Q:  When does the season start?
A:  The season starts whenever the outdoor fields are ready for play and are deemed useable by the City of SLP, this is usually sometime in early to mid-April.  Practices begin then with games beginning closer to the end of April.

Q:  Are any winter clinics offered?
A:  Yes the league tries to secure winter gym space to host weekly winter clinics.  You must be registered for the upcoming season in order to participate.  The time, day of the week and applicable ages varies from year to year based on available space and demand for it by other sport organizations.  Any winter clinic offerings will be communicated via the front page of the website and the weekly newsletter.

Q:  What are the season expectations by level?
A:  All ages are subject to coaches discretion for practice but the following are general outlines by age level:

Rookie (LL Age 5-6) - 2 days a week of baseball activities, 1 practice and 1 game, first game expected to be the weekend of May 3rd and last game of season the weekend of July 19th

A (LL Age 7-8) - 3 days a week of baseball activities, 2 practices and 1 game early in the season and 2 games and 1 practice later in the season, first game expected to be the weekend of May 3rd with the postseason tournament running the week of July 21-26th

AA (LL Age 9) - 4 days a week of baseball activities, 2 games & 2 practices a week, first game expected to be the week of April 21st depending on weather with the postseason tournament running the week of June 16-21st

AAA (LL Age 10-11) - 4 days a week of baseball activities, 2 games & 2 practices, first game expected to be the week of April 21st depending on weather with the postseason tournament running the week of June 16-21st

Majors (LL Age 11-12) - 5 days a week of baseball activities, 2-3 games & 2-3 practices a week, first game expected to be week of April 21st depending on weather with the postseason tournament running the week of June 9-14th and the external tournaments against other LL's running from June 16th - 26th

Q:  What is the kid pitch postseason July Ball Schedule like?
A:  All teams will be announced after the conclusion of that age groups end of season tournament with practices starting shortly after at the coaches discretion.  Games will not start until after the 4th of July with the All-Star schedule as follows:

District Tournament - July 8th - 20th, 2025 (subject to change)

Potential State Tournament - July 23-27th, 2025 (subject to change)

Baseball in Benin Wood Bat Tournament - July 31st - Aug 3rd, 2025 (subject to change)

Potential Midwest Regional (12's only) - August 1st-9th, 2025 (subject to change)

Potential LLWS (12's only) - August 13-24th, 2025

Q:  Who is impacted by the 2025 changes?
A:  Only kid pitch age kids 10-12 or ~4th thru 6th grade are impacted.  There is no change for machine pitch age kids 5-8 (~pre K thru 2nd grade) or first year of kid pitch kids age 9 or ~3rd grade.

Q:  What changes is SLP making for 2025?
A:  In the Fall of 2024, the SLP baseball community  had discussions about changes in the baseball model and offerings for the 2025 season in conjunction with the SLP Travel board which is a separate organization.

SLP has decided to offer three choices for kid pitch ages 10-12 or  ~4th thru 6th grade.

Choice A - Little League - The same Little League season that SLP has always offered.  The same schedule, fees & volunteer requirements as past years.  This is the only option for kids age 5-9 or ~pre-K thru 3rd grade.

Choice A & B  - Little League  - To supplement the LL season the SLP Travel Board is offering Little League Plus Tournament teams for certain ages, which is an extra tournament team that will participate in 1-2 travel tournaments in the metro area.  Only SLP residents or those who attend school in SLP are eligible per travel baseball rules.  This is an option for those who want to play more baseball in addition to LL but don't want to commit or don't make a travel team. 

There will be an additional cost  and time commitment but it will not interfere with the normal Little League schedule.  You must register for both.  They are managed separately.

Choice C - Travel - The SLP Travel Board has historically only offered baseball to 13-15 year olds (~7-9th grade) but in 2025 will begin offering teams for 10-12 year olds (~4-6th grade) as well.  Only SLP residents or those who attend school in SLP are eligible per travel baseball rules.  The cost will be higher than LL as well as the time commitment, players are also expected to prioritize both practice & games over other youth sport conflicts.  Not everyone who signs up for travel may make a team but everyone will be able to play baseball thru LL or LL Plus in options A & B.

Q:  What differences are there between Little League and Travel?
A:  Many differences exist between the two baseball options that families should consider such as:

Cost - Travel is more expensive than LL (~$450 vs ~$200)

Travel - LL primarily plays all of it's games in SLP with a few games at other LL's, Travel plays half it's regular season games in SLP and the other half at other cities along with 3 regular season weekend tournaments primarily in other cities.

Boundary - LL uses a designated boundary that doesn't follow city boundaries and beginning in 2025 is working on phasing out boundaries all together, Travel is community based and so you must live or go to school in the city you play for.

Rules - Both organizations have slight variances in rules regarding pitch counts, leading off/stealing, curveballs, etc.

Field Size - LL uses 60' bases & a 46' mound thru age 12, Travel gradually increases these distances beginning at age 11.  Travel age 10 uses 60' bases & a 46' mound, 11 uses 65' bases & a 46' mound and 12 uses 75' bases & a 52' mound.

