FCLL is committed to offering baseball in a safe environment.  Below is information on the 2023 Minors Spring House League Program we currently intend to offer.  Based on the Government of Alberta, Little League Alberta and Little League Canada, FCLL may have to adjust the program offering.  For more information, please CLICK HERE.

 

 

What Baseball Ages play Minors?​

• Ages 8-10
  • 8 year olds are recommended and encouraged to register in the Minors Division.

 

• The league age determination date is the age a player has attained as of a specific date (August 31st of the current year), for the purpose of placing the player in a particular Division.  As of 2023 the date in Divisions of Little League Baseball is as follows:

 

 

 

What is Minors all about?

• Minors is still a development Division for our young players, and the focus remains on teaching the fundamentals of batting, throwing, fielding and the introduction of pitching.  The goal is for players to learn how to pitch in game situations and for them to continue to develop their hitting, throwing and fielding skills in a fun and safe environment.
• At the Minors Division level, pitching to and by the players is introduced to become part of the game.  As many players as possible will be encouraged to pitch.  Most basic Little League Rules will apply with modification "House Rules" to enhance player development which we have found appropriate for better play at this level.  This is still a developmental division and a strong emphasis remains on teaching basic skills in a true Little League Baseball environment.  Teams in this Division field 9 players each inning and ALL players are in the batting line-up.  All players can expect equal playing time.  This is the first level at which we have umpires to call balls and strikes, as well as outs.  Umpires in this Division will allow a fairly liberal strike zone to encourage hitting.
• Fish Creek typically has 18-20 teams every season in this age group.  With such a large range of ages and potential skill levels, Fish Creek Little League will be running two Leagues within the Minors Division.  They are as follows:
  • American League
    • Will play 2-3 innings of Coach Pitch and 2-3 innings of Player Pitch with modified Little League Rules (no stealing, no infield fly rule and a few others)
    • The American League is an excellent transition/development league for 8 year olds coming out of Coach Pitch or players new to baseball.  They will play with a similar level of skills but start to learn the basic rules of Little League having an umpire call balls & strikes, outs, etc.
    • The American League will mainly be an 8 year old League, with newer 9 year olds and 10 year olds to baseball
  • National League
    • Player Pitch 6 inning games which follow Little League Rules with a few modifications (stealing is allowed)
    • The National League will mainly be 10 year old League with some 9 year olds and a few 8 year olds
• All players MUST attend evaluation sessions - it is MANDATORY at this level.  As a House League, teams will have players of similar abilities, they are created by the Director and will be approved by the Executive.   The purpose of evaluations is to try and put together teams of equal strength in both the Leagues.
• Teammate/Friend Requests for team placement are NOT accepted in the Minors Division.  "Sibling" requests for team placement will be considered at all levels for players eligible to play within the same Division.

 

What is the cost of Minors?

• The cost is $350.

 

What if I can’t afford the registration fees?

• Under the Little League charter, no child may be excluded from play based on inability to pay.
• Subsidies are available through an application on Kidsport:  www.kidsport.ca
• For further assistance with this, please contact the Fish Creek Little League Treasurer at:  treasurer@fcll.ca.

 

When does the season start?

• We are looking to have Teams created by mid April to ensure that Coaches can meet their Players and so there is a chance for the Team to get to know each other and engage in some practices before the "official" season starts.
• The Season will officially start May 1st and runs through to the end of June.
  • The above is all weather permitting.

 

How often do they play?

• Typically minors will have 2-3 games and 1-2 practices per week.
• *Games and practices can be any day of the week.*
• There will be Regular Season Games followed by Playoffs in all 2 Leagues and potential for an In-Season Weekend Tournament.

 

What times do they play?

• Minors games generally start at 6:30 pm and will have no new innings starts after 8:00 pm (8:15 pm after May long weekend).
• *Weekend games could begin anytime between 9:30am - 6:00pm.
• *Game times are subject to change.*

 

What are the diamond locations?

• All Diamonds are located within FCLL Boundaries/Communities.
• Games will vary between all designated Minors Diamonds.
• http://www.fcll.ca/locations/minors/

 

What equipment is included in the registration fees?  What equipment do the parents/guardians need to provide?

• Fish Creek Little League will supply a baseball cap for each player to keep at the end of the season, this is included in the registration fee.
• Fish Creek Little League will supply each team a set of jerseys and bats for the season.
• Each player will be expected to have a batting helmet, their own ball glove and athletic cup/jill.  White baseball pants are mandatory.  If you have issues locating these, please contact our Registrar at:  registrar@fcll.ca.

 

When does registration open?

• For the 2023 Season, Online Registration opens on January 10th.
• You can register by following this link:  https://www.fcll.ca/spring-house-league-2/

 

When does registration close?

• Online Registration for the 2023 Season will close on March 15th (this will be subject to space/availability).
• Any late registrations will be placed on a waiting list and space permitting, will be subject to a $50 late registration/administration fee.

 

What is the refund policy?

• Withdraw prior to March 16th:  Full Refund.
• Withdraw on or after March 16:  Registration fees less a $50 administration fee will be refunded.
• Withdraw after first game played:  No Refunds.
• The Board has determined the League will not be offering a COVID impact refund this season.

 

How many players on a team?

• For Minors the ideal team consists of 11-12 players per team, however there may be up to 14 players on a team.

 

What, where and when are evaluations?

• Evaluation sessions provide the opportunity for Division Directors, Managers and Coaches to assess the ability of players. This process assists the League in placing players appropriate to their skill level. There are a number of stations (pitching, fielding, hitting) through which the players rotate; they are observed and assessed according to specific criteria.
• Evaluations are only for players registered in Minors and up.
• Evaluations are schedule for Saturday March 18th & March 25th.  More details will be posted closer to the date on our website with regards to location and time.
  • *Evaluations are subject to change based on  AHS Guidelines for the 2023 Season.*
• Players are required to evaluate during the appropriate time slot for their age group for one of the dates.  If you are unable to attend either of the dates, please contact the Player Agent at:  playeragent@fcll.ca.

 

I registered and I haven’t heard anything yet – what’s happening?

• Once the registration information is collected and entered in the database, reports for each Division are prepared for the various Division Directors.
• The number of teams is then determined and Managers and/or Coaches are assigned to each team, then players are assigned or drafted to the teams.
• There is a Coaches Meeting (to review rules, events, etc) with the Division Directors.
• The Managers and Coaches for each team receive the team roster and then are in a position to start contacting parents.
• Often, the Managers and Coaches will organize a parent meeting before the season starts. Practices can then commence.
• If you have any questions about this process, please contact the applicable Division Director (can be found under About Us at: http://www.fcll.ca/board-members/).

 

I want to coach or volunteer, how do I go about doing this?

• Please indicate on your child’s registration that you would like to coach or volunteer.
• To apply to coach or volunteer please complete the steps required in our Coach Registration which can be found at:  https://www.fcll.ca/2023-coach-registration/
• You can also email your interest to the Safety Officer at:  safety@fcll.ca.

 

Should you not be able to locate an answer to your questions please do not hesitate to contact our Registrar at:  registrar@fcll.ca.

 

NOTE: This information is specific to our league and may change at any time.