How does Little League work?
Little League is a global organization that promotes baseball and softball across the globe. It breaks down to a State, Group and Section Level. Caldwell-West Essex Little League (CWELL) is in New Jersey’s Group 2, District 8, along with many other towns in Essex County.
However, the majority of planning and organization occurs on the local league level. CWELL is run primarily by its seven Board Members and the many volunteers who step up to help improve our league each year.
What Teams Will My Child Play On?
CWELL has the following Divisions;
- Tee-Ball: Pre-K and Kindergarten (Kindergartners with experience may try out for Coach Pitch)
- Coach Pitch Baseball or Softball: 1st and 2nd Grade
- Minors Baseball and Softball: 3rd and 4th Grade
- Majors Baseball: 5th and 6th Grade
CWELL’s Player Evaluation Day will be Saturday March 5, 2023 at Hustle Baseball Academy. Hustle’s professional trainers evaluate all players (other than Tee Ball) and their assessments will determine teams.
Are all of the games played locally?
Yes, for Tee Ball and Coach Pitch. Last year, we had 14 tee ball teams, 8 coach pitch baseball teams and 5 coach pitch softball teams and the teams played intra-league only at local fields.
This year, we’re hoping to add additional games with teams from Parsippany, Livingston, Bloomfield, and Mountain Lakes to name a few. However, these are not “travel” teams and our ultimate goal is to grow the league to the point of playing all of our games locally.
How does the Little League World Series work?
At the end of our regular season (mid-June), CWELL will send one or more all-star teams to compete in the District 8 Tournament. CWELL will field All-Star teams for the Majors, Minors and 2nd grade level. The winners of the tournament on the Majors level will advance to other tournaments with a chance to represent New Jersey in the Little League World Series.
How does a player get selected for the All-Star team?
Only players in CWELL’s regular season are eligible to play in the tournament. During the March Player Evaluation Day, about eight players will be identified for each All-Star team, with a preference for pitchers and catchers. That team will have additional practices during the regular season.
As the season draws to a close, the League will identify additional players who distinguished themselves throughout the year to round out the team. If a player misses more than 25% of the regular season games they will be replaced with another player.
When are games played?
Last year, every division played twice a week. One day during the week, one on the weekend. These days may change but last year the schedule looked like this:
- Tee-Ball was Tuesday/Saturday
- Coach Pitch Baseball- Wednesday/Sunday
- Coach Pitch Softball- Thursday/Saturday
- Minors Baseball- Monday/Saturday
- Majors Baseball- Tuesday or Thursday/Saturday
This is NOT the schedule for 2023 but we wanted to provide a baseline for what we had last year.
How much is Registration?
$125 for Tee-Ball and $150 for all other Divisions
Do we have to bring our own equipment?
CWELL will supply jerseys, pants, and hats. We also have a good number of bats and helmets that the kids can use. Most parents will have their own bats and helmets. All players will need their own glove. If you need financial assistance, please reach out to us at [email protected].
When will I find out what team my child is on?
Shortly after the evaluation day on March 5th, the teams will be put together. Please expect and email from your coach by March 12th.