6U: Ages 4-6 (Baseball & Softball)

As the beginning level, this provides your child with the basic instructions of the game, with a focus on introductory fundamentals, cultivating teamwork and sportsmanship, as well as fostering an early love and appreciation for the game. A Batting Tee will be utilized, or a coach will soft toss pitches to players, in order to enhance their skills. Practices are typically held two days per week until games begin. Practice will then be held once per week, with games being played twice per week. There may be an occasional day of additional practice, at the coaches request, and some games may occur on Saturdays. Practice and games are typically one hour in length. There are no scores or records kept at this level.

8U: Ages 7-8

Meant to assist children in the transition from T-ball to Baseball, this level introduces your child to the principal rules of the game. Coaches will utilize a pitching machine for both practice and games. Players will also be introduced to basic pitching mechanics and will begin to pitch the last 2 innings of each game in the second half of the season to gain experience and confidence. Pitching mounds will be 42 feet from home plate. The schedule for practice and games will be similar to T-ball but will be atleast 1 hour 30 minutes in length. Players will also be eligible to participate in Cal Ripken All Stars thru the Lower Dauphin Baseball Association. All scores and records will be kept and reported weekly for end of year playoff purposes. 


10U: Ages 9-10

At this stage, the level of competition increases greatly from the previous levels.  Players should have already been taught and coached on the basic and principle fundamentals, and those instructions will be applied and enhanced. Players will pitch the entire season, stealing of bases will be introduced and umpires will be utilized for every game. The pitching mound will now be set 46 feet from home plate. The schedule will also include additional games and be similar to previous levels. Practice and games will be no less than 2 hours in length. Players will be eligible to participate in Cal Ripken All Stars thru the Lower Dauphin Baseball Association. All scores and records will be kept and reported weekly for end of year playoff purposes. A player "Pitch Count/Tracker" will also be kept weekly per Ripken/LDBA rules.

12U: Ages 11-12

Welcome to Baseball! Everything your child has learned in the previous levels will have a bearing on their ability to compete at this level! The pitching mound will be extended to 50 feet and there will be no limitations on stealing. All prior rules apply. The main focus will be on preparing and coaching your child to have the ability to play at the Teener (Middle School) / High School levels. Practice and game schedule will mirror the 10u level. All players will be eligible to participate in Cal Ripken All Stars thru the Lower Dauphin Baseball Association. All scores and records will be kept and reported weekly for end of year playoff purposes. A player "Pitch Count/Tracker" will also be kept weekly per Ripken/LDBA rules.



For a more in depth explanation of the Rules and All-Star Requirements for each level, please refer to the Ripken/LDBA links below:

Rules:
-Coaching Resources & Requirements (ldbaseball.com)
-Microsoft Word - LDBA_League_Rules_2_2023.docx (dt5602vnjxv0c.cloudfront.net)

All Stars:
-All Star Tryout Registration (ldbaseball.com)
-All Star Tournament Info (ldbaseball.com)