SOFTBALL LEAGUE AGE DETERMINATION

Before registering your player for softball, you must know their official "league age." The Age Determination Date for a Little League Softball player is the actual age of a child on December 31 of the previous year.

To determine your player’s league age, click the link below.

League Age Determination 

SOFTBALL LEAGUES

South Burlington’s home softball field is located at Jaycee Park at 113 Patchen Rd. Other field use may include FH Tuttle Middle School or the elementary schools.

MINIS

League Age: 6- and 7-year-olds. Players who are Softball league age 5 but who have a birthday between January and August may play either Minis or Instructional baseball.   

Description: This program provides a well-rounded foundation by ensuring every player gains experience at every position on the field. This rotation maximizes fielding opportunities and accelerates overall player development, preparing them for the transition to longer, more competitive games. Practices integrate the core fundamentals of softball, including an understanding of balls, strikes, and outs. Players use a tee and coach pitching is introduced for players who can hit a pitched ball. This is not a drop-off league; parents are required to stay through practices and games. Players may request to be on a team with 1 friend; those play requests must be mutual (both friends must request each other).

Practices & Games: 2 days per week, primarily Monday and Friday evenings. Because games are scheduled with other towns, there may be some games scheduled on different days of the week (most likely Wednesdays).  Weekday times for April are 5:30–7 p.m.; Minis games end by 7:30 p.m.

Travel: Teams may be required to travel within Chittenden County.

MINORS

League Age:  8-, 9- and 10-year-olds.

Description: Minors is an exciting leap forward in players fully adopt official Little League rules, bringing the professional feel of softball to our local fields. Games consist of six innings, allowing players to build the physical and mental endurance required for longer play. They transition to full player pitching and catching, with the continued help of coach-pitch, if needed. To ensure fairness and teach respect for the game, a certified or trained umpire is required for every game. Equal playing time guaranteed to ensure every player stays engaged and active. To create well-rounded players, they will continue to rotate positions on the field. This prevents early specialization and gives every player the chance to discover their strengths in both the infield and outfield.

Practices & Games: Meets three or four times per week.  Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and/or Sunday. Games will be played against local towns, so  away games require travel and on occasion can be on different days of the week. Weekday times for April are 5:30–7 p.m.; Sundays will be used for practices, and times will vary.

Travel: Teams are expected to travel to neighboring little leagues within Chittenden County.

MAJORS

League Age: 11- and 12-year-old.

Description: Players continue to progress into competitive play with full six inning games. Play becomes quicker with faster pitches and harder hits. Players may start to build comfort in certain positions and learn to advocate for those spots during practice. Certified or trained umpires are required for all games in league.

Practices & Games: Meets three or four times per week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and/or Sunday. Weekday times for April are 5:30–7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday times vary. Sundays will be primarily used for practice.

Travel: Teams are expected to travel to neighboring little leagues within Chittenden County.

The draft is supported by the President, Player Agent, VP of Softball, Secretary, and the selected Head Coaches of the league. Minor and Major League Coordinators may also be present.

SOFTBALL PLAYER EVALUATIONS

The Purpose of Evaluations

Player evaluations are a vital part of creating a fair, balanced, and competitive environment for the upcoming season. These sessions allow for an opportunity to assess each player’s current skills, identifying both their unique strengths and their specific areas for growth. While coaches do not evaluate the players, they do have the opportunity to work closely with and support players in their individual development. Overall, evaluations assist with providing:

Constructive Feedback: Helping players understand how to improve their game.

Coaching Insight: Giving our volunteers the data they need to support each player’s progress and ensure a positive, growth-oriented team experience.

A Culture of Growth: Promoting teamwork, fair play, and personal development in a supportive setting.

Evaluations are confidential in that players are assessed by outside volunteers (not coaches) and by the number players were given that day. Players may not wear jerseys with last names or numbers on them to evaluations, to help keep this process fair.

The data from the evaluations is presented in a way that averages the scores for each player based on the skill and ranked to ensure we can create balanced and fair teams.

MINORS AND MAJORS DRAFT

Minors and Majors teams are created by a draft system. During the draft, in a series of selection rounds, players with equivalent evaluation scores are selected by coaches, one per team until all players are selected.  The goal of the draft is to ensure each team has equal distribution of skill and ability and to balance the number of players per team.