Danville Little League

Postseason Overview – Summer 2023

Purpose and Expectations

Danville Little League strives to make sure that its regular season offers all players as much opportunity to play and experience baseball as possible. The DLL Postseason is an opportunity for a significantly higher level of play within the State and National Little League systems. Players selected to District and Tournament teams can expect a higher level of commitment, will receive additional instruction, and will compete against other District and Tournament teams in D57, and hopefully, beyond.

When it comes to selecting postseason teams, it is the intent of Danville Little League to field teams that best represent our League in competition and character. Danville Little League believes that it is important that the process be transparent and fair to all families.

All interested players should have a fair and equitable opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and make the appropriate team for their skill level regardless of popularity, school affiliation, parental influence, manager prejudice, privilege, or unconscious bias. For those not selected for a team, the details regarding their candidacy shall be held in confidence and remain private. All selection decisions regarding postseason teams will be made with these ideals in mind.

In our selection process for players and managers of each postseason team we look for each candidate to exemplify several important characteristics: skill-level, ability to compete, attitude, hustle, team spirit, team leadership, overall character, integrity, sportsmanship, commitment and service.

We at DLL encourage everyone to remember that winning is fun and is an appropriate postseason goal. However, Little League is a Child Development Program and DLL is first and foremost about teaching life lessons, demonstrating positive ideals, and building characteristics that enhance the growth and development of our children.

General Selection Process and Procedure Timing:

The postseason selection process begins with District Manager applications which will be available for prospective candidates to fill out and submit beginning on April 30, 2023. (More on manager selection below.)

There are two types of postseason teams at DLL.  District teams which will compete in the official Little League postseason process and tournament teams which will participate in 3-5 local tournaments in District 57.  District team rosters will be announced on Sunday May 21, 2023, by midnight.

We will celebrate our District and Tournament teams at an All-Star BBQ on Thursday June 15, 2023. District Tournaments begin the 3^rd and 4^th weekend of June and will be completed by July 5, 2023.  If a team wins its District Tournament, it will then move on to the Sectional, and then State tournaments. The Major and Upper Division District teams also may compete beyond the State Level in a Regional tournament and ultimately the Little League World Series that will take place August 2023. Local tournaments begin in mid-June and continue until the end of July. (DLL Tournament dates below.)

Player Eligibility and Parent Commitments:

Each player interested in playing postseason must submit their name for consideration by completing the All-Star Commitment Form which will be available on our DLL website beginning on May 1, 2023 and must be completed and returned by noon on May 12, 2023.

To be eligible, all players below the Senior Division must certify that they have played in 8 regular season games at a minimum in the division that they were rostered. They must also certify that they still live in the boundaries of DLL or have a valid exception to play in our league. This will all be verified by the Player Agents and DLL Post Season Staff.

In terms of commitment, DLL strives to field competitive postseason teams and assure that each team is comprised of players and coaches that represent the attitude and character of our league.

With this in mind, a commitment by the players and parents to hard work and availability for practice and game time is required to participate at this level of competition. The expectation is that the player’s position on this team will be treated with respect and will be prioritized for the June-August timeline. All players are required to certify 100% availability between June 1 and August 31, 2022.  Individual team policies on vacations, etc., are at the discretion of the team manager and if necessary, the Postseason Director and League President.

There will be postseason fees to participate on a District or Tournament team. These will be made known as soon as available. Additionally, parents of the selected players for a postseason team will be required to volunteer for 4 shifts during DLL hosted District or Summer Tournaments (see schedule below).  A Volunteer Deposit of $300 will be collected at the beginning of the Post Season and refunded when all volunteer shifts are completed. 

Players (team size, team eligibility):

Each postseason team representing DLL will consist of at least 12 rostered players who have a meaningful on-field role with the team. The official roster cannot include a player whose role is “practice player”.  Any number of players over 12 is at the discretion of the manager.  Additionally, the All-Star Manager shall appoint a new player should the team need to replace a player due to injury, absence, or ineligibility. We recognize that there is a continuous batting rule for all postseason play this year. Our team size is consistent with the expectations of Little League and balances competition and access.

Additionally, at the District level, the official Little League eligibility ages are 8/9/10 for the 10 year old team, 9/10/11 for the 11 year old team, 10/11/12 for the Majors team, 11/12/13 for the Intermediate team, 12/13/14 for the Junior team, and 13/14/15 for the Senior team.  Given the size of our league, we want to support the competitiveness of each team without sacrificing the competitiveness of any other team.  Therefore, all players must play for the District team of which their age is the highest level first. (e.g., 10 year olds play for the 8/9/10 District team before eligible for selection to the 9/10/11 District team.)  Upon elimination, players from one team may be added to other District teams as an additional member if requested by the new team’s manager. 

No player may play for more than one District team at one time.   

Manager Selection (District and Tournament teams):

District and Manager applications will be available and accepted beginning on May 1, and ending on May 9 at midnight. Selection will be done by the manager selection committee, which will include the Post Season Director, the DLL President and at least one other Board Member. Tournament Manager applications and selection will follow. Named coaches for all teams will be determined after rosters are officially formed. It is the mission of the manager selection committee to select the most qualified leaders to represent our league and manage our teams in the postseason.

• All prospective candidates must be coaches of record with Danville Little League and Little League Baseball in Williamsport for the 2023 season. They must be in good standing, have completed all required background checks and training. Conduct committee input will be considered for “good standing.” Each candidate should be committed to all the values outlined in the introduction to this document. The candidate should have a player eligible for the team applied for and that player must be able to perform at that level as determined by the manager selection committee (with input as requested from managers at that level). All candidates may interview for a manager position for more than one team, but DLL will only appoint a manager for one team.

