East Mountain Little League is based in Sandia Park, New Mexico. We offer coed Tee Ball, coed baseball, and girls-only softball. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:
When do registration/sign-ups start? Online registration opens right after Thanksgiving and continues through February. We try to put our teams together by March and the season runs from April through June.
What days and times are practices and games? This is one of the most common questions we get, and the simple answer is: it varies. On average, your child’s team will practice once or twice a week for a few weeks before the games get underway. We allow the head coaches (who are all volunteers) to pick the days and times their teams will practice. Once the games get underway in April, your child’s team will have (on average) two games per week. Whether your child’s team continues practicing after the games get underway is up to the coach. The days of the games will vary. For instance, your child may have a game on Monday and another on Friday, but the next week your games could be on Wednesday and Saturday, or on a Tuesday and Thursday. There are multiple reasons—too many to list—why we don’t have games on set days; however, weeknight games generally start at 5:30 p.m., and the start times for games on Saturdays are between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. We understand that this may not fit into the busy schedules of many families, but unfortunately, it’s just the way it is.
Can my child play in your league? Age and residency determine if your child is eligible to play in EMLL. Age determination: Our programs are for children between 4 and 16 years old. For Tee Ball, your child must be at least 4 years old on (or before) Aug. 31 of this year; if your child is 3 but turns 4 by Aug. 31, he or she is eligible to play; if your child is still 3 on Aug. 31, he or she is not eligible. For teenaged divisions, your child cannot be 17 on (or before) Aug. 31. You must also reside within EMLL’s boundaries (essentially between Carnuel, east of Albuquerque, and Williams Ranch Road in Edgewood), OR, your child must attend a school that is within our boundaries. In other words, if you live in Moriarty or Estancia, your child is not eligible for EMLL unless your child attends a school within our boundaries such as Estancia Valley Classical Academy. Note: Little League requires three separate documents to prove your physical address, or a school enrollment verification form. A list of acceptable residency documents can be found on this website under “Registration Info,” and the school enrollment verification form can be found under “Documents.” The school enrollment verification form is a one-document method and is strongly recommended. Simply download the form and bring it to your child’s school to be signed, then return it to EMLL.
What division will my child play in? Divisions are structured by age, using the Little League age determination, referred to as a child’s “league age.” For Tee Ball and all divisions of baseball, your child’s league age is their age on Aug. 31 of this year. There is some overlap between divisions, but essentially, Tee Ball is for boys and girls who are league age 4-to-6; coach-pitch Rookies is 6-8; Minors 9-10. Majors is primarily 11-12. Note that players league age 9-12 are eligible to play in Little League’s Majors Division, but most players in our Majors Division are 11-12. Our teenaged divisions are: Intermediate 50-70 (a baseball-only division), for players league age 13; Juniors is for players league age 14; Seniors for players 15-16. There can be exceptions for certain circumstances, and dual-rostering is available for certain divisions (Majors and up). Ask a board member for more info.
Can my kids be on the same team? If your children are close enough in age to play in the same division, they will be on the same team. For instance, if you have a 4-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl, they can both play on the same Tee Ball team.
How much does it cost? Participation fees are available on this website under “Registration Info.” Each family pays a refundable field maintenance deposit. Anyone who is financially unable to afford the fees can be sponsored. Please don’t keep your child out of Little League because you can’t afford the fees. Contact a board member regarding sponsoring your child or check out the T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant.
What are the tryouts? Do all players tryout? What if my child doesn’t “make” a team? Tryouts are not to determine which players “make” a team. ALL PLAYERS MAKE IT ONTO A TEAM! Rookies and Tee Ball players do not tryout. Only players who are league age 9 or older tryout, and EVERY player will make it onto a team. Tryouts are simply evaluations to help in the player draft. We use a Little League approved draft method for our team selections, and the tryouts give the coaches an opportunity to evaluate the skill level and experience of players. If your child is league age 9 or older, they must attend one of the tryout dates. If a child doesn’t attend tryouts, they will be “blind drafted” (randomly selected) to one of the teams. Missing tryouts can also make a child ineligible to participate in the postseason All-Stars tournaments. If there is a justifiable reason for missing tryouts, i.e. your child is sick, please notify the league beforehand. If there are only enough players to field one team in any given division, the league may forgo tryouts for that division.