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San Manuel – The San Manuel Little League (SMLL) baseball season will quickly be here. The league has been in existence for over fifty years. Many current residents may remember playing as a child growing up in San Manuel.
SMLL is a charted league under Little League International. Little League was developed as a way to help foster the love of baseball and provide a safe and fun environment for youth. It has grown into its own organization with thousands of charted leagues across the country.
Each League adheres to a high level of child safety regulations including national background checks on all volunteers and safety plans in place should an accident happen on the field.
The San Manuel Little League offers seven different levels of play, beginning with T-ball, which is where the youngest players are introduced to the sport at 4-5 years of age. They experience being on the field and playing as a team. All players are placed on the field and they’re given a chance to hit the ball in their half of each inning.
Coach Pitch is the next step, for children 6-8 years of age. This level is for the child that is ready to hit a ball pitched to them by a coach. This level is where some basic fundamentals can start to be established and reinforced.
Next is the Minor level for 7-12 year olds to work on honing their baseball skills for Little League play in the Majors. In the Majors level, 9-12 year olds are drafted up from the Minor level through a try-out.
The Junior League is next and it is for 13-14 year olds, and Senior League is for players’ ages 14-16 years.
The last level of play is Big League and it is for 16-18 year olds, which hasn’t been utilized in the past several years. It is important to note that all ages are approximate and level of play depends on the child’s experience.
Registrations will be starting on Feb.11 and ending Mar. 15, which provides individuals nearly five weeks to do so. The Board has discussed the importance of a registration deadline, to allow time for teams to be established and get the season rolling.
The goal of the board is to offer clinics for the players/coaches and to allow for a longer season which will better prepare the players for All Stars.
Fees this year are the same as last year: $55 for the first child, $45 for the second, and $35 for the third on down. The fees are used to cover SMLL charter and insurance fees that are required to be paid to Little League International. It also covers uniforms consisting of shirt, pants, hat and socks.
As there is a tremendous amount of cost associated with running a league; the SMLL Board requests an honest effort in the payment of registration fees. Please contact Stepheena Huerta at 520-591-0719 for registration questions or to sign up your child.
For Little League to continue to be a part of the community, aside from fees being paid in a timely manner, the community needs to get involved. Donations of money to SMLL would be used to scholarship a player. Time and materials are also great options, for those who wish to donate but are on a limited budget.
The League needs volunteers to get the field cleaned and ready for the new season. If you are able or know of someone who is willing and able to volunteer their time or donate materials/money, please let them know about the San Manuel Little League, which is a non-profit organization and can provide a tax ID number if necessary.
This year the San Manuel Little League board members are President Andy Salas, Vice President Tim Scott, Secretary David Aronson, Treasurer Angela Sierra, Player Agent/Information Officer Stepheena Huerta and Safety Officer/Coaching Coordinator Brian Brewer.
If you have questions regarding how or what you can do to support your local Little League, don’t hesitate to call upon any Board member. You can also visit their site at SanManuelLittleLeague.com or find them on Facebook.
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