All-Star Mission Statement
We will do our best as an organization to relentlessly pursue and win the Little League District 8 and State Championship. We will try to put all teams in the best position to win by espousing the Little League motto: Courage, Character and Loyalty.
All-Star Structure
Pee-Wee
The Pee-Wee League has one All-Star team, an 8-year-old team. (7-year-olds are allowed to play).
Note: While most years there are 7-year-olds on the 8-year-old all-star team, we encourage the all-star manager to take an 8-year-old over a 7–year-old if the manager considers the players of equal talent. The reason for this is any 7-year-old talented enough to make the 8-year-old all-star team as a 7-year-old would most likely make the all-star team the following year. Whereas it could be the 8-year-olds only chance to ever make an all-star team. We have thought about making it only 8-year-olds, but have found it is very hard to compete with players from just one age group at this level. We feel this formula gives us the best chance to achieve both our goals. That means some 7-year-olds who are talented may have to wait one more year for all-stars.
Minor League
The Minor League has two All-Star teams, an 8 & 9-year-old team and a 9 & 10-year-old district team.
Major League
The Major League has two All-Star teams:
1. The 10- and 11-year-old district team.
2. The 11- and 12-year-old district team.
Junior League
The Junior League has two All-Star teams, a 13-year-old district team and a 14-year-old District team.
Senior League
The Senior League has one All-Star team, a 15- and- 16-Year-old team. The regular season Senior League team serves as the league’s all-star team. Although some Senior League players may not be able to be put on the all-star roster during tournament play because of size restrictions.
District play
Little League all-star and district play policy: Players MUST play on the all-star team the league picks them to. With multiple divisions of teams most players are eligible for TWO different teams. The player will not have a choice as to which team they will play on.
The 9- and 10-year old, 10- and 11-year-old, 11- and 12-year-old, 13- and 14-year-old and 15- and 16-year-old district teams represent the league in what are Little League’s most important tournaments. The 9- and 10-year-olds and 10- and 11-year-old teams compete with over 200 teams from around Illinois for the state championship.
The tournament starts with District play. The winner advances to the Sectional, and the Sectional winner advances to State. The 11- and 12-year-olds will be competing with more than 7,000 teams in the Little League International Tournament. The difference in this tournament from the 9-10s and 10-11s is that the Illinois champion advances to the Great Lakes Regional in Indianapolis and the regional winner advances to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., which can be seen on ESPN.
For a history of the 11- and 12-year-old district tournament in Illinois go to www.unpage.org. This web site explains the evolution of the district tournament in Illinois and other states. There also is lists of scores and champions from the past. It even tells some stories of past state tournament games.
The 13- and 14-year-old and 15- and 16-year-old teams compete in an international tournament just like the 11- and 12-year-olds, but there are just not as many teams.
In order to compete at the District/Section/State and Regional level, district managers must be able to pick the best players from each age group to represent the league. The districts are not just for 10-year-olds or 12-year-olds. Little League Baseball’s philosophy is that you take your best group to represent your league in the 9-10-year-old, 10- and 11-year-old state tournament and the 11-12-year-old international tournament.
Our league is still keeping top priority with the 9-10-year-old district team and the 11-12-year-old district team. The 10- and 11-year-old state tournament is fairly new and not all teams in the district, section or state participate. That doesn’t mean we won’t relentlessly try to win the 10- and 11-year-old district tournament, but we have to make two of the teams more of a priority to put the best team on the field. The 10- and 11- year-old district tournament can take up a 10-year-old, but will only do so if that player is not on the 9-10-year-old district team roster. The board wants to clarify to parents and players that managers during the regular season are required to nominate players from the younger age group if they feel that player deserves to be on the district team. Coaches from the district teams are required to consider taking players from the younger age groups when finalizing their rosters. We want to state that just because managers of the district teams are required to look at players of the younger age group that doesn’t mean a player in the younger age group will make any of the district teams. It will change year-to-year and team-to-team whether players will be brought up. Little League rules do not allow ANY player to play for two district teams. Players DO NOT have a choice as to which district team they will play for!
We recognize that some parents and players may not like the all-star structure for district play because it differs from the way things are during the regular season. But we are going to follow Little League baseball’s philosophy of putting together the best possible district teams at each level. We realize that parents and players give up a lot to play allstars, so we recommend any parent or player who has a problem with the way their team is structured because of district play, whatever age group your child may fall into, may want to consider not participating in all-stars.
