The first game was played on June 6th, 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The first Little League baseball game was televised in in 1953 with Howard Cosell providing the play by play and today the Little League World Series is a major television event each summer on ESPN. Little League is built upon three pillars – sportsmanship, fair play and team work.
Volunteer Based.
Little League is a 100% volunteer organization and formally a 501(3)c non-profit organization. The people running this league and those participating in coaching baseball have only one goal in mind – teaching kids to love baseball. We depend on parents and alumni to continue the Little League tradition.
Safety.
Little League requires a background check and picture identification before any adults have contact with your kids. This is one step in ensuring that your kids are safe when entrusted in our care. Our league has a documented Safety Awareness plan that outlines key safety issues in dealing with youth baseball. Each parent volunteer will be required to have a SSLL issued ID with them at all times. Our pitching rules are designed to ensure that young arms are protected, with mandatory days of rest scheduled between each pitching outing at all levels.
Competition.
Little League strives to provide fair competition at all levels. This starts by the formation of league boundaries, whereby leagues can only be so big as to have 12 Majors Level teams. This restricts the player pool for every Little League across the nation, ensuring that each league has a fair chance of competing. At the team level teams are form by a skills assessment and draft process (for players at the AAA or Majors levels). This is a fundamental premise that strives to ensure teams are balanced and competitive.
Divisions.
There is a division of play for everybody in Little League. From T-Ball through Juniors, kids of all levels and skills are encouraged to play. Mandatory play requirements exist at all levels, ensuring that time on the field is well spent for each player. This stepped approach from T-Ball to competitive play teaches our kids baseball fundamentals with a focus on competition, not winning. Rules, such as no leading off until age 13, are modified to further enforce this belief of teaching the fundamentals of baseball.
Events.
SSLL works hard to create a fun atmosphere for our kids. We host three major events during the course of the year. The first is Opening Day. This event is an all day celebration of baseball with games, food, and prizes for all who attend. The second, is our year ending King of the Hill tournament. At the AA, AAA, and Majors level – each team competes in a single or double elimination tournament that culminates on a Championship Saturday afternoon. T-Shirts and trophies are awarded to the winners and runner-ups. Finally, in early July we typically host an All Star Tournament for District 13. This showcases the best players in the league who are competing for the privilege of going to the State Tournament and beyond.