FAQ's for Southwest Ada Little League

When are the seasons? When does registration open for them? 

Spring Season - Registration opens December! Practices start mid-March, games start the first week of April. The last game is around Memorial day weekend.  Keep an eye out, it pays to register early with the Early Bird Discount!

Fall Season - Registration opens mid-July! Practices start mid-August. Games start after Labor Day. Games end the last week of October.

My kid has never played before. Can they participate? 

Absolutely!! The league is full of kids that have never played softball or baseball before. It’s a great place to try it out. 

Which division should I register my child for? 

You can find detailed information on all programs on the "Available Programs" page under the Sign-Up Info tab.

What in the world is "league-age?"

Welcome to the world of baseball! SWADALL follows the League Age Charts set by Little League. In baseball, a league age year runs September 1 through August 31 of the next year. Softball league ages run with the calendar year, January through December. Confused yet? Us too. Check out the league age calculator and charts here. As an example, a tee ball player born May 1, 2019, will be 4 years old at the start of the 2024 season but is considered league age 5.  It's important you know your player's league age when registering. 

Can my kid play up?

Maybe. Player safety is our top priority. On occasion, the Player Agent will recommend a player be moved up or down to keep players safe. For player-pitch divisions, players are chosen by a coach draft. We utilize a "snake draft" method and players are chosen at the coach's discretion. Of course, there are specific age limits for each division.

Can my daughter sign up for a baseball division? 

Yes! Although, we have one of the best softball programs in the state! 

What are assessments? 

For all player-pitch divisions, a skills assessment of players is required prior to the start of the season. For spring 2024, players will be assigned a 1-hour assessment time on either February 24 OR 25. This is not a try-out. All players will be placed on a team. The assessment helps coaches determine which team is the most appropriate for the player. Teams are formed by a player draft.  Requests for team placement with friends, schoolmates or carpool needs are not considered in these divisions.

Assessments are held in the Lake Hazel Middle School gymnasium or outside weather permitting. Players should wear comfortable clothing, athletic shoes, an athletic cup and bring a mitt. Absolutely no cleats are allowed in the gym for assessments. Players will be hitting from a pitching machine and are welcome to bring a bat and helmet, but it is not required.

My child wants to play with a friend, is this allowed?

At Tee Ball, Prep Minor, and Rookies (non player-pitch divisions) we do our best to honor buddy requests. In the drafted/player pitch divisions (minors and up) teams are formed by a draft , so we do not take buddy requests. 

I want my child to play for a certain coach, is this allowed? 

At Tee Ball, Prep Minor, and Rookies (non player-pitch divisions) we try to honor coach requests. Keep in mind we can only honor these requests to the point that there is room on the roster. In drafted/player pitch divisions (minors and up), we try to keep teams balanced, so we do not honor coach requests. 

I don't want my child playing for a certain coach, is this allowed? 

For all divisions we will honor this type of request, unless there is only one or two teams in the division. With one team, there's nothing we can do. With two teams, it becomes a backdoor coach request that will need to be approved by the Board. 

I have 3 kids, can a couple of them be on the same team?

Maybe. Twins can always stay together, even in drafted divisions as a “package deal”. For siblings of different ages, we can honor these requests for undrafted divisions (Tee, Prep and Rookies) as long as they are both the proper age for the division. You can make the request for siblings of different ages in drafted divisions as long as they access at the appropriate division level.

I’ve got a big family, is there a discount? 

Yes! For two players, there is a $10 discount. For 3 players, a $25 discount. For 4 or more players there is a $50 discount. (Spring season)

What else do I have to provide for my player?

Every player will need a glove, baseball pants, colored socks and belt. After teams are formed, coaches will communicate with their teams what color baseball pant, socks and belt are required for game days. For minors and up, plastic cleats are recommended.  Helmets and bats are optional. Each coach will be provided with some helmets and bats for team use. Male players are required to have a protective cup. See the "Gear" tab for more details. 

What's the time commitment? 

It varies by level and increases as children get older. The youngest Tee Ballers will have a maximum of 2 activities per week. The oldest Little Leaguers will have 4 activities per week lasting multiple hours. Activities consist of practices and games. 

Do we play on Sundays?

No, SWADALL does not schedule games on Sundays. 

When are games?

Games will be every Saturday. For upper divisions,  there is one additional game during the work week. Typically those are Tuesday or Thursday. Once you hit the upper divisions the teams start to travel and the district develops the schedule due the nature of interleague games.

Baseball season is months away, why are we signing up now?

We have a very large league which requires a lot of coordination. SWADALL is a 100% volunteer organization. We have to know how many players we have at each division to know how many coaches we need. Coach training starts in February so they can be ready in March. We can negotiate better deals for uniforms and gear if we know how many teams we are trying to outfit. Having numerous late registrants requires us to scramble finding last minute coaches and buying uniforms at full retail. We impose a late fee to pay for expedited uniforms and encourage everyone to get signed up as soon as possible. 

Why do we have to volunteer when we’re paying you for a service? 

SWADALL is not a service provider or a business. We are a volunteer organization of parents who come together to provide the opportunity for our children to play baseball and softball. The playing fees cover the costs of what it takes to put on the season like: uniforms, baseball/softballs, lawn mowing services, weed abatement and fertilization, dirt for the infield, nets, batting cages, catchers gear, ect. Almost all of the volunteering we’re asking you to do is at your child’s games and practices when you have to be at the fields anyway.

How is Fall Ball different?

Fall ball was designed to be less competitive than spring ball. Its a great time to try baseball for the first time, or get some extra reps in and hone a skill you learned in spring ball. It's less of a time commitment. Most games are played on Saturday, but sometimes a weeknight game is needed. Practices will vary, but most coaches find they need less practices in the fall.