Mission
San Clemente Little League is a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to provide a safe, instructional, and fun environment for the children of San Clemente, California, ages 4-18. Chartered under the umbrella of Little League International, Inc. and Little League District 68 of Southern California, we share a mission to "promote, develop, supervise, and voluntarily assist in all lawful ways, the interest of those who will participate in Little League Baseball."
Founded in 1954 in south Orange County as a part of District 68, San Clemente Little League prides itself on bringing "America's Pastime" to over 1,000 children each year. We are one of the few leagues in the area to offer a Challenger program for our special needs players. Our non-profit organization operates as an all-volunteer program. We rely on the support of our network of families, local businesses, corporate, and community sponsors. We are grateful for this outpouring of support.
Divisions
San Clemente Little League has several divisions of play, based on age and playing ability. The lower division teams start with Tee Ball, and then go up to Coach Pitch and then Machine Pitch as the players get older. Our upper divisions, which are all “kid pitch,” consist of A, AA, AAA & Majors. A Junior division also exists for kids 12-15. Players are placed on lower division teams by the Player Agent. If your child will be a lower division player and you are interested in him/her playing for a particular manager or with a specific friend, please make note of this request during the online registration form. The Player Agent will try to honor those requests when possible. In the upper divisions, managers select their teams based on a draft. Siblings, however, will be allowed to play on the same team.
League Age
League Age is the age the child will be on or before August 31 of the playing year. The player will be considered that league age during the whole season. A child must be League Age 5 to play Little League. League Age 5-year-old players typically play T-Ball. League Age 6-year-old players typically play in the Coach Pitch division. This pattern continues up through the divisions as the players get a year older. There may be some flexibility to “play up or down” depending upon the player’s circumstances (i.e., ability, siblings, etc.). The Player Agent can give you further guidance if you wish it. See the official chart here:
Leading up to the Season
Players who will participate in our upper divisions are evaluated prior to the draft. All players that are evaluated will be drafted onto a team for the season. Our goal is to provide a good experience for all members, which includes balanced teams, based on manager observations during the evaluations.
On Evaluation Day, each player will be given the opportunity to (1) bat, (2) field fly balls, (3) field ground balls, (4) throw, and (5) run in competition with players having the same league age. The managers then use the information they gathered on those evaluation days to select their team at the Manager Draft. No kids are “cut,” and the draft choices/orders are never divulged.
The Season
All players should expect to get a call/email from their managers by the end of January. Practices start in February. Games will begin in March. There is a two-week Spring Break during the season, which coincides with many of the schools’ Spring Breaks. The regular season goes through the end of May or early June based on the division and possibility of post-season tournaments.
For the lower division teams, there is generally one practice per week. It is usually held on a weekday in the late afternoon. That weekday practice slot typically becomes a standing practice for the T-Ball, Coach Pitch, and Machine Pitch teams. These divisions’ games are usually held on Saturdays, with the exception of a couple of weekday afternoon games, and last about 60-90 minutes. There are three innings, and all players get a chance to bat each inning. Although coaches may honor “outs” later on into the season (i.e., if the runner is out at first, he/she will go back to the dugout), there is no switching sides once three outs are made. The team in the field will only go into their dugout after every player on the batting team had a chance to bat.
Upper division teams have longer practices and longer, more complex games. You will see umpires, scorekeepers, pitch counts, and snack bars at these games. Volunteers are needed for all of these positions. Practices are scheduled on a rotating basis depending on the team’s game that week.
Equipment
All divisions will receive as their uniform: jersey, belt, socks, and a hat. Parents must provide a baseball glove, a bat, baseball pants, and proper shoes. Most kids in all divisions do wear baseball cleats. Once the team decides on a pants’ color, the family is responsible for providing that item of the uniform. Batting helmets are required in all divisions. Cups are required for catchers (for Single A and upper divisions) and recommended for all other players. Batting helmets are also required.
Challenger Division
The Challenger Division was established in 1989 as a separate division of Little League to enable boys and girls with physical and mental challenges, ages 4-18, or up to age 22 if still enrolled in high school, to enjoy the game of baseball along with the millions of other children who participate in this sport worldwide.
Who can participate in the Challenger Division? Any boy or girl between the ages of 4 and 18, or anyone up to age 22 that is still enrolled in a high school program, that faces a physical or mental challenge.
Requirements to Play Challenger Division:
- No local residency is required
- Free to all eligible players
And that's a wrap...see you on the fields...go SCLL!!!