2012 Tryouts

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Tryout Description and Volunteer Positions

All players "baseball age" 10, and older must tryout. All 9 year old players wishing to play at the AAA level must tryout. (See below for the definition of baseball age.)

Tryouts for the 2012 Season for the Juniors Division will be held at Oceanview park on Sunday, December 4. Makeup day is Saturday, December 17th.

Tryouts for the 2012 Season for the Little League (Majors and AAA) will be held at the University Village Fields on Saturday, December 10 (12 and 11 year olds) and Sunday, December 11 (10 9 year olds). Rain out dates are December 17 - 18.

New this season will be 8 and 9 year old evaluations. These evaluations will be help on January 21. The format is to be determined.

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Once you register with the league and your player is age qualified for Division AAA or up, the league will assign a tryout time to your player. Please visit this website for time slot information. The time slots are typically posted about 2 - 3 weeks after registration begins and are updated regularly thereafter.

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Preseason Tryouts
Albany Little League holds player tryouts before the start of the season, typically on a Saturday or Sunday in November or December. The term “tryout” is used but it is simply an opportunity for league officials, managers and coaches to evaluate a player’s ability. This offers the league the best opportunity to ensure a competitive balance during the open draft process.

Based on the player’s performance during the tryouts and their experience within the league, he or she may be drafted by a manager to play at the higher level of their eligibility. Participating at the tryouts does not guarantee the player will be drafted to the higher Division, but a player must participate in his or her age-level tryouts to be eligible to play at the higher level.

Occasionally, in the interest of a player’s safety or development, parents may prefer that the player not play at his or her highest level of eligibility. Sometimes playing a level below the minimum for his or her age group is preferred. For example, Little League International requires that all 12 year-olds, regardless of their experience level, be assigned to a Majors Division team. This might present a physical or emotional risk for the player. When it is in the best interest of the player, his parents can request a waiver of this rule to keep the player at the appropriate level.

Age
A players baseball age is defined as their age on April 30th of the upcoming baseball season.

Fielding Tryout

When a player begins his fielding tryout, he starts at 3^rd base takes 2 ground balls. The first ground ball is thrown to first base. The second ball is thrown to second base and the second baseman throws to first. The player then moves (or rotates) to shortstop and takes 2 grounders (throwing to first base then second base) and a pop fly (throw to first base). As each player comes out of the dugout and moves to third base, their registration number and name is announced on the PA so that the coaches know who is fielding. When a new player is announced, the previous player remains at shortstop while the new player takes grounders at 3rd, then rotates to 2^nd base, and eventually 1^st base and the dugout. Any players who start at shortstop, 2^nd base, and 1^st base will rotate into the dugout and eventually out to 3^rd base for their fielding tryout. When players are at 1^st base, they should field the ball and deposit it into a bucket stationed close by for the purpose of collecting balls.

Batting Tryout

Everyone belongs in the field either fielding grounders or shagging flies except for the batter and the on-deck hitter. Every batter should get 5-7 pitches. On the last pitch, the batter should swing and then run the bases as fast as he can, regardless of whether or not he makes contact. Coaches will not only monitor a batters abilities at the plate, they will also make note of the batter-runner’s speed on the basepaths. As the batter-runner is circling the basepaths, the on-deck batter should already have his helmet on and should get his bat ready to move towards home plate.

Tryout Volunteer Positions

Please contact the Player Agent to volunteer to work at tryouts. (See the Contact Us page)

Registration: Stationed at the registration desk. Check in players based on the registration lists and scheduled arrival times. Determine if an early arrival can be put in an earlier group, or if a late arrival can be put in a later group.

Shephards: Each shepherd takes a group from registration desk, to warm up at East Field or South Field, then to tryouts at North Field. Assist with keeping the players quiet on the bench moving through fielding and batting, and then making sure that players are released back to parents.

Announcers: Sets the order in which the players will appear at 3rd base/shortstop, and in batting. All players rotate through infield positions then back into the dugout. Announces to the coaches and managers the fielder taking the field at third base and the batter

Pitchers: Pitch and hit grounders to the groups. Alternate groups between volunteers..

Age Policy

Albany Little League Age Policy

Policy Adopted by the Albany Little League Board of Directors on January 27, 2010.

Overall Policy: Albany Little League’s Age Policy shall be (1) based on the principal of maximizing each player’s skill development and (2) in accordance with Little League International Regulation IV (a) an other regulations which set forth appropriate age structures for all Little League Divisions. Age requirements for each level of play are outlined below.

No exceptions can be made to the Liitle League International age policies cited below. Exceptions allowed under Little League International regulations can be made with the unanimous concurrence of the appropriate Commissioner, the Player Agent, and the President. To apply for an exemption, please contact the Player Agent.

T-Ball Division: (see also Regulation I (a) 3)

• All Little League aged 5 and 6-year olds will be eligible to play T-Ball

Minor League Divisions

Single A:

• Little League aged 9-year olds with no previous organized baseball experience (9-year olds are also eligible to play in AA)

• Little League aged 7, and 8-year olds with no previous organized baseball experience.

• Little League aged 6-year olds who have completed one full season of organized T-Ball

Double A (or AA):

• Little League aged 9-, 10-, and 11-year olds not drafted into Triple A.

• Little League aged 7- and 8-year olds who have completed at least one season of Single A, have been recommended by their Single A manager to play at the AA level and have been approved by the AA Commissioner to play at the AA level.

Triple A (or AAA) (see Regulation V.1 NOTE):

• Little League aged 9-, 10-, and 11-year olds drafted by an AAA team

• Little League aged 12-year olds who meet all of the following conditions

1. have been judged by the Majors’ Commissioner to have insufficient skills to play safely in the Majors or would benefit by developing better baseball skills in AAA

2. the player’s parent(s) have requested or agree to a Triple A assignment

3. the AAA assignment is approved by the League Board of Directors Administrator

4. the AAA assignment is approved by the District Administrator

Little League (Majors) Division:

• All Little League aged 12-year olds (see Regulation V.1 NOTE).

• All Little League aged 11-year olds are eligible for the Majors draft.

• A current Little League aged 10-year old is eligible for the Majors provided the player is drafted in the top two rounds of the Major League draft

Junior League (age structure in accordance with Little League International Regulation IV (a)):

• All Little League aged 13-, and 14-year olds are eligible to play in Junior League.

• 12-year olds are eligible to try out and be drafted by a Junior League team.

Senior League (age structure in accordance with Little League International Regulation IV (a)):

• All Little League aged 14-, 15-, and 16-year olds are eligible to play in Senior League.

Big League (age structure in accordance with Little League International Regulation IV (a)):

• All Little League aged 16-, 17-, and 18-year olds are eligible to play in Big League.