Frequently Asked Questions:

• Where are games played?
• How do I know when my player's team will practice?
• My player would like to be on the same team as their friends (siblings, classmates, etc.). Is that possible?
• How do I determine my player's age under Little League rules?
• My child played in the AA Division last spring. What Division will they be in this Fall?
• My child is League Age 12. Are they guaranteed to play in the Majors?
• My child is League Age 11. Is there a chance they play in the AA Division?
• My child is League Age 13, can they play in the Majors Division?
• Why do you do a draft for the AAA and Majors, and why can't my children play with their existing teammates?
• The registration fee(s) for my player(s) would represent a financial hardship for me.  Is financial assistance available?

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Q:  Where are games played?

A:  It depends on the Cap City Division:

• National = Macomb Recreation Center
• A Division = Lafayette-Pointer Park
• AA Division =Forest Hills, Upshur Field
• AAA = Bryce Harper Field; Chevy Chase (Livingston)
• Majors = Chevy Chase (Livingston)
• Juniors = Fort Reno
• Games are also sometimes played at other fields in the city, especially when playing interleague games against teams from other DC Little Leagues.

 

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Q:  How do I know when my player's team will practice?

A:  Team rosters and schedules will be posted in TeamSnap. TeamSnap is the portal through which you registered your player. Coaches generally communicate through TeamSnap as well. Access TeamSnap through a browser or by downloading the app onto your phone.

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Q: My player would like to be on the same team with their friends (siblings, classmates, etc.). Is that possible?

A:  Please note your requests in the online registration form. After registration closes, Commissioners in the National, A, and AA Divisions will assign teams. The Commissioners will make efforts to accommodate team requests until rosters are filled. Note that in the AAA, Majors, and Juniors Divisions, teams are drafted by the Managers in those Divisions, although all efforts are made to ensure that siblings in the same Division who want to play together are assigned to the same team.

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Q: How do I determine my player's age under Little League rules?

A:  League age is calculated differently for baseball and softball. See the charts at the bottom of Cap City's registration page to determine your player's league age.

To use the chart, find your child's birth month across the top, then look down that column to find their birth year. Then look to the right to see their Little League Age for the upcoming season.

 

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Q: My child played in the AA Division last spring. What Division will they be in this Fall?

A: Every player who is at least League Age 11 or who played a Spring Season in the AA Division must participate preseason assessments. Based on those tryouts, the player may be placed in the Majors Division (if at least League Age 10), the AAA Division, or the AA Division (unless they are 11, then must play AAA).

 

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Q: My child is League Age 12. Are they guaranteed to play in the Majors?

A: Yes, all children League Age 12 have the right to play in the Majors Division. In very limited circumstances, a parent can request that the child play in the AAA Division.

 

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Q: My child is League Age 11. Is there a chance they play in the AA Division?

A: No, all children League Age 11 will play at least in the AAA Division if not otherwise drafted into the Majors Division.

 

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Q: My child is League Age 13, can they play in the Majors Division?

A: No, children League Age 13 and 14 will play in the Juniors Division, which uses a full-size (60'-90') field and regular baseball rules.  The Juniors Division is an excellent opportunity to continue the development of skills for Middle School and High School play, and we have seen a tremendous expansion of players continuing on from the Majors Division to the Junior Division in recent years.

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Q: Why do you do a draft for the AAA and Majors, and why can't my children play with their existing teammates?

A: Capitol City Little League, like all local Little League programs, is required to assign players to Majors divisions teams via a draft. According to Little League, “[h]aving a draft is not only a requirement in the Little League [Majors] Divisions and above, it also allows for parity within your league that will provide for a valuable experience for all players and teams.”  For these reasons, Little League actually recommends that all divisions utilize a fair and equitable draft method to select teams.

In addition to following Little League rules, the draft provides competitive balance and a safer level of play.  At these levels, players of the same age have varying degrees of ability. Positional play—especially pitching and catching—is especially important to the safe and enjoyable flow of the game. As we have observed and decades of Little League experience has found, competitive imbalance leads to lopsided games that sour the experience for both the winning and losing teams, even when those teams have familiar friends and teammates, and is one of the main reasons that players decide to give up on baseball.

Besides offering a safer level of play and better team parity, the draft most importantly helps foster a stronger Cap City community. The draft allows players to develop a wide range of friends across teams and divisions. Indeed, it is not uncommon for Majors division players to have played on a team at one time or another with many of the kids on the other Majors teams. The draft also gives our players the chance to learn from a number of coaches, all of whom connect with kids in different ways to inspire them, help them improve, and develop a love for the game. This familiarity and friendship across teams, we have observed, improves the Little League experience for everyone.

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Q:  The registration fee(s) for my player(s) would represent a financial hardship for me. Is financial assistance available?

A:  Yes. Cap City provides scholarships with no questions asked. Please contact us with your request.