FAQ

The following content is a primer for parents, players, and other volunteers involved in Issaquah Little League.

If you have additional questions please contact us.

Issaquah Little League

Q. Is Issaquah Little League a local organization?
A. We are a chapter of Little League Baseball, a national non-profit organization founded in 1939 and headquartered in Williamsport, PA. Issaquah Little League's charter was established in 1971 with a board of 8 members. Each local chapter is governed by a national framework of rules and regulations, and elects a Board of volunteers to carry out its business. Issaquah Little League has local rules that are specific to our league but must not conflict with the national rules and regulations.

Q. What is the benefit of joining Little League?
A. Little League's primary objective is to "implant firmly in the children of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and respect for authority, so that they may be well-adjusted, strong and happier children and will grow to be good, decent, healthy and trustworthy citizens." Participation is open to everyone and baseball/softball is the vehicle through which the objectives above are achieved.

Q. Is Issaquah Little League a non-profit organization?
A. Yes, Issaquah Little League is a community funded, registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that depends on registrations, donations, fundraising events, and sponsorships to fund the many programs offered by the league. Review our Sponsors and Giving page for additional information on how you can get involved.

Q. How can I get more information or make suggestions?
A. You may contact us directly or talk with parents or Board Members who are already involved in Issaquah Little League.

Player Registration

Q. What ages of children can play Little League and how are they divided?
A. There are Baseball programs for players 4-16 years of age and Softball programs for ages 4-14 years of age.

Q. Which level/age group should I register my player for?
A. Our Baseball and Softball programs have an overview of the different divisions that you can register for along with age ranges. Your players Little League age is determined by an age chart. You may use the Little League age determination site along with unique age charts for Baseball, Softball, and Challenger to find your player's Little League age.

Q. Is there a way for my player to play up/down a division?
A. Yes. Please review the Issaquah Little League Petition Policy for more details.

Q. How do you handle players that are petitioning to play up into a higher priced divisions (e.g. Tee Ball --> A or AA --> AAA)?
A. For both Tee Ball and AA you'll select the division that notes Petition to Play Up (e.g. "AA - Petition to Play Up - Baseball") during registration. This registration includes the cost of the higher priced division and if your player isn't granted their petition to play up the difference will be refunded.

Q. How do we know if we can play in Issaquah Little League?
A. For a player to be eligible to play in Issaquah Little League the player must either reside and/or attend school within the boundary of the league.

Q. Can my child play in Issaquah Little League if we live outside of the official boundaries?
A. Yes. Players that do not reside within a league boundary but attend a school that is physically located within the league boundary are permitted to participate in that league with full eligibility. If your player does not meet eligibility, they may still be permitted to play by submitting a waiver. The Waiver, if approved, lasts for one season and removes your child from any All-Star eligibility in either league. See the League Boundary and or Contact the Player Agent for more information.

Q. During registration do I need to provide proof of residency or school attendance?
A. Issaquah Little League does not require you to provide proof of residence to register for the Little league season unless your player is selected for All-Stars. If your player is selected for All-Stars you will be notified of requirements at that time.

Q. Why is registration in November for the following year's baseball and softball seasons?
A. Because of the ever-increasing number of children, Issaquah Little League needs to ensure we have sufficient time to both select the proper number of well-qualified managers/coaches, make teams, and schedule fields on an efficient basis. Having too few managers/coaches means too many children on a team and therefore reduced playing time. The additional planning time also provides Issaquah Little League with the ability to better ensure that all children get a chance to play (some children on waiting lists for late registration unfortunately have had to be turned away)!

Q. Does you offer scholarships?
A. Yes. We understand that the cost of Little League can be a hardship for some families and we are here to support. For more information, review our Scholarship information.

Q. What are the general registration policies for Issaquah Little League?
A. For specific details, please read the the Registration policies.

Baseball and Softball Programs

Q. What is the League's typical schedule?
A. See our Baseball Division Calendar or Softball Division Calendar for a season overview.

