NLLN PLAYER FAQ

Kids ages 5 – 13, living (or attending a school) within the league's boundaries are eligible to participate. Generally speaking, this encompasses families living within the San Ramon, Rancho and Pleasant Valley elementary school district lines, as well as any student 13 or under attending Sinaloa Middle School, Good Shepard Middle School or Our Lady of Loretta. Miss Sandie’s school is also within league boundaries and any child who is League Age 5 (i.e., any child turning 5 years old before September 1st) is eligible to register and play Tee-Ball  

Visit LittleLeague.org's League Finder tool to look up your home address and confirm if your player lives within the Novato Little League North district boundaries.

Novato Little League North's youth baseball divisions are based on a mixture of ages, skills and safety:

• Tee-Ball (Ages 5 – 6)
• Rookies (Ages 7 – 8)
• Minors AA & AAA (Ages 8 – 10)
• Majors (Ages 10 – 12)
• Intermediate "50/70" (Age 13)
• Challenger Division (Ages 5 – 21)
  • A fun, supportive & adaptive baseball program for individuals with developmental challenges

Novato North's Challenger Division provides a unique opportunity for individuals ages 5 – 21 with developmental disabilities to participate in Little League Baseball.

The Challenger Division's main goal is for players to have fun, socialize and get the opportunity to play baseball. There are only two basic rules:

1. Every participant bats each inning
2. Everyone gets to play in the field

With the support of adult and student volunteers, each player is provided with lots of encouragement, help in the field and support while batting. 

Learn more and register to play or volunteer for NLLN's Challenger Program

Age in Little League (known as "LEAGUE AGE") is based on the age that a player will be on August 31st of the baseball season that they are (or will be) playing in. For example, a player who will turn 9-years-old on July 11th of a current year's spring season is considered to be "League Age 9-years-old"—even though he is actually 8-years-old for the duration of the spring baseball season (which ends mid/late June). To determine the League Age of your player, you can use LittleLeague.org's League Age Calculator or the chart below:

• All 12-year-olds are placed on Majors teams barring extenuating circumstances that warrant a waiver (e.g., brand new to baseball or safety concerns).
• All 11-year-old 6th graders are placed on a Majors team, unless safety concerns and/or parental preference warrants placement on a AAA Minors team.
• All 10-year-old 5th graders who are not drafted in Majors will be placed on a AAA Minors team, again, subject to safety concerns or parental preference.
• All Rookie & Tee-Ball teams (ages 5 – 8) are assembled by the League's Player Agents in an attempt to balance team sizes and skill levels. While you are welcome to request that we pair your player with another, there is no guarantee that it can be honored.

Many factors go into determining the appropriate division for each player. These include age, previous experience and the draft.

The draft moves in stages from Majors to Minors AAA to Minors AA. At each level, managers and coaches select eligible players to fill out their teams. The remaining players are then available for draft by coaches in the next junior division level down. Finally, following this process, all remaining players ages 8+ are assigned to a Rookies team.

Both objective factors (e.g., age, previous season’s division, etc.) AND subjective factors (e.g., attitude, hustle, speed, capabilities, etc.) are taken into account during the draft. This results in players of the same age playing in different divisions (e.g., various 10-year-olds playing across both AAA and AA). Tryouts play an important role in helping NLLN to effectively ensure both the safety and development of our 8+ league-age players.

Tryouts for all players ages 8+ allow us to ensure fair and balanced teams, and even more importantly, that our players are both safe and enabled to learn, grow, and feel successful. Tryouts are typically held in mid/late January and are a MANDATORY part of NLLN's placement process for all players ages 8+

NOTE: Players ages 7 and under do not participate in tryouts. These teams at the Tee-Ball and Rookie levels are focused on learning the basics while having fun and are assembled by the League's Player Agents.

There sure is! See NLLN's League Calendar 

Because player placement occurs after the draft, initial registration and fees are based upon each player’s league age, rather than expectations of playing in a certain division. League age is simply determined by how old your player will be on August 31st (see "Based on my child's age, what's the appropriate Division for them to play in?" above for more).

SPRING SEASON 2024 fees will be charged as follows:

• 5 – 6 year-olds:        $295
• 7 – 8 year-olds:        $340
• 9 – 10 year-olds:      $395
• 11 – 12 year-olds:    $405
• 13 year-olds:            $295

FALL BALL 2023 fees will be charged as follows:

• 7 – 11 year-olds:       $175

At Novato Little League North, we believe that every child deserves the chance to play youth baseball regardless of life circumstances. Please contact us to privately inquire further about financial assistance opportunities.

• Uniform jerseys and hats will be supplied by the league
• Each team will be provided:
  • Full set of catcher’s gear
  • Practice and game balls
• Players will be required to supply their own:
  • Helmets
  • Bats
  • Gloves
  • Uniform pants, belt and socks

Most important among NLLN's volunteers are the Managers & Coaches who train and lead our teams. Learn more and apply to be a coach here

Novato Little League North is powered by adult volunteers like you.

If you're interested in volunteering for League Events, joining a Planning Committee or exploring a seat on our Board of Directors, please email us at info@novatonorth.com.

Novato Little League North's Umpire Excellence Program provides a unique opportunity for adults and league-age 12+ youth to master the art of umpiring while earning good money.

Learn more about Novato North's Paid Umpires Program, including how to apply, at our Umpire Excellence Program page.

All-Star selection begins in May of each Spring Season.

Four NLLN All-Star teams are named each season for league-age 9–12-year-olds, with one team selected for each age bracket (i.e., 9s, 10s, 11s, 12s). These teams represent NLLN in district-level tournament play that begins after the regular season, with most tournaments running through mid-July.

Players under consideration for these teams are discussed amongst managers, commissioners, player agents, board president and the All-Star managers for each age bracket. How a player interacts with coaches, teammates, umpires and opponents is evaluated and is a big factor during player selection. Raw talent alone will not earn a spot to represent Novato North in the short and intense All-Star season.

Learn more here: Novato North All-Stars

Novato North's Hit-A-Thon is a fun opportunity for players to compete with one another while raising funds for the league to support field maintenance, equipment purchases, special events, player scholarships and much more.

Every player is given a fundraising page on our partner platform 99Pledges to share with friends and family. Then, based on field performance during the spring season and total donations raised, two player representatives are selected from each team in the league to compete in a live Hit-A-Thon event at Babe Silva. Trophies and prizes are then awarded at the event.

Past Hit-A-Thon prizes have included:

• A Free Week of Stings Baseball Camp
• A New Baseball Bag
• A $150 Gift Certificate to Sports Basement
• 4 Tickets to a San Francisco Giants Game
• Logan Webb Autographed Ball

All donations to the Hit-A-Thon are tax-deductible.

Players will receive communications from the league during the spring season (via TeamSnap and 99Pledges) about the timeline and details for participating in Novato North's Hit-A-Thon Fundraiser Challenge.

Novato Little League North is a non-profit organization that operates through the generosity of local donors, fundraising events and sponsorships from our local business community.  

Novato North offers many different options and packages for our local business sponsors to reach and influence our local league families including:

1. Live In-Game Announcer Reads
2. Fields Signage
3. Dedicated Email Blasts
4. Website Logo Placements
5. Promotional Handouts/Giveaways to Players & Parents
6. Activation Opportunities at live League Events
   • E.g., Opening Day, Hit-a-Thon, Field Day, etc.

Please contact us for more information about sponsorship packages and other opportunities to support Novato Little League North.