Youth Softball

Spring & Summer

Zeeland LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL

Zeeland Little League is designed to teach the skills and concepts of baseball at a high level, while also emphasizing having fun and building character. Join us to make lifelong memories this Spring & Summer!

 League   Ages   Dates   Late Fee Cost 
 Rookie Ball (Coed)   4-5   July 9-30 (Tue)  $54r/$69nr 
 Rookie Ball (Coed)   4-5   July 11-Aug 1 (Thur)  $54r/$69nr 
 Tee-Ball   4-6   Apr 8-Jun 8   $64r/$79nr 
 Coach-Pitch   6-8   Apr 8-Jun 8   $64r/$79nr 
 Minors   8-10   Mar 25-Jun 22   $94r/$109nr 
 Majors 10-12   Mar 25-Jun 22   $49r/$109nr 

 

Rookie Ball (4-5 Yr Olds): This coed program serves as the perfect intro to softball and baseball! It consists of one day a week of skill development for four weeks. Each week will consist of skill development stations that parents and children rotate through together, with parents teaching the skills at each station along with guidance from Zeeland Rec staff on site. There will also be modified games played to build an understanding of the sport.

Tee-Ball League (4-6 Yr Olds): This is our Tee-Ball League! All balls are hit off tees. Live pitching from coaches is allowed to be introduced midseason for those who are comfortable. Two practices per week (Mon-Fri) or one practice (Mon-Fri) and 1 game (Saturday) per week

Coach Pitch (6-8 Yr Olds): This is our Coach-Pitch League! Coaches pitch to players, with no live pitching from players. This program includes one practice and one game per week, with two weeks that have two games and no practices. 

Minors Softball (8-10 Yr Olds): This is our Kid-Pitch/Coach-Pitch League. It’s designed to teach participants how to pitch and how to hit against live pitching from other participants. Batters will begin by facing an opposing pitcher, but coaches will step in to pitch if the batter is walked to ensure all hitters get the chance to improve their hitting skills. Stealing is not allowed. The regular season ends with a tournament among all other Minors teams. 2-3 total events per week including practices and games. Most practices and games are Mon-Fri, however some Saturday games are scheduled for all teams

Majors Softball (10-12 Yr Olds): This league is for 12 year olds and younger and is the division that the Little League World Series is associated with. This is a kid-pitch league designed for those with more experience in pitching and hitting live pitching. Coaches do not assist in pitching. The regular season ends with a tournament among all other Majors teams. 2-3 total events per week including practices and games. Most practices and games are Mon-Fri, however some Saturday games are scheduled for all teams

TEE-BALL & COACH PITCH

Team Placements by ZLL Board

Tee-Ball and Coach Pitch teams are put together by the ZLL Board. We try to make the teams as evenly skilled as possible based on coaches ratings from the prior year (for those that played last season) and the ratings parents give their child during the registration process. This season, we are allowing players in Tee-Ball and Coach-Pitch to “Sign-Up with a Friend”. At registration, if two players have each others’ names in the “Sign-Up with a Friend” area, we will place them on the same team. We also attempt to put players from the same school on the same teams to increase the likelihood they are on a team with someone they know! All players will know their teams by Apr 1.

MINORS & MAJORS

Team Drafts

After Team Formation Practice, coaches from those leagues complete a “draft” to select players for their team. Because coaches pick their team, we cannot guarantee that your child will know someone on the team they are selected to. The best way to ensure your child is on a team with a friend is to sign up to coach so that you are part of the team selection process. If the player has a sibling that will be in the same division, we do ensure that they are placed on the same team. The draft process also ensures that teams are formed as evenly skilled as possible. Parents are notified of which team their child is placed shortly after the draft is complete. Parents will be notified of the team their child is on by Mar 25.

Practice and game schedules will be released at a later date. However, below are the guidelines and parameters for each division. 

  • Tee-Ball: Two practices per week (Mon-Fri) or one practice (Mon-Fri) and 1 game (Saturday) per week
  • Coach-Pitch: Two practices per week (Mon-Fri) or one practice (Mon-Fri) and one game (Saturday) per week or 2 games (Mon-Sat) per week
  • Minors & Majors: 2-3 total events per week including practices and games. Most practices and games are Mon-Fri, however some Saturday games are scheduled for all teams

Kaat Kids Day and the Gentex Games: Returning for the 2024 season, ZLL wants to recognize players that have had outstanding seasons. Every ZLL team will select players to take part in an exhibition All-Star Game in June consisting of only ZLL players within their same division. Baseball players play on Kaat Kids Day (June 1). More details will be shared in the Spring after teams are formed.

Postseason Opportunities: After the regular season ends in mid-late June, some leagues play in postseason tournaments that vary based on division. These tournaments involve playing additional games, in some cases against other local leagues, and can last up until the end of June. More details on postseason tournaments are determined after team selections.

All-Star Tournament Teams: After the completion of the regular season and postseason tournaments, an All-Star tournament takes place from the end of June-mid July. If a player is interested in playing on an All-Star team, families must complete an All-Star Commitment Form for the player to be eligible for selection. Anyone who submits the commitment form can try-out for an All-Star team. All-Star teams are then selected by appointed committees in early June. Team selections are based on multiple factors (try-out performance, regular season performance, team needs, etc.) as decided by the committee. More information on All-Stars will be released in the Spring.

Zeeland Little League follows the Little League International rules, which apply to all other Little Leagues. There are, however, some unique rules that ZLL has applied to some divisions in order to develop appropriate skills and keep the game fun.

More details on rules will be posted as we transition from our previous website provider.

 

Zeeland Little League relies on volunteers to coach each team. As a coach, your child will be placed on your team (or multiple children - if they are playing in the same division). Our goal is to have at least two coaches per team. We provide training and resources to help, and experience is not required.

  • To sign up to coach in the 2024 season, please COMPLETE THIS FORM
  • If you want to coach more than one team, please complete a separate form for each team you want to coach.

Little League Baseball & Softball Umpires

12 Yr Olds-Adults

Zeeland Rec is looking for umpires for our Zeeland Little League Baseball and Softball programs! Both home plate and field umpires are needed. Umpire resource guides, equipment and training is provided. 

  • Sign Up to Ump: If you did not ump for ZLL in the 2023 season and wish to ump in the 2024 season, COMPLETE THIS FORM
  • Dates: April-July
  • Game Days: Monday-Saturday
  • Times: Mon-Fri games range from 5pm-8pm | Sat games range from 9am-1pm (games last around 2 hrs each)
  • Pay Rate: $25-$45 p/game (depending on age, certification, etc)
  • Qualifications: Knowledge of the game of baseball/softball (training will be provided upon hiring) | Love for kids | Dependable
  • Training: In-person training is required in April | Details TBD
  • Questions? Email our Little League President, Brandon LaRosa @ zllpresident@gmail.com