Q. Are there T-Ball programs too?
A. We have two T-Ball programs – a Baseball program and a Softball program. Read about both programs on the Baseball and Softball pages to make sure you select the correct division at the time of registration.

Q. When should I switch my daughter from baseball to softball?
A. Minors softball begins at age 6 if the player has had one year of T-Ball. Some parents believe that the baseball experience is more competitive and choose to have their player remain in baseball till age 9 prior to Coast level play. By age 7-8 very few girls are still playing baseball, and by age 9 players generally begin pitching and will not learn the fast pitch windmill style pitch in baseball. If you have more detailed questions on this please reach out to our Softball Player Agent.

Q. Where can I find more information about the Intermediate (or any other) division?
A. Additional information about each baseball and softball division can be found on the respective pages.

Q. What is the typical time commitment?
A. Generally there are two events per week (one weekday and one on Saturday) at the younger ages and three at the older. Occasional Sunday practices or games may occur, as necessary. See our Baseball Division Calendar or Softball Division Calendar page for details by program.

Q. How are rainouts handled?
A. Games cannot be played on City or County-owned fields that are closed due to rain. For games played at Dodd Field or on school fields, the managers of the two teams decide whether to start the game or not. Once the game is started, either the adult (18+) umpire or, if there is no adult umpire, the adult "game coordinator" (appointed by the home team, usually the scorekeeper but cannot be a manager/coach) is responsible for calling the game because of weather or darkness. Managers and Coaches have no official say once the game starts as to whether to stop it because of weather or darkness. Manager and Coaches should notify the Chief Umpire if a game is cancelled.

Q. Where can I read more about safety?
A. Please review the Safety and Code of Conduct for the safety manual and other information.

Q. What is the Challenger Program?
A. The Little League Challenger Program is Little League's adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges. Issaquah Little League partners with Washington State Little League District 9 to facilitate this program in the greater Seattle area.

Q. Where do I find information on the All-Star Player and Manager selection process?
A. You will find some details on our current selection process for Players and Managers on our All-Star page.

Equipment

Q. What gear does my player need for the Season?

A. Each player will receive a Jersey (Coast and Majors teams will return these at the end of the season), and a Hat/Visor. In addition, each team will have a set of team equipment for the season that will include 2-4 Batting Helmets (4 for lower levels and 2 for upper levels [some players will have their own]), one set of Catchers Gear (chest and shin guards and helmet), First Aid Kit, Ice Packs, Practice and Game Balls, and a Hitting Tee/Pitching Machine (depending on level).

Baseball Player Needs

Required: Glove, Bat (USA), Pants (wait for team formation as some will have a specific color preference), Belt, Socks and Shoes (rubber and molded cleats recommended, Metal Cleats are not allowed), Water Bottle
Optional: Batting Helmet, Batting Gloves, Equipment Bag/Backpack, Sunglasses
Upper Divisions (Int/Juniors/Seniors) - please consult with your coaches

Softball Player Needs

Required: Glove, Bat, Field Mask, Pants (Black), Belt, Socks and Shoes (rubber and molded cleats recommended, Metal Cleats are not allowed), Water Bottle
Optional: Batting Helmet, Batting Gloves, Equipment Bag/Backpack, Sunglasses

Team Formation

Q. How are Instructional Division Teams Formed?

A. Instructional Divisions (T-Ball, A, and AA for Baseball And Softball Programs [5-8 Year Old Players]) are formed to based on player's common neighborhoods/school boundary and buddy and coach requests. This is done to try and have players from the same schools/neighborhoods together, have practices close to home, etc...

School Boundary/Neighborhood - The teams are formed using the Player’s common neighborhood and/or school. We try to create teams by school and neighborhoods whenever possible. We can’t guarantee every child will be placed on their school/neighborhood team, but we will try our best to avoid any athletes being placed on a team without others from their school and grade. Choosing your neighborhood school when you register will increase the likelihood your child is placed on a team with others from that school.

Buddy/Friend Requests - If you would like to request placement for your child on a team with a buddy/friend, please be sure to include the first and last name of the buddy/friend at the time you register. There will be a place for you to enter this information during the registration process. We do have some limitations on the total number of Players on the final Team roster but we will try our best to accommodate your request if possible.

