If your child plans to play AAA, Coast, or Majors division they
must attend the Baseball/Softball Skills Evaluation. This is necessary so that balanced teams can be created and your child can experience a safe, enjoyable, and competitive environment. Based on evaluations, players may be contacted and/or asked to consider the next level up (or down) to fill a roster to ensure balanced teams for competitive play.
The evaluation schedule will run as follows.
Date: Sunday, January 26th, 2025
Location: Bellevue College | 3000 Landerholm Cir SE, Bellevue, WA 98007 (main gym)
Time: BASEBALL: 2PM to 5PM SOFTBALL: 6PM to 8PM |
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Skill evaluations are fast approaching for SLL Majors Baseball & Softball. The evaluations are NOT a tryout. Every child (age qualifying) is guaranteed a spot in one of the divisions based on their age. Skill evaluations are required for the league to form balanced and competitive teams in each division. Please mark your calendar and find all the necessary information & details on what to expect/ what to bring/ etc. on the evaluation’s day below:
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: - All players registered for AAA, Coast, and Majors divisions are required to participate.
- Those players who are 8 years old and enrolled in AA divisions but would like to ‘play up’ to AAA must attend evaluations to be considered. There are no exceptions to this rule! This rule is applicable to both Softball and Baseball.
LOCATION: Bellevue College. There will be a registration check-in table as you enter the field area. There will not be a sign out.
WHAT SHOULD I BRING?:Bring a glove, hat, tennis shoes or cleats.
Please do NOT bring a baseball or softball bat. This is for players’ safety and those around them. Check in at the registration table under the tent once you arrive. Your player will be directed from there.
Parents who are not registered coaches and have not been asked by the President or Player Agent to help with evaluations
will not be allowed on the field due to safety and background check reasons. There are no exceptions to this rule.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?When you arrive, your athlete will check in and be given a number. Once sign in is complete, the athlete will be directed by SLL volunteers, one at a time, to each of the five stations where they will be provided instructions, given a demonstration if appropriate, and then will complete the drill and observed by the volunteers.
The five stations are:
- Station 1: Running – Timed sprint of approx. 30 yds
- Station 2: Fielding and throwing – Take 4 ground balls and 4 fly balls. Fielding and throwing graded separately.
- Station 3: Hitting (tee) – Take 5 cuts off the hitting Tee, hitting whiffle ball into net.
- Station 4: Hitting (live) – Take 8 pitches off the pitching machine in batting cage.
- Station 5: Pitching – 5 pitches graded on form, accuracy, and velocity.
ARRIVAL TIME AND SCHEDULE:Evaluations will be conducted for players of each division over the course of the time window designated for that division. The evaluation process takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on the number of players being evaluated at the same time. Please arrive in the window shown below according to division if possible. This will help keep things moving and allow for better, more consistently scored evaluations.
THERE WILL NOT BE ANY MAKE-UP DATES FOR EVALUATIONS, SO PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ATTEND. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND, YOU DO NOT NEED TO CONTACT US and YOUR CHILD WILL STILL BE ASSIGNED TO A TEAM. BASEBALL - AAA (9-year-olds and any 8 year-olds interested in playing up to AAA): 2PM-3PM
- Last name begins with A-M: 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm
- Last name begins with N-Z: 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm
- Coast (10- and 11-year-olds): 3 PM-4PM
- Last name begins with A-M: 3:00 Pm to 3:30 pm
- Last name begins with N-Z: 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm
- Majors (12-year-olds): 4-5PM
- Last name begins with A-M: 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm
- Last name begins with N-Z: 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Note 1: If you are unable to make the assigned level window, please attend anytime during the eval period for baseball – 2-5pm. For example, if you cannot make the 9-10am window
for your child, please attend anytime between 10am and noon.
Note 2: 8-year-old players not requesting to play up to AAA DO NOT need to attend evaluations.
Official Age Determination and Level of Play for BASEBALLThe official age of each player is determined by Little League International based on date of birth. The official age and level of play structure is as follows:
Birthdate falls between | LL Age | Level of Play |
9/1/2016 | 8/31/2017 | 8 | AA |
9/1/2015 | 8/31/2016 | 9 | AAA |
9/1/2014 | 8/31/2015 | 10 | Coast |
9/1/2013 | 8/31/2014 | 11 | Coast or Majors if qualified at evaluation day |
9/1/2012 | 8/31/2013 | 12 | Majors |
Play-UpsPlay-ups are the situations where a player or player’s parents feel that they can play up a level from their Little League designated division. Play-up tryout times are as noted below. If you bring a player and would like for them to play-up, please inform registration at check-in.
As FYI, play-ups are rare and can only be granted by the VP of Baseball or Softball in agreement with the League Player Agent and President.- An 8-year-old would normally play AA ball but would like to try out for AAA division. In this case, the 8-year-old would attend the AAA division evaluation (2:00 to 3:00 pm).
- A 9-year-old would normally play AAA division but would like to tryout for Coast. The 9-year-old would attend his regularly schedule session (2-3pm) and indicate at check-in he would like play up.
- A 10-year-old would normally play Coast division but would like to try out for Majors. The 10-year-old would attend his regularly schedule session (2-3pm) and indicate at check-in he would like play up.
- An 11-year-old would normally play Coast division but would like to try out for Majors. The 11-year-old would attend his regularly schedule session (2-3pm) and indicate at check-in he would like play up.
SOFTBALLAll players registered for AAA, Coast, Majors, or Juniors divisions, plus 8-year-olds hoping to play up to AAA, are required to participate.
Arrival Time and Schedule: Please arrive during the time window shown below according you the athlete’s last name. This will help keep things moving and also allow for better evaluation.
- Last name begins with A-M: 6 PM to 7 PM
- Last name begins with N-Z: 7PM to 8 PM
Note 1: If you are unable to make the assigned level window, please attend anytime during the eval period for softball – 6-7pm. For example, if you cannot make the 7-8pm window for your child, please attend anytime between 1pm and 2pm. Note 2: If you player is an 8-year-old requesting to play up to AAA from AA, that player will be required to attend evaluations at their designated time. Please indicate at registration the desire to play up.
Note 3: 8-year-old players not requesting to play up to AAA DO NOT need to attend evaluations. Official Age Determination and Level of Play for SOFTBALLThe official age of each player is determined by Little League International based on date of birth. The official age and level of play structure is as follows:
Birthdate by year: | LL Age | Level of Play |
2016 | | 8 | AA |
2015 | | 9 | AAA |
2014 | | 10 | Coast |
2013 | | 11 | Coast or Majors if qualified at evaluation day |
2012 | | 12 | Majors |
To play in a division other than the Level of Play that is indicated in the table, multiple things must occur:
- A play up or play down request is required. This needs to be done at point of registration or indicate desire at evaluations.
- Player must attend evaluations for the request to be considered.
- The evaluation score must be high enough as to be placed in the available number of roster spots that are left after all players at the LL Age level are placed.
For all other ages, a play up or play down request is required to be considered to play at another level. Based on the player’s evaluation score and number of spots available at the requested level, the request may or may not be granted. For example, if the player is a LL Age 9-year-old that would like to play Coast, the parent must follow the steps above. However, there is no guarantee that any 9-year-old players will play Coast. Final determination will be made by available roster spots once evaluation scores are finalized.