Almaden LL All-Star Information

What is All-Stars?

The Little League® International  is the most widely recognized youth sports tournament in the world. Following the regular season, baseball and softball players have the opportunity to represent Almaden Little League on Tournament Teams, competing against other Little League programs at the District, Section, State, Regional, and World Series levels (depending on age group).  We fields teams for both Baseball and Softball, as player and coaching interest allows.  In Almaden, we are part of Northern California Baseball District 12/Section 5 and Northern California Softball District 12/Mission Section.

In addition to the Little League Tournaments:

- For Softball, our All Star Teams also participate in tournaments run by separate softball organizations including USA and PGF.  They will play in 3-5 tournaments across the summer. These tournaments are held at sites that can be several hours away and take place over a weekend, with Saturday typically pool play with 2-3 games and Sunday elimination play with up to 3 up games.

- Our 7-8 Year old boys, who are not selected for the 9 year old baseball team have the opportunity to play All Star baseball against team from our surrounding area, in tournaments held over single weekends (similar to above with Saturday pool play and Sunday elimination play), hosted by our neighboring little leagues.  The rules used for the 8 year old tournaments is typically a combination of our A and AA rules, with machine or coach pitch and no stealing.

Age Divisions Almaden LL Supports:

• 7-8 (8s or 8U Softball).   Baseball Weekend tournaments with surrounding leagues.  Softball Weekend tournaments through USA softball with locations varying throughout Northern California.

• 8–9 (9s).  Baseball Little League District Tournament only hosted by one of our District 12 Leagues, with 3-4 pool play games and then top two teams from each pool advancing to elimination play. 

• 8–10 (10s or 10U Softball). Baseball/Softball Little League District Tournament same format as above. Winner advances to Sectionals to play the District Champions from surrounding Districts.  The winner of Sectionals advances to State to play the winners of the other sections in the State.

• 9–11 (11s).  Baseball/Softball Little League District Tournament. Winner can advance to Sectionals / State / West Region.

• Little League 10–12 (12s of 12U Softball).  Baseball/Softball Little League District Tournament. Winner can advance to Sectionals / State / West Region / World Series.

• Intermediate (50/70). Baseball/Softball Little League District Tournament. Winner can advance to Sectionals / State / West Region / World Series.

• Juniors. Baseball/Softball Little League District Tournament. Winner can advance to Sectionals / State / West Region / World Series.

First Time Hearing About All-Stars?

All-Stars is a post-season tournament where top players from each division represent Almaden. It’s a competitive and rewarding experience that runs June–August. Families apply mid-season and are selected through a structured voting process.

Player Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for All-Stars:

• Players must reside within or attend school in the Almaden boundary area.

• Must have participated in at least 8 regular season games.

  • Injury or illness may qualify for a game count waiver, at the discretion of the Almaden Board.

• Must be available for all practices and games during the Little League Tournaments (typically the entire month of June). 

• If a player has a conflict during District play, it must be reported to the Board before teams are selected. The Board will determine the appropriate next steps.

• 12s and 11s team are chosen from the pool of players who played Majors / 12U in the Spring Rec season.  If there are not enough qualified players within this pool, then players from AAA/10U will be evaluated to join the team.  Each team is comprised of players of that age group, unless there are not enough qualified / interested players.

• 10s and 9s team are chosen from the pool of players who played Minors / 10U in the Spring Rec season.  If there are not enough qualified players within this pool, then players from AA/8U will be evaluated to join the team.  Each team is comprised of players of that age group, unless there are not enough qualified / interested players.

• 8s team is chosen from the pool of players who played AAA / 10U in the Spring Rec season and AA / 8U.

• Players for each team must meet the age criteria as determined by Little League International and/or USA Softball.

For full eligibility details, see:
🔗 Little League International Player Eligibility

How Players are Evaluated

Baseball/Softball Skills

• Fielding: Clean glove work, quick transfer, good footwork

• Throwing: Arm strength and accuracy

• Pitching: Command, control, composure

• Hitting: Contact consistency, approach at the plate

• Base Running: Aggressive but smart running, good instincts

• Stat lines (due to the inconsistency in how stats are recorded - the only stats that are looked at are Hitting: Plate Appearances, At Bats, Strikeouts, Walks. Pitching: Strikes thrown / Balls thrown, Batters faced, Innings Pitched, Strikeouts, Walks.   Stats are not part of the process in evaluating AA / 8U players given the inconsistent nature of the stats are recorded and because there is not a way to separate stats with player pitchers vs those with coach pitchers).

Character & Attitude

• Sportsmanship: Respect for teammates, coaches, umpires, and opponents

• Commitment: Consistent effort and attendance

• Leadership: Positive presence, hustle, coachability

Almaden does not consider:

• Previous All-Star selections (each year is a fresh start)

Every Season is a New Chapter
Kids grow and develop at different rates. Each application receives a fresh, fair evaluation every year.

The Selection Process

The Almaden All-Star selection process is built on manager evaluation, while adhering to Little League International rules.

1. Player Applications

• In mid April, the Player Agent will send out interest forms to all eligible families.

• Only players who submit a completed application will be considered and placed on the ballot.

• A list of submitted players will be shared with managers and players to support observation and evaluation during remaining games.

2. Voting

3. Voting Timeline (Subject to Change)

4. Roster Selection

• 12 players per team is the standard roster size.

• In rare, case-specific situations, teams may carry up to 14 players.

• The top 10 players from manager voting (where applicable) will be rostered unless:

  • There are sportsmanship issues, availability conflicts, or

  • The selection committee (Manager, Coaches, Board) identifies legitimate concerns.

  • The last 2 players are based on manager choice - in order to complete the roster with best needs of the team in mind.  The majority of time, the manager will choose who 11th and 12th players per the Manager voting.

Expectations for All-Star Families

• Commitment is essential—practices will be daily leading up to tournament play.

• Travel may be required as teams advance through the tournament tiers and is definitely required as part of Softball.

• All practices and games during the District/Sectional/State Tournaments must be attended unless previously disclosed.

• All-Star participation is a privilege, not a guarantee—even for returning players.

Questions? Contact [email protected]

We look forward to an exciting and competitive All-Star season ahead. Thank you for your support in celebrating what makes Almaden such a special community.

REQUIRED PLAYER FORMS FOR TOURNAMENT PLAY