PSLL LLWS Tournament Program
At the conclusion of our PSLL recreational season, players ages 8-16 for baseball and softball are eligible to compete in tournament play. PSLL teams consisting of top players in each age group compete in our local district tournament (District 23—Manhattan & West Bronx), with the winning teams advancing to a Sectional tournament (NYC), and potentially NY State and Little League World Series Tournaments. (Please note that LLWS Tournament play is separate from our local Memorial Day Tournament, which is a limited and local event.)
PSLL fields at least 3 baseball teams – a 10u team, an 11u team, and a 12u team. Generally, each team will consist primarily of players only from that league age (12u team = 12 yr olds; 11u = 11yr olds), but any age-eligible players are available for consideration and selection . PSLL also strives to field 14u and 16u baseball teams. PSLL also intends to field two or three softball teams—10u, 12u, and possibly 14u, either independently or on a combined basis with another local Little League.
Please note: this year there will again be Tournament Participation Fee of $175 per player, to defray cost of uniforms, equipment, and additional resources to support player development throughout the experience.
The District 23 Tournament is PSLL’s primary exposure to our NYC neighboring Little Leagues. In many cases, our behavior at the tournament has a direct impact on how we (and Little League baseball in general) are judged. Proper conduct at tournament time is a responsibility of all participants—players, coaches, families, and spectators. Abusive language, boorish behavior, and alcohol consumption in the stands during Tournament play is strictly prohibited. As the Little League Rulebook states, “[Tournament play]…imposes a large responsibility upon all concerned. Good judgment and exemplary disciplines are demanded if Little League tournaments of the future are to remain worthwhile in the public esteem.” More simply: it is an honor and privilege to represent PSLL - and our entire community - in tournament play.
Due to the growing visibility of our tournament teams over the years, PSLL has redesigned the tournament program to provide more structure and transparency around its planning, process and both player and coach selection.
Player Selection Criteria
Prerequisites:
Eligibility - Residency & Age- Players must have verified addresses within the PSLL zone and verified age (birth certificates and proofs of address or school attendance in our zone will be required).
Age is determined based on a player’s age as determined by Little League International during registration for the current season (2021).
Baseball Age Determination-2023
For 16U team: 9/1/07-8/31/08
For 14U team: 9/1/08-8/31/10
For 12U team: 9/1/10-8/31/12
For 11U team: 9/1/09-8/31/12
For 10U team: 9/1/12-8/31/14
Softball Age Determination-2023
For 14U team: 1/1/08-12/31/09
For 12U team: 1/1/10-12/31/11
For 10U team: 1/1/12-12/31/2014
2. Regular season attendance- Players must have attended at least 60% of 12 scheduled regular season games. In 16u, 8 games or 60% required.
3. Commitment and Availability for practices and tournament games. Families must be prepared to commit to a rigorous post-season tournament schedule that begins in mid-June and can run through July and, optimally, into August in the later rounds of the Little League World Series. Practices and games are a 6-7 day/week commitment that must supersede other summer activities. As a family, please be prepared for this commitment.
Assessment:
Performance: Players must demonstrate exceptional skill and on-field performance. Players must embody the character and integrity to represent our PSLL community to NYC and beyond. Positive attitude, teamwork, and good sportsmanship are expected.
1. Open Evaluations in May—ALL ELIGIBLE PLAYERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND. There will be independent evaluators as part of the assessments at open tryouts. There is no requirement or preference given to anyone who has played on a prior tournament team or has participated in particular non-PSLL baseball training activities/teams, etc. The spirit is to create the same opportunity for selection for all eligible candidates.
2. Spring season assessment by coaches and PSLL Tournament Director(s). Season performance evaluation by spring manager/Division Commissioner.
