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Westwood Little League offers several summer baseball options designed to accommodate any young player's desire to play travel baseball.
Following are explanations of those various options to help you decide which option to choose when registering your child.
If you still have questions after reading the explanations below, contact your division coordinator from your child’s spring season.
SUBURBAN YOUTH BASEBALL LEAGUE
Open to 9, 10, 11, & 12 year olds members of Westwood Little League who have participated in the preceding Spring Season of WLL.
This is the more competitive of the summer baseball options. As such there is a very strong commitment required: player attendance is expected at all games or practices for the duration season with the exception of due illness or injury. Westwood Little League has adjusted this attendance policy for 2009 from prior years where attendance was mandatory to allow for two (2) missed games during the summer season. Please keep in mind that this policy is designed to allow for those unavoidable circumstances, but since this is a tryout/selection team the overall commitment objective should still be 100% attendance at all games & practices. Any parent/player expecting to miss more than the maximum of two (2) games should be directed towards the Upper Charles Division.
Teams typically begin practice in late June and games continue through July. Playoffs for the suburban league can run through the first or second week of August. Games are played weeknights only, however, practices are typically held on the weekend. Coaches will often schedule practices for first thing Saturday a.m. or late Sunday evening in order for families to have as much of the weekend to themselves as possible. This is, however, left to a coach’s discretion.
Additionally, most of these teams will enter one weekend tournament, some involving an overnight stay. In the past, we have participated in tournaments on the Cape (Sandwich, Bourne, Dennis), Plymouth, Raynham, Needham and Wellesley to name a few.
Traditionally two teams of twelve players are fielded per age group. The top 12 kids selected by the coaches of their respective divisions are placed on the "A" team. The next 12 kids are placed on the "B" team.
(See the button labeled Summer Player Selection Process on the home page for further explanation on the selection process).
Occasionally, if the number and caliber of players warrant, we will add a 2nd Suburban "B" team.
If your child is not selected for a Suburban team are they shut out from playing summer travel baseball? NO!
Any child not selected for a Suburban team will be placed on one of the Upper Charles River League teams that Westwood fields. See below for an explanation of that league.
UPPER CHARLES RIVER BASEBALL LEAGUE
Westwood traditionally has more interest in playing summer baseball that can be accommodated by the Suburban League programs.
We want as many kids as possible to “wear the green” and represent Westwood on baseball diamonds versus rival towns across the area.
Open to 9, 10, 11, & 12 year olds members of Westwood Little League who have participated in the preceding Spring Season of WLL.
The requirements for these teams are less stringent, meaning a player can miss a few games and/or practices.
To accommodate this, the rosters are typically expanded to up to 15 players per team to ensure that Westwood can always field a team to meet the game schedule.
Teams typically span two age groups and are evenly split from a talent perspective:
- 11 & 12 year olds make up the first grouping of teams
- 9 & 10 year olds make up the second grouping of teams
The actual number of teams is determined by the final registration figures, but no child desiring to play summer baseball for Westwood Little League will be left off a team.
FRIENDSHIP LEAGUE:
Open to 8 year olds (born before April 30th of the current year).
This is the first travel experience for young players in Westwood.
Like both the Suburban & Upper Charles leagues, the Friendship League is competitive with other towns from the area.
The commitment is identical to the Suburban League: player attendance is expected at all games or practices for the duration season with the exception of due illness or injury.
Teams typically begin practice in late June and games continue through July. Playoffs for the Friendship League can run through the second week of August if the team advances to the championship game.
Games are played weeknights only, however, practices are typically held on the weekend. Coaches will often schedule practices for first thing Saturday a.m. or late Sunday evening in order for families to have as much of the weekend to themselves as possible. This is, however, left to a coach’s discretion.
Additionally, these teams may enter one weekend tournament, some involving an overnight stay. In the past, we have participated in tournaments on the Cape (Sandwich, Bourne, Dennis), Plymouth, Raynham, Needham and Wellesley to name a few.
Two teams of twelve players are selected by the spring coaches and then split equally between the two teams that are entered into the Friendship League.
(See the button labeled Summer Player Selection Process on the home page for further explanation on the selection process).
Unfortunately, there is no Upper Charles League for 8 year olds. However, we have in the past run an in town program for any remaining children. This has been run by parents who have volunteered their time and energy.
There is no sign up for this in-town program. Just show up on the appointed day and choose teams and play. Anyone interested in volunteering for the role of organizer of the in-town program, please contact the WLL President.
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