Putting together an all-star team
We want to remind everyone that making an all-star team is a privilege and not a right for any player! Just because a player was on an all-star team the previous season(s) does not mean he will make the team this year! And just because a player played a certain role on a team in past season(s) doesn’t mean that role will be the same from year-to-year. Parents and players must understand that you need different kinds of players to put together a good all-star team. That means pitching, speed, power and other intangibles. You can’t have three left fielders or four shortstops. This sometimes means some players in the regular season who may have higher averages or better statistics may not make the teams over someone with a particular skill. Also, being able to play different positions will definitely help players chances of being on the all-star team opposed to someone who can’t play different positions. This also applies when the district team(s) take a younger player up. Just because an 11-year-old plays with the 11-12-year-old district team, that doesn’t mean he’s the best 11-year-old. It means the 11-12-year-old district team has a hole that particular player can fill. This is the same in all situations, including 7-year-olds playing up on the 8-year-old team.
All-Star policies
1. The process for picking All-Star teams will be followed universally by all leagues.
2. The 9- and 10-year-old district team and the 11- and 12-year-old district team must consider taking kids from both of their respective age groups to field the best possible teams at district.
3. 7-Year-olds will be allowed to play on the 8-year-old team.
4. All teams must have at least 11 or more players. Because of the new minimum play rules for Little League District Play, the 9- and 10-year-old district team, 10- and 11-year-old district team and the 11-and 12-year-old district team will most likely roster 11 players.
5. Players are required to play 80 percent of their eligible regular-season games to be eligible for all-stars. Note: There is an injury or illness exemption for this rule. In that case a player must still make 50 percent of games to be eligible for all-stars. Note 2: High school players are exempt from this rule as long as they make 80 percent of their games after their high school season ends.
6. NO PLAYER WILL BE ALLOWED TO PLAY ON E.P.A.A. ALL-STARS AND ANOTHER TEAM AT THE SAME TIME. Note: Our league doesn’t allow players to play for another league anyway. The league will immediately remove any player that plays on another team during all-stars.
All-Star selection process
The process starts off with a meeting of regular-season managers. Each manager will nominate kids from his team in the order he feels they deserve consideration. All players nominated will go into a pool of players eligible for all-stars. Managers may also nominate players from other teams if the commissioner of that particular league backs it. This is to ensure that players still have a chance to be picked if there’s a personality conflict with between a certain player and manager. From there the all-star manager will pick from that group of players. Once the all-star managers have picked their teams the roster is given to that league’s commissioner. The commissioner of the league will then take the rosters to the executive board. Rosters are subject to final approval of the executive board. The executive board doesn’t want to get into the business of micro-managing each team’s selection, and should not be looked to fix what are judgment calls. But if a particular league commissioner has an issue with a selection in his league, that league commissioner may challenge the roster when taking the rosters to the executive board. If the board agrees with the commissioner a change may be made. League commissioner do not want to get into the business of micromanaging each of their all-star teams either, but are required to do something if they feel there is a problem. This hopefully, would be a rare occurrence.
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT NOT EVERYBODY WILL AGREE WITH THE ALLSTAR SELECTIONS, BUT THE BOARD WILL NOT STEP IN UNLESS WE FEEL THE ISSUE IS EGREGIOUS! THE BOARD HAS NOT ACTED ON ANY ALL-STAR ROSTERS IN MANY YEARS, AND HAS NO PLANS TO DO SO THIS YEAR.
All-Star rosters will be announced Tuesday, June 18th
It will be posted on the league’s Website.
Because you’re on the roster doesn’t mean you’re on the team
Because a player makes an all-star roster, that does not guarantee the player of making the team. All players and their parents must make a full commitment to the all-star manager for the time that the tournaments will be taking place before officially making the team. Each tournament team is different. For the most part if you participate on an all-star team it will cover the end of June and most of July or mid-July. Managers may not be able to work around vacation plans you have because of certain player requirements during some of the tournaments we go to. Also, Little League district teams will require a full commitment from the player and his parents. Note: Most managers already have replacements in mind if you can’t commit because of vacations or other obligations. Players and parents should not feel insulted because their name wasn’t on the original roster. In fact some of the last kids picked can make the most impact.
Mandatory All-Star meetings on with Manager
ALL all-star managers are required to have a meeting on Wednesday June 19th or Thursday, June 20th at the latest.
The all-star uniform order MUST be turned in the next day, so the manager will need to know players sizes. Managers may also go over other things during that meeting. Everyone should bring a check to the meeting to pay for all-star fees. You may post date your check if need up to July 5.
