Welcome to Bret Harte Little League!
All of us here at BHLL are looking forward to another great season and are so excited you chose to be a part of our league. While playing Little League Baseball is a lot of fun, we realize your first season can be a bit overwhelming. We hope you find the information below to be helpful and that it allows you to hit the ground running. This is an overview of all the fun we have here at BHLL and what to expect during a typical season. We are happy to answer any questions you may have, please direct your inquiries to [email protected].
Registration: Please complete all steps to our online registration and prepare your school verification form or residency verification documents, proof of age & medical release form. Once registered, your registration will be reviewed by our staff. You will be contacted if additional information is needed.
Practices: Your coach will be in touch with you to let you know when and where your team will practice. It is at your coach's discretion to choose the day and time of your practice.
Game Days/Location: At the Tee Ball & Machine Pitch Level (Lower divisions) your child will have 2 games per week typically one game during the week and one game on Saturday, The Upper Divisions (Minors, Majors and Juniors) will have 2 games a week also including a Saturday game. Please check the schedule on the BHLL website to confirm the location of your games as the field locations may vary.
Uniforms: The league provides each child with a hat, and jersey. Uniform sizing is collected during registration and uniforms are typically distributed the last week of February.
Equipment needed: Each player should have a baseball helmet, a baseball glove and a USA approved bat or one that meets the Tee Ball/Machine Pitch Exception. Each team will be supplied with playing equipment such as helmets, catchers gear and a bat. These pieces of equipment are somewhat universal and do not fit every player perfectly which is why it is recommended that your player bring his/her own equipment if possible. Cleats must be worn at all times while playing on the fields.
Opening Day: Opening Day kicks off with a parade of the players around the Frogtown fields, Opening Ceremonies and the first pitch. we will also be taking team/player photos this day so all players are required to show up. Your team will be notified of your picture time. There will be various photo packages to choose from to meet everyone’s budget.
Team Sponsor: Each team is required to obtain a $300 team sponsorship. There are additional sponsorship opportunities available, but this is the minimum required per team. Most teams fulfill this requirement by having either a player’s family or friend’s business sponsor the team. Occasionally teams are not interested in pursuing a sponsor and decide to divide the minimum sponsorship requirement amongst the team. Also, we have an amazing community of supportive businesses that love the game of baseball as much as we do and are willing to sponsor a team. Oftentimes our Sponsorship Coordinator has sponsors lined up already to sponsor a team. A list of the various levels of sponsorship can be found on the BHLL website.
Snack Bar Duty: The BHLL snack bar is one of the things our players like most about baseball. Nothing beats a hot dog and cold dink after a game! Our snack bar is staffed by volunteers and we need everyone’s help to make it successful. Prior to Opening Day, we will send out a snack shack shift form to each team/parent. The snack shack will ONLY be open if we can get enough people to volunteer to help operate it. The snack shack has rarely been open the last two seasons due to a lack of volunteers wiling to help. This reduction in funds has forced us to increase registration fees to help meet the annual operating expenses of the league.
Background checks/Volunteer Applications: All managers, assistant coaches, team parents, umpires and any other individuals who plan on assisting with the players (parents helping out at practice, in the dugout etc…) are required to complete a volunteer application and undergo a background check each season. You can initiate the process by logging into your account and registering as a volunteer on the BHLL website.
Safety & Concussion Training: All managers, coaches & team parents will be required to complete multiple safety related trainings online.
Umpire and Scorekeeper Training: Although not required at the Machine Pitch and Tee Ball level, this is a great time to explore scorekeeping or umpiring. Our league offers training on both and would love to have you join in. If you are interested, please contact our Umpire in Chief ([email protected]).
Field Maintenance: Each team is required to have field maintenance volunteers. These individuals are responsible for making sure the field is safe and ready for play or practice. This includes dragging the infield, wetting the infield, setting chalk lines and general maintenance duties. Remember, the managers and coaches do a lot for the teams already, please help them by volunteering to assist with field preparation.
We hope you found this information helpful. If you still have questions or need help throughout the season, please feel free to reach out to our BHLL Board Members.
Go BHLL!!!