Welcome to Costa Mesa Little League! All of us here at CMLL are looking forward to another great season and are so excited you chose to be a part of our league. While playing Little League Baseball is a lot of fun, we realize your first season can be a bit overwhelming. We hope you find the information below to be helpful and that it allows you to hit the ground running. This is an overview of all the fun we have here at CMLL and what to expect during a typical season. We are happy to answer any questions you may have, please direct your inquiries to [email protected].
Registration & Document Checks: Please complete all steps to our online registration and prepare your school verification form or residency verification documents, proof of age & medical release form for a required in-person document check. Once registered, you will receive email updates for the next document check. You must attend one of the in-person document checks prior to tryouts for Minor C, Minor B, Minor A & Majors Divisions or to be placed on a team for the T-Ball & Coach Pitch Divisions.
Practices: Your coach will be in touch with you to let you know when and where your team will practice. It is at your coach's discretion the day and time of your practice.
Game Days/Location: At the Tee Ball & Coach Pitch Level (Lower Divisions) your child will have 1 game per week on Saturdays and the Upper Divisions will have 2 games a week, also including a Saturday game. Most games in the Lower Divisions will be at the CMLL Fields behind Costa Mesa High School. In addition, Upper Divisions will have games at other area league fields. Please check the schedule on the CMLL website to confirm the location of your games as the field locations may vary.
Uniforms: The league provides each child with a hat, jersey, pants, belt and socks. Uniform sizing takes place at Back to Baseball and uniforms are typically distributed the last week of February.
Equipment needed: Each player should have a baseball helmet, a baseball glove, athletic cup (boys) and a USA approved bat or one that meets the Tee Ball/Coach Pitch Exception. Sneakers/athletic shoes can be worn at the Tee Ball/Coach Pitch level but the kids tend to slip a lot on the dirt and therefore cleats are highly recommended. Soccer cleats can also be worn for baseball. However baseball cleats cannot be worn for soccer. So, if your child is playing both sports, buy soccer cleats.
Back to Baseball Day: At Back to Baseball we meet our coach and teammates, are fitted for uniforms and receive information about the remainder of the season in your player packet. This is also the day when we ask parents to sign up for volunteer positions. We are an entirely volunteer run organization and need help from everyone for a successful season. Please consider helping out in any way possible. Team volunteer positions include Team Parent, Sponsorship Coordinator, Hit-a-thon Coordinator, Angel Day Coordinator, Banner Coordinator, Snack Bar Coordinator, Field Maintenance, and Raffle Basket Coordinator. Once your child reaches Minor C, required volunteer positions are added for Umpires and Scorekeeper. There will be a list of the volunteer position descriptions in your player’s packet. Back to Baseball is a fun day and is the first event of the season where the entire League is in attendance.
Opening Day: Opening Day kicks off with a parade of the players around the major’s field, a banner competition, Opening Ceremonies and the first pitch. Opening Day is also our first game day for the season, day and time to be announced.
Hit-a-thon: This is our biggest fundraiser and probably one of the best days of the season. The kids love to hang out with their friends and swing for the fences! While participation is not mandatory, it is highly recommended. The Hit-a-thon is a fun-filled day and an easy way for players to meet their $75 minimum fundraising requirement. A packet with a full description of the Hit-a-thon is included in your player packet.
Team Sponsor: Each team is required to obtain a $250 team sponsorship. There are additional sponsorship opportunities available, but this is the minimum required per team. Most teams fulfill this requirement by having either a player’s family or friend’s business sponsor the team. Occasionally teams are not interested in pursuing a sponsor and decide to divide the minimum sponsorship requirement amongst the team. A list of the various levels of sponsorship will be included in your player packet.
Snack Bar Duty: The CMLL snack bar is one of the things our players like most about baseball. Nothing beats a Slush Puppy after a game! Our snack bar is staffed by volunteers and we need everyone’s help to make it successful. Each team will be assigned 2-3 Snack bar shifts throughout the season. Your team’s Snack Bar Coordinator is responsible for ensuring your volunteers are scheduled and show up to work your team’s snack bar shift. The shifts are intentionally scheduled during your team’s games. This is done to ensure the volunteers are there and to prevent families from having to make an extra trip. Teams are required to have three people in the snack bar at all times during their shift to make sure there is someone to grill and two people to work the window. Most teams split the shift in half so 6 volunteers are used to cover the shift.
Team Banner: Each team either purchases or makes a team banner for the season. The individual who volunteers as the Banner Coordinator is in charge of making or having the banner made as well as bringing it to each game. They are NOT responsible for purchasing the banner. Each player contributes towards the cost of the banner (usually $5- $10/ player). The banner is hung on the dugout during each game.
Background checks/Volunteer Applications: All managers, assistant coaches, team parents, umpires and any other individuals who plan on assisting with the players (parents helping out at practice, in the dugout etc…) are required to complete a volunteer application and undergo a background check each season. You can initiate the process by logging into your account and registering as a volunteer on the CMLL website.
Team Parent Meeting: We will have an informational meeting for all team parents in the beginning of the season. This meeting will go over all responsibilities of the team parent and answer your questions.
Safety & Concussion Training: All managers, coaches & team parents will be required to attend our in person safety training and online concussion training. You will receive more information in your player packet.
Umpire and Scorekeeper Training: Although not required at the Coach Pitch and Tee Ball level, this is a great time to explore scorekeeping or umpiring. Our league offers training on both and would love to have you join in. If you are interested, please contact CMLL’s Official Scorekeeper or our Umpire in Chief.
Field Maintenance: Each team is required to have field maintenance volunteers. These individuals are responsible for making sure the field is ready for play or practice. You will receive further information regarding our League Field Maintenance requirements in your player packet.
Angel Day: Each year CMLL participates in Little League Days at Angel Stadium. This is a fun-filled day that starts in the parking lot with a potluck tailgate and includes the players getting to parade around the field before the game starts and then watch the Angels play. Tickets will go on sale later in the season and each person wanting entrance into the stadium must have a ticket. This includes the players. This event has sold out in the past, so order early. Angel Day is a must do!
Picture Day: Your team will be notified of your picture time. There will be various photo packages to choose from to meet everyone’s budget.
Closing Ceremonies: After the morning championship games, the closing ceremonies take place. This is a fun event that recognizes our sponsors, player participation, division sportsmanship awards and divisional champions. Recognition for a season of hard work!
Closing Day Raffle: This is a fun way to raise money for the league. Each team donates a themed basket or item valued at $100 or more to be raffled off. Throughout the Closing Ceremonies the items are raffled off and a few are included in a silent auction. It is exciting to watch the strategy that goes into the basket selection and bidding.
Fireworks Stand: As a fundraiser for the league and for our All-Star Teams, CMLL operates a fireworks stand. More information to follow towards the end of the season. Remember to stop by and purchase your fireworks from us.
We hope you found this information helpful. If you still have questions or need help throughout the season, please feel free to reach out to our CMLL Board Members.
Go CMLL!!!