Mound City Little League

What does it cost to play at Mound City?

This is our favorite question.  Nothing.  Zilch. Nadda. 0 Dinero.  All local sports leagues are "pay to play" and we don't think that is right. For over 70 years, Mound City has never once charged a child to play, and it will stay that way.  All of our funding comes from support from local businesses and individuals that donate to the park, sponsor teams, buy banner space, etc..  We do have the children participate in a few fundraising efforts such as the Bowl-a-thon and tag day(s) (COVID-19 restrictions may apply).

What ages can play at Mound City?

The baseball program is ages 4 - 12.  The softball program is ages 7 - 18.

How do I know what division to sign up my child for?  How does this age cutoff thing work?

Good news, our registration system is sort of smart and knows what division your child is eligible to play for.  That'll take a lot of the guess work out of it.  In the Licking County area all Baseball little league programs are using an April 30th cutoff date.  All this means is that your child will be placed in a division based on what their age is as of April 30th of the current year.  For Softball the age cut off date is January 1 of the current year.  

My child doesn't turn 4 until after April 30th.  Can they still play t-ball (Rookies Division)?

Maybe.  Our registration system won't allow a child that young to sign up.  However, if a parent is willing to help coach their child's team then we can make an exception pending the normal background check process.  Due to our registration system not allowing this to go through from the parent's side we ask that anyone with 3 year olds to come to the park during in person registration and we will be more than happy to help you out.  The in person registration schedule is on our welcome page to find the dates and times we will be there.  Otherwise, you may call or text anyone in the Registration committee for assistance.  That information is found in our About section.

I have a boy that wants to play Softball.  I have a girl that wants to play Baseball.  Do you allow this?

MCLL's softball program works off of the "girls fast pitch" rules which is gender specific and as such no males may play softball.  

Baseball is a coed program so girls may play if they so wish. 

Do you know what day of the week the games for my child will be?

This answer cannot truly be answered until the schedules for each division are created soon after the league's drafts are completed.  The number of teams per division can dictate the amount of games per week.  Generally, the Farm and Varsity baseball divisions will play two to three times per week and all other divisions may play that many games down to 1 game per week.  Historically we had set days for most divisions, but we have recently moved to a model that was more field space efficient and have allowed for more flexibility when it comes to scheduling rainouts without the need to prolong the season.  Individual coaches will set a practice schedule that works best for everyone on the team.

My child has a really good friend and they want to play on the same team.  Is that possible?

Maybe.  Our "noncompetitive" divisions, Rookies and Coach Pitch (t-ball), are not traditionally drafted.  Usually, children in those divisions are assigned to teams as the registrations come in.  For those divisions only, you can request that your child be on the same team as a friend, and we will make every effort to ensure your request is fulfilled.  All other softball and baseball divisions are competitive and as such we employ draft proceedings to help ensure that talent is evenly distributed and no one team is "stacked".

I have more than one child in a division.  Will they be on the same team?

The simple answer is yes.  All siblings living in the same household will be placed on the same team.  In the case of the competitive divisions where the draft is concerned, they will draft together as a group.  Siblings consist of biological, step, foster, or other children that the head of the household have custody of.  Family members that may not end up on the same team would be cousins or step siblings that do not reside at the same location.  MCLL governing commission, upon request, may review your specific circumstances if there are any questions.

When does the season start? 

This varies from year to year a little.  Generally speaking, practices will start after the parent's meeting in April and games may start in late April or early May.  The Rookies and Coach Pitch divisions tend not to start until after opening day ceremonies are concluded which is the Saturday before Mother's Day.

When does the season end?

The goal every year is to have the season wrap up around the completion of the Shrine Tournament which is in late June.  Sometimes due to weather or other circumstances we will have to finish in the first week of July.

What equipment do I need for my child?

MCLL provides each player a hat and a jersey.  Your child will need pants, socks, a belt in some divisions (color TBD at the parent's meeting), cleats (non metal, Rookies and Coach Pitch any shoe will do), and a baseball or softball glove.  We do usually provide a few communal helmets to teams however, most people feel more comfortable with their child having their own helmet.  Most players also have their own bat(s) so while not completely nessessary as they can be borrowed from player to player a good fitting bat for your child might give them a little better advantage.

Additional equipment you might consider would be an equipment bag, personal catching gear (each team is provided at least one set), batting gloves, and for male players it is recommended that groin protection is at least available, and it is mandatory for the catching position.

Does baseball have specific bat requirements?

Yes.  The only bats permitted to be used at practice or in games must have the "USA" stamp.

Do you know who my child's coach will be?

We will by the time the teams are organized.  All coaches are assigned by the MCLL governing commission from a pool of volunteers.  We encourage everyone to volunteer your time as a youth coach as it is a very rewarding endeavor.

Do I need to have my child's birth certificate to sign up for Baseball or Softball?

All divisions will need to have the child's birth date verified by a MCLL Commissioner, usually the person in charge of that specific division.  This verification will take place at the parent's meeting or if you come to the in person registration, we can verify it there.  A birth certificate is not the only document that can be used to verify the player's age.  Documents such as a passport, medical card with the player's DOB, or other official government documents can be used in place of the birth certificate.  However, any players that participate in tournaments either in house at MCLL or at other parks, the player's birth certificate must be available for the tournament directors to view if your player's age ever comes into question.

We are new, what is the Bowl-a-thon?

The bowl-a-thon is a long-standing fundraiser that helps fund a good portion of our operation costs for the year.  This is a fun fundraiser for all players at Mound City where they will go bowling for an hour, for free.  The idea is that each child will get parents, family members, friends, and even enemies to pledge money to the bowler for the day.  We ask that everyone tries to raise $25.  Those who raise $100 or more will receive special recognition at the park for the season and at the opening day ceremony. 

What happens if it starts thundering and lightning during a game?

Everyone's safety is of the utmost concern to all of us.  Someone will get on the PA and announce a lightning delay.  This means all players must go into their dugouts.  All spectators must seek shelter under the covered seating, around the central clubhouse, or in your car.  A lightning delay will last 30 minutes.  If all lightning has cleared out then play will resume.

What is the skills assessment?  Does my child have to participate?  If he / she doesn't do well, do they still get to play?

The skills assessment is used for drafting purposes to ensure fair play across the league.  We ask that you bring your child to one skills assessment.  All we are doing is ensuring that talent levels are as evenly distributed across the league as possible. Normally we have one big skills assessment.  If you can't attend that one, we have a make-up assessment the day of our draft.  All children play at MCLL regardless of talent.  Rookies and Coach Pitch divisions do not do skill assessments.

How can I donate to MCLL?  How can I sponsor a team? How can I advertise with MCLL?

All you have to do is contact any MCLL Commissioner.  The commissioners on the Sponsors and Banners committee will be best suited to answer all questions regarding donations, sponsorships and advertisement opportunities.

How does MCLL communicate?

We use email, text, Facebook, Instagram, and phone calls if nessesary.  Most communication will come from your coach.  We do encourage you to sign up for our email and text message lists.