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Eligibility
Eligibility requirements for Little League Baseball are specified as to age and residency. For more information:
Age Chart (matrix version) | Residential boundaries
Time Commitment
League commissioners limit the maximum number of scheduled weekly "contacts" for practices and games. Specific contact policy varies by player age.
Important: Due to the time commitment necessary for ages 10 and up, it is strongly recommended that any player wishing to participate at these levels not be involved
in any another sport
that schedules its practices and/or games during the same time as the baseball season. Teams at these levels are formed with the assumption that all players will be reasonably free of scheduling conflicts, and to
avoid adversely affecting the team, will be able to devote
the necessary time to weekly practices and games.
Leagues
League details specify ages, format and the commissioner for
each level of play. Tryout dates will be announced on the website. For detailed information about our leagues
return to the homepage.
Equipment
As a rule, Western Hills Baseball provides required headgear (batting helmets, catcher headgear), protective catcher equipment, baseballs, caps and shirts. Players provide the following:
| Practice attire |
Most coaches prefer that players wear baseball pants during practice.
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| Gloves |
If you are not familiar with sizing a baseball glove, you should go to a local merchant for help. For younger players, try to find the largest glove the child can close
and open. It helps if gloves are a little bit floppy for the younger players.
Gloves that appear proportionate to the
player are almost never large enough.
Remember, the ball is regulation in size.
This is hard to catch with a small glove.
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| Bats |
For players under 12,
bats MUST be approved for Little League play. This will be printed/stamped on the barrel. Seek the help of a local merchant in sizing a bat. You should never buy a
bat without sizing it for your player. Bats with a barrel larger than 2 1/4" may not be used. Bats manufactured specifically for T-ball play may not be used in A league (8's) or above. For Pony (13-14) and Colt/Palomino (15-18) the 2003 rule reads as follows:
"Wooden,
metal, graphite or ceramic bats manufactured specifically for baseball play which are round and not more than two and three quarters inches in diameter (7 cm) at the thickest part, nor more than 42 inches (106.7 cm) in length, are acceptable." The rules posted at
www.pony.org shall be the rules governing bats.
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| Cleats |
Little League (age 12 and below) DOES NOT allow the use of steel cleats. Pony, Colt and Palomino (ages 13 and up) allow steel cleats.
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Batting helmet
(optional) |
Western Hills does provide batting helmets for requisite safety. However, we strongly encourage players
to provide their own helmet in order to help
prevent the spread of head lice.
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All-Star Policy & Post-Season Play
Please consult the following document for information regarding the Western Hills policy for All-Star
& post-season teams player and coach selection:
Post-Season
Prospective Coaches
Western Hills is the largest Little League
affiliated organization in the greater Austin area
and one of the largest in the state of Texas. We
organize approximately 30 teams in the Fall; 100 in
the Spring. Literally hundreds of parents and
supporters of our league give their time and effort
to help us bring the experience of baseball to our
children. We need and appreciate our coaches.
Fortunately, we have a large pool of able volunteers willing to give their time. Unfortunately, not everyone that wants to volunteer as a coach is selected to do so. Our board of directors
reviews the names of prospective coaches submitted by the commissioner of each league and votes to select those to be invited to coach. Our coaches represent our league to the players and parents on their team. Because of this, we feel it imperative that coaches:
- Complete a background check form and submit to a background check as required by Little League Baseball. This can be found in the 'forms' section of this website.
- Attend and complete a clinic
(see calendar for
Mandatory coaches clinic dates) designed to orient them
to policies, rules, league expectations and baseball fundamentals. This orientation will be done during the draft or coaches meeting.
- Read, sign and submit a coach orientation. The
coach orientation referred to can be found in the 'forms' section of this website. This form will be reviewed during the draft. Coaches
will be expected sign and file this form at the draft.
- We will provide several opportunities for new coaches to learn some techniques in teaching fundamentals, organizing practices, and baseball strategies. While not required, we find most
coaches enjoy the perspective of the speakers and come away from the session with at least a few new ideas.
Once selected, coaches serve at the request of the president of the league and can be removed under necessary circumstances. Questions should be directed to the respective commissioner of
each league.
  
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