Tournament Program Leadership:
1. Tournament Committee – Empowered by PSLL Board of Directors and comprised of PSLL President, Vice Presidents of Baseball/Softball Operations, and Tournament Director(s). Responsible for recommendation of Tournament coaches for Board approval, oversee player selection process, verifying player eligibility, and compliance with Little League rules. Tournament Director(s) are responsible for collecting all player eligibility documentation and submitting to District Administrator as well as verifying affidavits prior to every tournament game.
2. Tournament Coaches – contribute to player assessments, team roster, practice schedule. Tournament Coaches will run all practices, meetings and games, and be approved by Tournament Committee. Tournament Coach(es) will be named after May 1st. There is no determination of the Tournament Coaches before that time.
Note: all tournament managerial and coaching positions are annual. No manager or coach has any tenure whatsoever. If an individual is not re-appointed or re-approved as a manager or coach for the coming season, the League President and/or Board of Directors is not required to provide a reason. The same procedure applies for new, first-time applicants. Tournament team coaches must be coaches during our recreational season, per Little League rules.
Roles and responsibilities of Team Coaches include:
• Overall team leadership and accountability
• Teach and demonstrate good sportsmanship by respecting the rules, opponents, officials, teammates, and one's self
• Refrain from the use of insulting, embarrassing, foul, or abusive language. Follow the Little League International code of conduct. Be a good role model.
• Have the understanding, patience, and the capacity to work with children in the age group of the division
• Accountability for actions of the team (including players, their parents, and all coaches) to PSLL and the greater PSLL community
*If the league President is considered as a coach for a tournament team, he/she must recuse him/herself from the Committee vote and all other managers in the applicable division must sign-off on the appointment, if applicable, in order to comply with both Little League International and PSLL policies.
Player selection process is as follows:
1. Division Commissioner / regular season coaches will inform players about evaluation dates, which will occur near the end of the regular PSLL season.
2. Evaluations are open to all registered PSLL players who meet the age, address, attendance, and availability requirements.
3. A group comprised of independent evaluators, tournament coaches, and tournament director(s) will evaluate the players and submit a recommended roster to the Tournament Committee for review and approval.
4. Each team usually consist of between 12-14 players.
5. Coaches are named after May 1st.
6. The Official Team Rosters will be announced after June 1st and no later than June 15th. Final determination of team rosters will be collaboration between Tournament Committee and Tournament Coaches.
7. Once players submit proof of eligibility to tournament committee and team is named, practices may begin immediately after Little League’s permissible date in early June.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND TOURNAMENT 2023
Separate and distinct from the District team process, we are also excited to field multiple 10u and 12u teams to participate in a baseball/softball-packed Memorial Day Weekend Tournament. The 2023 tournament (5/26-5/29) is a local tournament organized by Greenwich Village Little League and hosted by GVLL at JJ Walker, PSLL at Con Ed, Harlem at Shea Field, and Downtown at Battery Park Fields, and more). The games will be played across Manhattan, with some at Con Ed field.
Unlike LLWS Tournament teams, there are no open evaluations for Memorial Day – the PSLL Tournament Committee selects a competitive team from those available to commit fully to the entire Memorial Day weekend and 5-6 preparatory practices. For each division, there will multiple teams.
All team managers will be asked to gauge their players’ availability and interest in potential participation. That said, we welcome all players (who are available to commit to all practices and the entire Memorial Day weekend) to join initial open workouts for Memorial Day. For practical reasons, this is not intended for every player in the division, but nobody is excluded from participating—we are always glad to have any players enjoy the extra field time and advanced workouts.
Please note, for the purpose of setting proper expectations for your players, joining an open workout is no assurance of placement on the team, and the final roster will likely be 10-13 players.
If your player is selected for the team, there will be a Tournament Participation Fee of $100 per player, to defray cost of uniforms, equipment, and additional resources to support player development throughout the experience.
The Memorial Day Tournament Team will ultimately be named by mid-May (see below), as we gauge interest and availability in the coming days and formulate prospective rosters.
Thank you,
PSLL Tournament Committee