Bats - LL uses USA bat models while Travel uses USSSA.

Age Cutoff - LL uses a September 1st cutoff while Travel uses May 1st so those with summer birthdays play by grade instead of age.

Postseason - Both play July postseason ball, LL makes sure all kids interested in July ball will be able to play whether on an All-Star, Select or Classic team.  Travel teams have to qualify for the various state tournaments held in July by placing high in regular season tournaments.

Q:  Who can play in SLP Little League?
A:  SLP Little League welcomes boys and girls from 5-12 years of age.

Q:  What are the boundaries for Minneapolis residents to fully participate in SLP Little League?  If I'm not in the boundaries, can my player still play and what might my player miss?

• Our boundaries include all of SLP and the following Minneapolis area; see photo at the bottom of this page: 
  
• On the northwest edge, starting at I-394 and France Ave, south on France Ave. to 54th Ave S, 54th Ave S east to Penn Ave S, Penn Ave S north, through Lake Harriet/Lakewood Cemetary/Lake Calhoun to West Lake Street, east to Hennepin Ave and Hennepin Ave northeast to Interstate 394, Interstate 394 west to France Ave.
• If you are not in the boundaries, your player is still welcome to play SLP Little League.  Your player is not allowed to play on the All-Star team for ages 9, 10, 11 or 12.  These All-Star Tournaments take place in July.  There are Select or Classic tournament teams that also play most of July that all players are eligible to continue their fun and baseball development.
  
  

Age* League Season Duration Events Per Week

Age*	League	Season Duration	Events Per Week
5-6	Rookie	Mid-April – July	2
7-8	A	Mid-April – July	3
9	AA	April – June	3-4
10-11	AAA	April - June	4
11-12	Majors	April – June	4+

* In addition to age, player evaluation is used to determine the league of play.


Q:  Can non-St. Louis Park residents be part of SLP Little League?
A:  Yes, anybody can participate in the regular season.  If you are interested in eligibility for the All-Star season see the postseason FAQ tab.

Q: How do I determine my player's Little League age?
A: The Little League Baseball® age charts determine the league age of a player according to the year and month of their birth. Click here for the 2025 age chart.


St. Louis Park Little League District Boundaries

Q: What teams exist at each age level for post-season play?

A: Each kid pitch age group (9, 10, 11, and 12 year-olds) will field one All-Star team. The number of Select and Classic teams are determined by participation and can change from year to year.

Q: What are the expectations for the All Star team?

A: Players need to live in the SLP Little League boundary (see map below) or go to a public school in St. Louis Park and be fully available between July 1st and August 7th (excluding July 4th) for 9, 10 and 11 year old players and until the end of August for 12 year old players. Any exceptions must be identified and approved at the time of team selection by the SLP Little League president and kid pitch player agent. 

Teams playing in the All Star tournaments are highly skilled and competitive. Depending on the tournament, playing time may not be equal between players. 

Q: I heard Little League is changing the boundary requirements, is that true?

A: Yes, see the list of ways to be eligible to play on an SLPLL All-Star Team.

1 - Primary residence is located within the league's boundary

2 - Goes to a school that is located within the league's boundary

3 - Has one parent who reside within the league's boundary

4 - Primary residence or school is outside the league's boundary but has successfully applied for a waiver from and received waiver approval from Little League International

5 - *NEW* Kids who are Little League age 7 or below can participate in any Little League regardless of geography and play in All-Stars in future years if they are continuously enrolled in the same league

6 - *NEW* Older siblings of kids who are Little League age 7 or below can participate in the same league as his/her younger sibling regardless of geography and be eligible for All-Stars immediately

Q: What are the expectations for the Select teams?

A: There are no boundary or school requirements to be considered for these levels. The number of teams fielded is based on interest and skill level. It is not required but it is ideal if players are available for some practice the first week of July. Players need to be available for play and practice between July 6 and July 19. Tournaments follow regular season rules; round robin batting (everyone hits), equitable bench time, and position rotation is highly encouraged but not required. 

Q: How does the league determine the number of Select teams vs Classic teams?

A: The number of Select and Classic teams depend on the number of players who are interested in post-season play. This year there are no Classic teams since there were not enough players to provide a robust experience.

Q: How are players chosen for the All Star and Select teams?

A: Teams are selected through a collaborative process with input from their coaches and other coaches in the league.  Head coaches nominate players, and those players are voted on by the other head coaches at that age. Each player requires a majority vote of confidence to be placed on a team.

Q: What criteria are used for selection?

A: Hitting, pitching, fielding are the three primary areas of assessment, with intangibles being the fourth (including baseball awareness, attitude, etc.).

Q: What is the philosophy behind creating two balanced Select teams vs a Select A and Select B?

A: A balanced approach provides the best opportunities for SLP Little League to field competitive teams at all levels in tournament play. In addition, this approach provides a broader set of development opportunities for players, which aligns to the core values of our program.