• An interview of each candidate will be required and scheduled at the discretion of the manger selection committee. The panel will conduct interviews with all prospective candidates. The candidates will be given equal time to present their development plans.  Each candidate will be asked questions by the panel regarding their resumes and coaching history.  A Q&A period will complete the interview if clarification is needed based on the answers given by the candidates.  Each candidate will be given an opportunity to make a closing statement.  Interviews will be conducted May 10-11, 2023.

• District managers at all levels will be named by Friday, May 12, 2023 by midnight. Any manager candidate not selected for a District position will be eligible to apply for a Tournament manager position or to be named as a coach for a District team.

• Coaches: Managers will select 2 coaches after District rosters are announced. All coaches are subject to DLL President approval. All prospective coaches must be able to meet the requirements of the bullet above as to being coaches of record with DLL, in “good standing,” and their player’s experience.

• Tournament team manager applications will remain open until Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at midnight. Tournament managers will be named when the number of teams is determined.   Tournament team managers will be named by June 1, 2023.  

• The President of the league may remove selected managers at any time if said manager is found to have violated any of the league rules or policies or the spirit of the league.

• WHERE TO FIND THE APPLICATION: If interested in managing a post-season team please complete the online 2023 Post Season Manager application found under the Post Season Tab and email the Post Season Director at  .  

Player Evaluation and Selection for all District All-Star Teams:

It is the intent of this process to ensure that every player is fairly and equitably evaluated prior to the selection process. At all levels, this involves multiple points of input on every player that has filled out a commitment. In many instances, this may include involvement by the players themselves. This is also the primary reason for the early selection of the managers and coaches.  It is the responsibility of every post-season manager and coach to watch players performing during game situations as much as possible.

District Teams 8/9/10, 9/10/11, and 10/11/12

• Player's Vote (AA, AAA & Majors) (May 13):

Players will be asked by their respective division director to select the top 8 players at the level in which they play specifically by age (i.e. 12 year old players may only vote for 12 year players etc. Teams will vote together. Players will not be allowed to vote for players on their own team). The Post Season Director will compile this list and share it with the DLL President and the selected managers and coaches. 

Managers or Parents may not assist in the vote. Player voting is an independent and anonymous activity which is conducted on the field. Players must vote only once per Candidate. Players vote for Candidates of their same age group.

• Manager's Vote (AA, AAA & Majors) (May 18):

Each division will have a manager’s meeting to present players from their teams that they believe should be considered for the post season.  The managers will then vote independently for the top 8 players (managers will not be allowed to vote for players on their own team).

• Procedural notes:
  • There will be no weighting system when voting players.  The managers and players will apply a single point system when voting.
  • The post season director will compile the lists and share with the named District Manager. 
  • From this list the top 8 will receive automatic berths to their respective District teams. 
  • If these top 8, as picked by the managers, do not include the top 2 selected by the players themselves, player’s selections will complete the roster up to 10 players given automatic berths. 
  • The All-Star Manager will select the remaining players to complete their respective roster.  
  • As mentioned, players are evaluated on multiple criteria including the player’s performance, attitude, sportsmanship, and teamwork. The team is completed on the basis of these criteria and on the needs of the postseason team (e.g., will there be an adequate number any key position).
  • Once the final recommended roster of players for each District team is completed it will be submitted to the League President for sign off and approval.  
  • Confidentiality and Oversight: The process and meetings are facilitated by the League President and the Post Season Director. The selection results (number of votes, selection order, etc.) and Manager deliberations about the prospective players are strictly confidential.

9 year-old Tournament Teams:

At the AA Level, there is no 9 year old District Team. However, there will be two postseason teams that will compete against other teams in District 57 in several tournaments. Selection for these tournament teams will be made by the team managers from the lists and recommendations of eligible players compiled by the AA managers.

Upper Division District Teams and Selection Process

There will be an Intermediate, a Junior and a Senior level District team. Manager and coach selection, player eligibility, and team composition will follow all the processes and rules outlined above.  Each district team manager will be responsible for the selection of players on the team, but players, families and managers can contribute input to this process in the following ways:

• Along with their application, players may submit a 2 minute video introducing themselves and their best attributes as a potential player for their District all-star team. These videos should be submitted to .

• Each regular season manager at the Intermediate, Junior, and Senior division level for DLL may submit a recommendation for one or more players on their team to be selected for their District team.  These recommendations should outline the general skill level, positions, and team attitude of the candidate. It should also be submitted to . District managers, the DLL President and the postseason staff will review all recommendations and make an effort to observe these players in the field as appropriate.

Any questions about any of these procedures can be directed to the DLL President at .

DLL POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT DATES:

DISTRICTS - Starting June17-24, 2023, depending on Division

SECTIONALS - July 15-19, 2023

DIVISIONS - TBD

WESTERN REGIONALS - TBD

WORLD SERIES - TBD 

JOEY MOORE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT - June 24 to June 29, 2023 (9yr old's)

CHACHI CORRAL MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT - July 1 to July 6, 2023 (10yr old's)

DANA TAKIGUCHI MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT (50/70 format) - July 8 to July 13, 2023 (12yr old's)

BRETT SLINGER MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT - July 15 - 20, 2023 (11yr old's)

For additional tournament information hosted by other Leagues in the District please visit the District 57 website at www.ca57.org.

League President:  David Walters 

Post Season Director:  Brent Johnson

Volunteer Coordinator:  Cyndee Ragan

League Administrator:  Cyndee Ragan