2025 SUMMER BASEBALL SEASON
Ridgefield Little League will be offering four levels of summer baseball in 2025 to accommodate the
needs of every player that wants to play baseball in the summer: All-Stars, Summer Travel, Friendship
and Sandlot.
The summer ball season will run from approximately June 14th to the end of July.
We encourage all players that are interested in playing more baseball to sign up for Summer Baseball!
REGISTRATION:
Summer Baseball registration will begin in mid-May and run through early June. During registration,
parents of players interested in participating in the Summer Ball Program should register online, similar
to the way in which they registered for the regular season. Parents will be asked to choose which
team(s) they would like their child to be considered for and to indicate any scheduling conflicts that a
player might have during the June 14th to end of July time period. Once teams have been formed,
parents will be notified to complete a new registration, and payment will be made at that time.
TEAMS:
The Summer Baseball Program will consist of the following teams, depending on the number of players
who sign up and availability of volunteer managers and coaches:
TEAM DESCRIPTIONS:
ALL-STAR TEAMS
Ridgefield will have four All-Star teams at the 12U, 11U, 10U and 9U age levels. The 12U, 11U and 10U
teams will compete in the Little League Connecticut District 1 Tournament for the right to continue to
play in State (12U, 11U and 10U) and National Little League Tournaments (12U). The teams will play in
other tournaments if they are eliminated from the LL tournament. The 9U All Star team(s) will compete
in one or two tournaments and play games against other 9U All Star teams, which will begin in mid-to-
late June, after our town season is complete.The All-Star teams provide the most competitive level of play and require the biggest commitment from
their players, families, managers, and coaches. Players must have participated in at least 8 RLL’s regular
spring season games to be considered for an All-Star Team. Additionally, parents and players must
OPT-IN to be considered for All-Stars by (1) completing an RLL All-Stars Commitment letter AND (2)
registering by the May 19th deadline on the RLL website.
Commitment: Please keep in mind the following level of commitment as your player considers the
opportunity to participate in a Summer All-Star Team:
• In fairness to the players selected and not-selected, RLL expects full participation as
detailed in the commitment period below. If your family has any vacations or sleep away
camps scheduled during this time (that cannot be changed), we respectfully ask that you NOT
register for the Summer All-Star Program. We understand that the Independence Day holiday
falls during this time frame, but we will have practices and at least three games during this
week. If your child is selected, we expect your player to be available for the duration of that
week.
• Unexcused Absences from District Play: Any unexcused absences from practices or
games will be subject to any or all of the following penalties: loss of playing time, the lack of
consideration for district play in the future, and/or removal from the team. This policy will be
strictly enforced. Excused absences are medical or family emergencies. Vacations are
considered unexcused absences. If your player cannot commit to this expectation, we request
that you give that spot to the next viable candidate.
• Commitment Period: Practices will start as soon as the teams are announced. If a
team advances through the District 1 Tournament starting mid June, they will play in the
Sectionals/States, which will end by early August. In the event that any of our teams are
eliminated after the District 1 Tournament, there will be additional tournaments/travel play
through the end of July. The dates for the District, Divisional, and State Tournaments are as
follows:
CT District 1 CT Sectional/State
Mid-June – early
August
July/August
We encourage all players that are not selected for an All-Star team to register for a Summer Travel or a
Friendship team.
Documentation: If your player is selected to play on an All-Star team, you will be expected to fill out all
the necessary affidavits and provide original birth certificates as required by Little League Baseball.
Rosters: The All-Star teams will consist of 12 to 14 players.
Playing Time: Parents must understand that playing time is not distributed equally. The minimum play
rule in the Little League District Tournament may be possibly no innings in the field. However Little
League Tournament rules state that the entire lineup participates in the batting order. For example,
on a 12 player team, all 12 rostered players bat in a continuous lineup. Parents who want to ensure
more playing time for their player should consider a Summer Travel team.
All-Star Player Selection Process: The following is an overview of the All-Star selection process:
• 12U All-Star Team: Players, managers and coaches in the RLL Majors Division will vote
for the players that be selected to play on the 12U All-Star from a ballot of all 11- and 12-year-olds that are playing in the RLL Majors division. The first 8 positions on the 12U rosters will be
filled from the voting process. The Post Season Committee and the 12U All Star Manager with
fill in the remaining roster positions. Emphasis will be placed on the players that received the
most votes from the Player voting.
