is different but the goal is to play as many games as we can.
3. What are the rules of each division?
- Check out the rules here.
4. Where are games played?
- Most games are played in Christiana as seen here. From time to time we may play other Little Leagues within our district and have to travel a short distance. We might also utilize other local fields as necessary.
5. What is the policy for weather and the rescheduling of practices and games?
- Our goal is to play baseball. Practice and games mean a lot to the kids. We don't take cancelling lightly.
- We typically will not make a decision until the day of the practice or game. Our fields (except the upper) handle water well, and may be playable as is or after a short delay. When possible a board member will visually inspect the field as part of the process. If the dirt surface is unplayable, a practice will most likely still be held, limiting activity to the outfield only.
- The league will be communicating with the coaches providing updates and in some cases start contingency planning. Based on field availability, we may be able to move up or push back start times if it appears the conditions will be more favorable than that originally scheduled time.
- All decisions on whether a practice or game is postponed are determined by league officials. Coaches may be consulted but coaches do not have the authority to alter the schedule on their own. This ensures a consistent approach is being applied throughout the season.
- If a decision to postpone is reached, the league will update the app which should trigger a notification to the impacted families and may send out a text as well. The coach should also send out a communication through the app confirming the postponement. If you do not receive any notifications, assume the practice or game will go on as scheduled.
- Early in the season before games start, there is very limited field availability to make up practices. It's likely that early season practices will not be rescheduled.
- All postponed games will be rescheduled. We will work with the impacted teams to find a suitable day and time, but absent that, the game will be rescheduled as soon as the league schedule permits.
6. Is fall ball offered?
- Yes. Registration begins in the summer and practices begin mid-August with games typically beginning after Labor Day and continuing through the end of October.
- Fall ball is about development and will be less competitive than the spring season.
- The division structure in the fall will likely be different as compared to the spring due to a reduced amount of players who participate. The division will be based on your league age for the spring season in the following year. We generally have two teams for t-ball and coach pitch combined up to league age 7, two minors teams league ages 8-10, two majors teams league ages 10-12, and a single 50/70 intermediate team league ages 11-13.
- Divisions with multiple teams will play each other, but for minors and up, games are scheduled with other leagues to provide opportunities to play against different teams rather than the same Octorara team every week. As a result some travel will be required.
- T-ball/coach pitch will have a practice during the week and play a game on Saturday's.
- Minors and up should expect a game every Saturday, assuming that we have multiple teams in the division. In the case of a single team, games are contingent on our ability to schedule with other leagues.
- You should also expect games during the week for minors and majors. Up until October, there is enough daylight available to play a game that starts at 5 or 5:15. We know this time can be difficult, but our goal is to play as many baseball games that we can in a short amount of time.
- Games during the week are usually against the Octorara team in the division, but some surrounding leagues have access to lights which may allow us to schedule games at their fields during the week throughout the fall season.
- Coaches who sign up to be a head coach should be flexible and available and not be limited in their availability so it impacts the ability of the league to schedule. Little League is about the players and providing them with opportunities to play. If you cannot dedicate the time and be flexible as a head coach, consider being an assistant coach instead.
7. What if I have more questions?