The following is a high level look at how Grafton Little League is structured and how it operates.  Please feel free to contact any of our Board of Director members if you have questions.

RESIDENCY, SCHOOLS and ELIGIBILITY:

Children that reside within the GLL Boundaries, and\or attend a school within the GLL boundaries, are eligible to play for GLL and are also eligible for GLL All Star tournament teams.  Children that do not reside within the GLL boundaries and do not attend a school within the GLL boundaries are still able to play for GLL (pending roster availability) but these children are not eligible for All Star tournament teams.

REGISTRATION:

Registration for T-Ball, Baseball and Softball is done online and starts January 1 each year; baseball and softball registration runs for ~5 weeks, T-Ball registration runs for ~13 weeks.  There also is one in-person registration session offered at the Grafton Senior Center the last Saturday in January.  Challenger division registration is done in person.  T-Ball, Baseball and Softball players may be allowed to play up one division pending a skills evaluation.

A 0% interest, four installment payment plan is available for the Baseball & Softball divisions when registering online.  If you are experiencing financial difficulties, Grafton Little League will work with you to assure that all children that want to play Little League Baseball, Softball or T-Ball have that opportunity; we have a limited number of scholarships available.

FUNDRAISING:

During registration, Baseball and Softball players will be required to purchase three BaseballMania game cards or one box of the World's Finest Candy Bars.  T-Ball players will be required to purchase one BaseballMania game card.  You can choose whether or not to resell the fundraising items or just keep them for your own use; reselling these items significantly reduces your overall registration cost.  If desired, you will be able to purchase and resell additional BaseballMania game cards and\or candy bars which will benefit GLL.

TEAMS:

Team Managers, along with their Assistant Coaches, will draft the Baseball and Softball teams in late February; T-Ball teams will be formed in April.  Team managers will contact parents to introduce themselves and inform you what team your child is on.

FAMILY MEETING:

There is a Family Meeting in April for players & parents.  At this meeting you will hear details about the GLL season; players will also meet their coaches, receive their team caps and BaseballMania game cards.

OPENING DAY CEREMONY:

This event has been eliminated starting with the 2020 season due to frequent issues with poor weather conditions.  Most of the activities historically held during this event will be moved to our Mid-Season Celebration, see details below.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

Team managers will set the practice schedule and then communicate it to you.

• Practices are typically scheduled for weekday evenings and weekends.
• T-Ball and Rookies Baseball practice starts in May.
• Minors, Majors & Juniors Baseball practice starts in April.
• Seniors Baseball has 1-3 practices mid May - mid July.
• Rookies & Minors Softball practice starts in April.

GAME SCHEDULE:

Game schedules will be posted online and communicated to parents when completed.

• Games are usually played on weekday evenings and Saturdays.
• T-Ball and Rookies Baseball games are June - July.
• Minors, Majors & Juniors Baseball games are April - July.
• Seniors Baseball Games are mid May - mid July.
• Rookies, Minors & Majors Baseball will have a tournament in mid July.
• Rookies & Minors Softball games are late April - June.

COMMUNICATION:

Email and text messaging are the primary communication tools used by GLL.

• Team Managers will communicate team specific information to you.
• The GLL President and other Board members will occasionally send mass emails to the entire league for league-wide news and special events.
• Game and practice rain out information will be communicated via text messaging sent to your mobile phone.
• Email addresses for the GLL Board of Directors are posted on this website; please feel free to contact them with any questions or concerns.

PICTURES:

Individual and team pictures will be taken in May.

VOLUNTEERING:

It takes a large and dedicated group of passionate volunteers to deliver a successful Little League program for our players and parents.  Baseball and Softball players are required to pay a Volunteer Fee at registration; upon completing ~2-3 hours of volunteer work, a gift card (equal in value to the volunteer fee) to a local business will be given out.  Volunteer opportunities include manager, coach, board member, concessions, field maintenance, special events, etc.  Please consider volunteering your time to help GLL, it is a great way to give back to the community and it is very rewarding.

SPONSORS:

GLL has been very fortunate to have a core group of loyal sponsors that have been with us for several years; we also have new sponsors join us each year.  It is through the generosity of these sponsors that we are able to continue to offer our Little League program.  Please review our list of sponsors and consider using them for your needs and services when possible.  If you are a business interested in sponsoring GLL, please contact a GLL Board Member.

MID-SEASON CELEBRATION:

Starting in 2020, GLL will have a Mid-Season Celebration that will be a combination of our previous Opening Day Ceremony and our End of Season Picnic.  Anticipated events include a team parade where we will introduce each team, their manager, coaches and sponsor; a ball throw fundraiser contest; introduction of the GLL scholarship winner who will throw out an opening pitch, bounce house, dunk tank, home run derby, inter-league games and discounted concessions.

ALL STAR TEAMS:

GLL typically will field four baseball All Star teams (8-10, 9-11, 10-12, 13-14).  The All Star teams will represent GLL in district competition held in mid-July; the 12 year olds have the opportunity to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.  Players that do not live within the GLL boundaries and do not attend a school within the GLL boundaries are not eligible for All Star teams.

END of SEASON PARTY:

This event has been eliminated starting with the 2020 season due to poor attendance and lack of available event venue dates.  Most of the activities historically held during this event will be moved to our Mid-Season Celebration, see details above.

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP:

Each year Grafton Little League awards a $1000 college scholarship to a Grafton High School senior.  The primary criteria for evaluating applicants is:

• Years of participation in Grafton Little League
• Years of participation in Grafton High School Baseball or Softball
• Years of volunteering for Grafton Little League (umpire/assistant coach/other activities)
• Community Volunteering