Coach Requests - If you would like to request placement for your child on a team with a specific Coach, please be sure to include the Coach’s first and last name as a request at the time you register. There will be a place for you to enter this information during the registration process. The same as with Buddy/Friend requests, we do have some limitations on the total number of Players on the final Team roster but we will try our best to accommodate your request if possible.

Because the number of registered players between schools is uneven, it is not always possible to group all players from one school on a single team. Some teams will consist of players from multiple schools. Some schools will have multiple teams. While the league attempts to keep teams together year to year as they move from T-ball through A and AA, this is also not always possible as players and coaches come and go from season to season.

Q. How are Competitive Division Teams Formed?
A. Competitive Division (AAA, Coast, and Majors) Managers select players via draft (per Official Little League Rules) based on results from the Skills Evaluations (Baseball and Softball).

Q. How is the Draft for Competitive Teams handled?
A. For the full process check out the Issaquah Little League Rules for the Draft.

Q. How many players are on a typical team?
A. We target between 10-12 players per team to try to ensure the each team will have enough players for each game and maximize playing and instructional time for every player.

Q. My player is home schooled or goes to private school. How will they be placed on a team?
A. We recognize that Issaquah Little League can help different members of the community come together even if they may not attend the same school. During registration we ask that you indicate which school attendance area you live in, so that we can form teams consisting of all members of the community, not just those attending public school.

Q. How are All-Stars selected?
A. The All-Stars page has more information about the All-Stars Selection process.

Skills Evaluations

Q. What are Skills Evaluations, who are they for, and what is the purpose?
A. Skills Evaluations are for competitive Baseball And Softball Players (9-18 Year Old Players)

Teams in the Competitive Divisions (AAA/Coast/Majors) are formed via a draft process, and is not the same as the buddy/coach request system that is used for the Instructional Divisions (TBall / A / AA). Skill evaluations will be held for all baseball and softball players registering to play in the Competitive Divisions (AAA / Coast / Majors).

For additional information see the Baseball Skills Evaluation and Softball Skills Evaluation pages.

Volunteer Registration

To register as a volunteer (team manager, assistant coach, scorekeeper, etc...), you can register your child as a player first. Then go to MY ACCOUNT, click on VOLUNTEER on the left side of the page, click on the "FIND VOLUNTEER ROLES" button on the top right corner and follow the remaining on-screen instructions.

Junior Umpire Registration

To register as a junior umpire, please create an account at https://issaquahlittleleague.org for yourself. Select "Register myself" then choose "player". In "Available Programs" choose "Junior Umpire" and select the current season. It does not require ID verification with Junior Umpire registration. We will contact you with further details after your registration.

For adults who want to volunteer as umpires, please refer to the section above and register in the volunteer program, then choose Umpire as your role. It is required to provide ID for background verification as a volunteer umpire.

How to use the Team Manager app

Q. How do I setup Game Changer Team Manager?
A. Here is a Step-by-Step setup

Once teams are created on our website, team coaches or managers should download the "Game Changer Team Manager" app to their smart phones, create an account on Team Manager using their account email used to login to https://www.issaquahlittleleague.org.
Coaches/managers create the team using the "+" icon or "Add" option and select "Import Sports Connect" option to import the team information from ILL website (help article: https://help.gc.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006893592-Importing-Your-Team-From-Sports-Connect)
Once your team is imported, parents should download the Team Manager app to their smartphone, login using the email they used to login to https://www.issaquahlittleleague.org
Please follow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ditMGNp6658 to see how to mark attendance and provide your health status before each game.

Q. Who do I contact if I have issues
A. If you you need assistance with the Game Changer Team Manager app, please contact [email protected] or submit a request at: https://teammanager.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Q. Is there a quick guide on how to use it?
A. Yes - http://gamechanger.uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/files/GC-Scorekeeping-Cheat-Sheet-Jan2022.pdf

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ISSAQUAH LITTLE LEAGUE