FAQs (Last Updated 3 May 2024)
What age groups do you offer?
· Ages 4-12 (up to 18 with the Challengers Division)
· Please see our Divisions of Play for a complete explanation of each division
Do you have Summer and Fall Leagues?
- We run Spring Leagues only but may be offering a limited Fall League for Competitive Players 8-12 in Fall of 2025.
- Spring runs from April 1st - Mid June
Why don't you offer a Summer League?
- The All-Star season runs from the end of our season potentially through July and beyond. Because of this, we've decided not to have a summer season.
How much does it cost? Costs for 2024 are below. 2025 costs will vary slightly and are yet to be determined.
T-ball - $105
Coach Pitch (A) - $115
Modified Player Pitch (AA) - $145
Minors (AAA) - $155
Majors - $155
How do I know which Division my child should play on?
· Go to the Divisions of Play page and read the description of each league
· There will be skills days at the Mariners facility in January and February in 2025. Your child can come and be observed by other coaches and board members that can assist you in your decision.
When does the season start?
· Practices begin as early as April 1st (practices held over spring break are not mandatory) though some AAA and Majors teams may have indoor practices at the Mariners Facility in March.
· Games start mid to end of April
· Final league games will be mid-June
How are teams formed?
· Tball, Challengers, A, AA, and AAA – teams are formed by coach request and by school proximity
· Majors – Teams are formed via a draft
Why a draft and will it make a difference?
· National LL now requires all Majors teams to hold a draft. It also assures that teams are equally matched. This makes for closer games, better competition, and prevents team stacking.
· The draft will not make the teams completely even. Not all teams will end up with half wins and half losses because of the draft. This isn't the case in the MLB either. That said, the draft will help evenly distribute the teams as best as we can. The board and the National LL organization have a representative present to assure as much fairness as possible.
When will I find what Team I'm on and who my Coach is?
· Mid to end of March.
Where and when are practices and games?
· Practice day/time will be as listed on the Divisions of Play page. They will be somewhere on the South Hill. Some coaches may add an optional practice throughout the week.
· Games are played at City, County, and Public Schools on the South Hill.
· Game days can be found on the Divisions page for the level
How do I register?
· Registration will open Jan 1st and closes on Feb 28th. We only accept online registration
What is the refund policy?
Before teams have been formed and uniforms ordered - Full refund minus $25 processing
After teams have been formed and uniforms have been ordered - No refund given
Will there be restroom facilities at game?
· Yes, if there are not public facilities at the field there will be a Porto potty. Your coach will know the combination for the lock.
Why are some of the fields in such bad shape? We see fields not being used around town, can we use those fields instead?
· SSLL does not own any fields. We rent fields from the City, County, and from Spokane Public Schools. What we can do on these fields is very limited as some will not allow us to work on them at all. We are at the mercy of the owner in most instances.
· If there is an empty field somewhere, the chances are we tried to reserve it. We spend a lot of time trying to reserve as many fields as possible and have to compete with many other organizations. Not all fields allow us to reserve them.
Why don't we have umpires at all the games?
· AAA and Majors are the only divisions where we hire umpires. We are required to only hire umpires through the local umpire association, and they lack an adequate number of umpires. During the beginning of the season, we have to compete with schools and other leagues for these same umpires. We appreciate the parents and Assistant Coaches that have stepped in to umpire when one is not available. We also appreciate when players, parents, and coaches are respectful to our umpires.
Why do AAA and Majors have those wood pitching mounds?
· SSLL does not own the fields and we are not allowed to build up dirt mounds. We understand there are pros and cons of using these mounds but in order to comply with National LL rules and pitch from a mound we decided they are worth it.
Coaches and board members are not paid; we are all volunteers. The costs we charge covers uniforms, field rentals, umpires, insurance and league dues.