• 11U, 10U & 9U All Star Teams: Players must be nominated by their Majors/Minors
manager to be considered for the 11U, 10U, and 9U All-Star teams. The Post Season
committee and the All-Star Managers will select the rosters for the 11U, 10U and 9U All-Star
teams.
SUMMER TRAVEL TEAMS
The Summer Travel program will provide players with a competitive baseball experience. The Summer
Travel teams are comprised of players who were not selected for the All-Star teams, those who do not
wish the degree of competitiveness and time commitment of All-Star team play, or those who just wish
to have more flexibility with their schedule.
Commitment: Attendance at all practices and games is not mandatory, but RLL does desire that
Summer Travel team players commit to 80% of the games and practices. Families that plan on talking
more than one week of vacation in July should consider playing Friendship baseball.
Roster: The Summer Travel teams will roster 13 to 16 players on a team to guarantee 10 to 12 players
for each game.
Schedule: The Summer Travel program will run from mid-June early August. The Summer Travel teams
will typically play 2 to 4 games a week with one practice a week. Teams will play 15 to 20 games in the
summer.
League: The Summer Travel teams play in the District 1 and 2 leagues. Teams may have the opportunity
to play in tournaments. Games will be played in Ridgefield and others towns in Southwestern
Connecticut.
Ages: RLL will attempt to put together Summer Travel teams at the 9U, 10U, 11U and 12U age levels.
Summer Travel Player Selection Process: Players must be nominated by their Majors/Minors manager
to be considered for the Summer Travel teams. The Post Season committee and the Summer Travel
Managers will select the rosters for the teams.
Players that did not play in the Spring RLL season are eligible to play on a Summer Travel team.
Please note that priority for the Summer Travel league will be given to RLL players who participated in
the RLL spring season. If teams are short players, however, and those players have previously
demonstrated the skill levels required for Summer Travel, then players who did not play in the spring
season are eligible for this program
FRIENDSHIP TEAMS
RLL will continue to participate in the District 1 Friendship Program. The Friendship program offers
competitive baseball, but with a more developmental and instructional approach to the season. It also
provides a travel experience for the players.Commitment: Attendance at all practices and games is not mandatory, but RLL does desire that
Friendship team players commit to 70% of the games and practices.
Roster: The Friendship teams will roster 13 to 16 players on a team to guarantee 10 to 12 players for
each game.
Schedule: The Friendship program will run during late June and the month of July. The Friendship
teams will typically play 2 to 3 games a week with one practice a week. Teams will play 12 to 14 games
in the summer.
Ages: RLL will attempt to put together Summer Travel teams at the 8U, 9U, 10U, 11U and 12U age
levels.
Friendship Player Selection Process: Players must be nominated by their Spring manager to be
considered for the Friendship teams. The Post Season committee and the Friendship Managers will
select the rosters for the teams.
Players that did not play in the Spring RLL season are eligible to play on a Friendship team.
SANDLOT TEAMS
RLL will also be offering Sandlot games on a weekly basis, usually a Saturday or Sunday. The Sandlot
program offers our Tee Ball, Coach-Pitch, and 8U players the opportunity to continue play baseball
throughout the summer through pickup baseball games. Parents are encouraged to assist as pitchers
and umpires. Players must be registered on a Spring RLL team in order to play in the Sandlot Program.
COSTS
The cost per division varies, as the different teams play in different leagues and tournaments with
varying costs. The fees for the summer programs cover league fees, tournaments fees, uniforms,
coaches’ shirts, equipment and umpires.
The cost for each team is as follows:
Team Cost
All-Star $275
Summer Travel $225
Friendship $150
Sandlot Free
MANAGERS AND COACHES:
The ability to field teams at the various levels this summer will require volunteers as managers and
coaches. If we do not have enough managers and coaches, we will have to limit the number of teams
we can put together.Any person interested in managing or coaching a summer team should submit his/her name to the
Ridgefield Little League Post Season Committee by May 30th. The submissions of potential managers
will be reviewed and voted on by the Ridgefield Little League Post Season Committee.
Historically managers are individuals with extensive baseball knowledge, league experience and a strong
commitment to the program. These individuals should support and advance the league’s focus on
player development, sportsmanship, and fair play. Managers will be allowed to select their own
coaching staff, which is subject to the approval of the Post Season Committee.
Please be sure to submit your name as quickly as possible.