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About Downtown Little League's Softball Program




WHO WE ARE
Based in lower Manhattan in NYC, the Downtown Little League (DLL) fastpitch softball program is one of the premier softball programs in New York City and the State of New York. We follow official Little League softball rules and guidelines to ensure fast-moving, fun, and exciting games. We are proud of developing great girls who can not only compete athletically on the field but are great people and community-minded citizens as well.

OUR MISSION & PURPOSE
Enhance and create a long-lasting impact on the lives of girls in the downtown Manhattan area through the sport of softball.

OUR PRINCIPLES

  • We believe in an inclusive program that meets the needs of the broader group, not just the select few.
  • We believe in instilling mudita in our culture; we take vicarious joy in the happiness and success of others.
  • We believe in inspiring life long love and passion for athletics & softball. 
  • We believe in long term athletic development. We focus on the skills & behaviors that are required for long term success in the sport.
  • We believe in focusing and prioritizing the enjoyment and experience from the perspective of players.  The sports journey is a marathon, not a sprint and kids should be allowed the freedom to learn and develop appropriately at their pace.
  • We believe that the person comes first before the athlete. An individual's worth is not judged on their athletic accomplishments.
  • We believe in a growth mindset and continually challenge ourselves to improve the program and set a higher standard for the experience we offer.
  • We believe in program design and choices based on best practices backed by science, research, and data. We draw inspiration only from the best youth sports programs around the world, not just what everyone does. We work backward from the end goal & experience to figure out what's needed at the start and the middle to get there. 
  • We believe that our community-focused and collaborative culture is what makes everything work! Families and parents are a huge part of the process.
  • Our legacy is what the girls feel and remember about their experience!

OUR GOALS

  1. Help future female leaders develop tools for success in life through lessons learned in softball
  2. Encourage a passion and commitment towards the community, collaboration, and teamwork in all our participants
  3. Allow girls in the program to achieve their goals in the sport of softball, whatever level it may be, through appropriate and up to date development and training.

OUR METRICS
Player Retention & Program Growth Rate (Age 5 Through 18)

201620172018201920202021202220235Yr Total
Retention Rate79.1%74.3%77.7%84.3%85.8%65.5%84.1%78.5%
Participation Growth+6.5%+0.5%+7.0%+13.5%+13.4%+1.7%+27.2%+12.2%


(About 3/4 of annual non-retention is driven by families moving out of the area. Includes COVID impact of families moving away  in 2021. Families that returned are offset in 2022 numbers.)

Learn About Our Softball Divisions


SPRING SEASON
 

Players are placed into divisions based on their "Little League age" which is the player's age as of December 31st of the prior completed calendar year  (before the upcoming Spring season).

Division placement is solely based on age. However, we do allow the use of call-ups from lower divisions to fill in for games at older divisions. We will not place someone in a younger division than that they're eligible for.

Social rostering requests are taken into consideration in team formation for the Minors, Intermediate Minors, and Junior Minors divisions. Rosters in the Majors division is formed via a player draft.
 

Junior Minors Softball

  • This is an Instructional Division for girls Little League age 5 - 6.
  • On Saturday mornings, each team has a 30 minute practice followed by a 1 hour game. The games are a mix of tee-ball and coach pitch.
  • Players can participate in additional weeknight skill clinics Weds at 4PM.
  • A 10" softie ball is used in this age group.
  • Social rostering is used in this age group.

 

Intermediate Minors Softball

  • This is an Instructional Division for girls Little League age 7 - 8, typically in 2nd and 3rd grade.
  • Practices on are weeknights 5-7pm.
  • Games are on Saturday or Sundays morning/early afternoon. The games are a mix of coach pitch with an introduction to player pitch. The goal is to introduce girls to player pitch.
  • Players can participate in general skills clinic on Fridays at 4 PM.  There are also pitching clinics to introduce and help girls learn how to pitch on multiple evenings during the week.
  • Pitching distance is 32 feet. A 10" ball is used.

 

Minors 

  • This is an Intermediate Division for girls Little League age 9 - 10, typically in 4th and 5th grade.
  • Practices are on Friday evenings. 
  • Games are typically on Saturdays or Sundays mornings. The games are a mainly player pitch with some coach pitch.
  • Players can participate in general skills clinic on Fridays at 4PM. There are also pitching clinics to help girls improve their pitching on multiple evenings during the week.
  • Pitching distance is 35 feet. A regulation 11" ball is used.
     

Majors

  • This is a Competitive Division for girls Little League age 11 - 12, typically in 6th and 7th grade. 
  • Practices are Friday nights.
  • Games are mostly Saturday with some Sunday mornings and Tuesday nights. Games are player pitch only.
  • Pitching  clinics are available to help girls improve their pitching on multiple evenings during the week.
  • Pitching distance is 40 feet. A regulation 12”  ball is used.
     

Juniors & Seniors

  • The Juniors and Seniors divisions are Highly Competitive Divisions for ages 13-18. Players are 8th graders through High School Seniors. The skill level of the players ranges from intermediate to advanced.
  • The goal of the divisions is to prep players for softball success at the High School level and beyond.
  • The Seniors division is the only division that operates with open registration, with no residency restrictions or limitations for signups. We have players from various neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
  • The players represent Downtown Little League in games against other leagues and travel teams in the city.
  • Practices are Friday nights. Games are Saturday and or Sundays and will include travel within NYC.
  • Pitching distance is 43 feet. A regulation 12”  ball is used.

 

TOURNAMENT TEAMS

We form Tournament Teams from our Minors, Majors and or Juniors divisions to represent Downtown Little League in the Little League World Series tournament.  The teams compete to win in Little League Manhattan District 23, the New York Little League Section 5, the New York State Championship, the East Regional, and finally the World Series Championship. We have had recent success including winning New York State championships at the 14 & under and 11 & under age levels.

There is also the opportunity to represent Downtown Little League and play during Memorial Day weekend.

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