What is All Stars?
The phrase "All Stars" has become interchangeable with The Little League International Tournament. There are six levels of tournament play in Little League Baseball with opportunities for players ages 8 to 16. Leagues pay a one-time fee to enter each team into the Little League International Tournament.
Bloomfield - Glen Ridge Little League typically enters one team from the 8U level, one team from the Minors level (9-10), one team from the Majors level (11-12) and one team from the 13U level. The board can discuss making arrangements to entering additional teams if there are a higher than normal amount of qualified players at a specific age level.
The full rules and regulations governing the Little League International Tournament are outlined here. Little League International Tournament Rules
When is All Stars?
The schedule varies for different age groups but it typically begins about a week after the regular season concludes and continues on through the month of July. If teams advance further than the regional tournaments, games could extend into August.
Bloomfield - Glen Ridge Little League notifies players and coaching staff as quickly as possible when dates are distributed from the league. We ask that parents be mindful of these dates if they feel their player has the potential to be part of the All Star team.
How is the coaching staff selected?
The All Star team Manager will be chosen by the Board from Managers within that division. Managers must be in good standing and commit to the time frame of the full tournament. The Manager can choose his/her staff. The board recommends that all other Managers are considered first for staff positions before assistant coaches.
How are players selected?
The method of selecting a Tournament Team is to be determined by the local league Board of Directors. Bloomfield - Glen Ridge Little League player nominations will happen in person with managers and board members present. Managers are encouraged to discuss their nominations with their team staff prior to the meeting. Managers are suggested to keep notes of who plays well from other teams throughout the season and attend other games to evaluate players on other teams.
Once players are pooled, traditional voting will take place with managers only allowed to vote to fill the 12-player roster and rank potential alternate players within the pool. The player agent and president will be the only ones to list the voting results. If there is a perceived conflict of interest with the player agent and president (e.g. both have children in the division) then the division VP and one other board member without conflicts will be selected for oversight.
Note: 10-year-olds playing in majors (11-12) can be considered but are not automatically nominated to the minors (9-10) division team. This will be a player-by-player decision made by the board.
What commitment is expected of players and coaches?
All Stars manager and their staff will establish team policy in terms of absences and commitment to be discussed with the 12 selected families. If one of the original 12 players is unable to commit to the team’s requirement then the spot will be offered to Alternate Player 1 and then Alternate Player 2, if needed. After that, the coaching staff will have discretion to utilize a remaining player from the nominating pool.
Bloomfield - Glen Ridge Little League understands things can come up which makes attendance and availability less than 100%. Our main goal for the summer tournaments is to field the most competitive team possible. Discretion will be given to the coaching staff on how to deal with committed players that may miss a potential game and whether that means the player should be excluded altogether in favor of the next player versus managing with the temporary absence.
The timing between the end of the season and the beginning of All Stars is a tight timeline with selecting players and coaches, ordering uniforms, and other administrative tasks. Bloomfield-Glen Ridge Little League asks that parents/guardians of selected players communicate conflicts openly and quickly with the selected Coaching Staff so alternate players can be notified if necessary.