The following is a look at how Grafton Little League is structured and how it operates.  Please feel free to contact any of our Board of Director members if you have questions.

RESIDENCY, SCHOOLS and ELIGIBILITY:

Children that reside within the GLL Boundaries, and\or attend a school within the GLL boundaries, are eligible to play for GLL and are also eligible for GLL All Star tournament teams.  Children that do not reside within the GLL boundaries and do not attend a school within the GLL boundaries are still able to play for GLL (pending roster availability) but these children are not eligible for All Star tournament teams.

REGISTRATION:

Registration for all divisions is done online and opens late November each year; baseball and softball registration runs until the end of January, while T-Ball and Challenger registration runs until the end of March. Visit the registration page for more information on registering.

An interest-free installment payment plan is available for the Baseball & Softball divisions when registering online. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, Grafton Little League will work with you to assure that all children that want to play Little League Baseball, Softball or T-Ball have that opportunity; we have a limited number of scholarships available.

CODE OF CONDUCT:

As part of the registration process, families will need to accept the Code of Conduct. Please read through the code thoroughly.

TEAMS:

In Minors, Intermediates, and Juniors divisions, Team Managers and their Assistant Coaches attend a player draft to form their teams in late February. The draft helps ensure that teams are balanced and competitive. Families should know their player's team by the end of February.

In Rookies and T-Ball, teams are formed by the league. We take into consideration coaching partnerships, friend requests, and balancing new vs experienced players as well as age groups within each team. Rookies teams are typically rostered the first week of March while T-Ball teams are ready by the first week of April. Team managers will contact parents to introduce themselves and inform you what team your child is on.

FAMILY MEETING:

There is a Family Meeting in April for players & parents. At this meeting, you will meet your coaches and teammates, receive your team hat, and receive information from the league about the season.

DIVISION SCHEDULES:

Team managers will set the practice schedule. A draft is held in March for April practices (all divisions except rookies and t-ball) and another is held in April to schedule May and beyond. Your coach should have your practice schedule in TeamSnap shortly after these drafts.

The league will set the game schedule. All GLL events are uploaded into the schedule on TeamSnap. Practices are scheduled for weekday evenings and weekends and can fall on any day of the week.

Baseball Juniors: Practice starts in April and games run April - July. Teams play in an inter-league pod which concludes with an an end of season tournament. Travel to surrounding communities is expected and games may fall on any day of the week.

Baseball Intermediates: Practice starts in April and games run April - July. Teams play in an inter-league pod which concludes with an end of season tournament. Travel to surrounding communities is expected and games typically fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Baseball Minors: Practice starts in April and games run April - July. Teams play primarily against other GLL teams, but occasional games against nearby communities' teams do occur. The season ends with a divisional tournament in which only GLL teams participate. Games are typically Mondays and Wednesdays.

Rookies Baseball: Practice starts in May and games run May - July. Teams play primarily against other GLL teams, but occasional games against nearby communities' teams do occur. The season ends with a divisional tournament in which only GLL teams participate. Games can fall on any day of the week including some Saturdays.

Softball Rookies and Minors: Practice starts in April and games run April - June. Teams play in an inter-league pod, so games are held in Grafton as well as surrounding communities. Games may fall on different days of the week, including Saturdays.

T-Ball: Practice starts in May and games run May - July.  Games are Tuesdays and Thursdays in the field on the west side of JLMS. The practice schedules are determined by team managers and most choose to practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

GRAFTON BASEBALL:

Grafton Little League enjoys a close partnership with our sister organization, Grafton Baseball. All players on Grafton Baseball's travel teams also play for Grafton Little League. U8 and U9 players are drafted to teams in our minors division. At U10 and above, Grafton Baseball teams play together as a Little League team in a separate pod from our divisions' teams.

COMMUNICATION:

TeamSnap and email are the primary communication tools used by GLL.

• Team Managers will communicate team specific information to you.
• The GLL President and other Board members will occasionally send mass emails to the entire league for league-wide news and special events.
• Game and practice rain out information will be communicated via TeamSnap sent to your mobile phone.
• Email addresses for the GLL Board of Directors are posted on this website; please feel free to contact them with any questions or concerns.

PICTURES:

Individual and team pictures will be taken in May.

VOLUNTEERING:

It takes a large and dedicated group of passionate volunteers to deliver a successful Little League program for our players and parents. Volunteer opportunities include manager, coach, board member, concessions, field maintenance, special events, etc. Please consider volunteering your time to help GLL, it is a great way to give back to the community and it is very rewarding.

SPONSORS:

GLL has been very fortunate to have a core group of loyal sponsors that have been with us for several years; we also have new sponsors join us each year. It is through the generosity of these sponsors that we are able to continue to offer our Little League program. Please review our list of sponsors and consider using them for your needs and services when possible. If you are a business interested in sponsoring GLL, please contact a GLL Board Member.

PLAY BALL! WEEKEND:

Each year, GLL organizes a full day of baseball and softball at the complex. Play Ball! Weekend (previously known as the Mid-Season Celebration) usually takes place the weekend after school lets out.

This year, it's planned for the weekend of June 21 & 22. The fun-filled day's activities include games at the complex, ceremonies, team parades, divisional contests, bounce houses, a dunk tank, concessions all day, and our annual Ball Toss Contest. Prizes for the raffle are also drawn live during the day on Saturday. We try to ensure all teams play at the complex this day, so please mark your calendar!

ALL STAR TEAMS:

GLL typically will field four baseball All Star teams (8-10, 9-11, 10-12, 13-14).  The All Star teams will represent GLL in district competition held in mid-July; the 12 year olds have the opportunity to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.  Players that do not live within the GLL boundaries and do not attend a school within the GLL boundaries are not eligible for All Star teams.

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP:

Each year Grafton Little League awards a $1000 college scholarship to a Grafton High School senior.  The primary criteria for evaluating applicants is:

• Years of participation in Grafton Little League
• Years of participation in Grafton High School Baseball or Softball
• Years of volunteering for Grafton Little League (umpire/assistant coach/other activities)
• Community Volunteering