Snoqualmie Valley Little League - Softball Programs

Snoqualmie Valley Little League (SVLL) offers several softball programs for children ages 8-16 living within the SVLL boundary. Those living outside the boundary but attending a school within it also qualify to play with SVLL. Eligible schools include: Twin Falls Middle School, Timber Ridge Elementary, Edwin R. Opstad Elementary, North Bend Elementary, Snoqualmie Elementary, North Bend Montessori and Snoqualmie Access. Girls born in 2014 or later participate in the co-ed Farm League Program. Those born in 2013 or earlier participate in the softball upper divisions.

Snoqualmie Valley Little League - Upper Division Softball Levels

League Age

Little League softball uses what is called "league age" to determine player's age and recommended division. Their school grade or other factors are not considered when placing players in the recommended division. League Age can be verified on the Little League Age Calculator: https://www.littleleague.org/play-little-league/determine-league-age/

Skills Assessment

Players in the upper divisions (AA, AAA, Coast, Majors, Juniors, and Seniors) are required to attend a skills assessment before the start of each season to provide managers an opportunity to evaluate players' strengths and weaknesses before the player draft. The assessment helps SVLL create balanced teams to create a fun and competitive season for all players. 

Schedule

Practice season runs the first three weeks of March, with the regular game season starting the third full week of March for Juniors, Majors, Coast, and AAA.  AA games starting the fourth week (to give the younger kids one more week of practice).  The regular season runs through Memorial Day weekend.  There are no games played during Spring Break or Memorial Day weekend.

Example Schedule:

Typical Practice/Game Days:

Practice days are usually at the preference of the volunteer manager, provided there is field time to accommodate all requests. The league does not guarantee team placement onto a specific team that practices certain days of week.  

Game schedule is impacted by total number of available fields, total number of player registrations, and total number of division teams.  Softball divisions historically have interlocked with multiple leagues at each division and each year the interlocks are different based on the number of teams each league charters.  Specific weekdays for games are not guaranteed at any softball level and will be based on field availability of the interlocked leagues. Saturday is typically a game day.

AA Softball Overview

AA Softball is now RapidSoftball. Here is an overview of RapidSoftball:

RapidSoftball is an improved format of competitive gameplay, developed for ballplayers 6-9 years old. This format has been created by a team of ex-professional baseball players who saw a problem with how baseball is being coached and played at the younger levels. RapidSoftball offers players an action packed, fun experience that develops baseball players through constant repetition.

• Pitching Machine: RapidSoftball leverages the use of a pitching machine for the purposes of speed and consistency. More balls put into play, more defensive opportunities, more confidence, more fun. 3 pitches maximum per batter.
• 10 Minute Half Innings: A 10 minute timer is set at the first pitch of each half inning. Each team bats for 10 minutes straight. A complete inning is ~20 minutes in length. On average, 22-25 players will bat per HALF inning!
• 3 outs, Bases Cleared: Once 3 outs are achieved, the bases are cleared, and the offensive team continues to bat. This eliminates the time wasted with players coming on and off the field plus warming up a pitcher.
• 6-8 At Bats: With the increased speed of play, batters on average will bat twice per inning. More at bats equals more development. With the use of the pitching machine and time based innings batters are cycled through quickly and gain confidence!
• 60-80 Defensive Plays: With the added consistency of the pitching machine, each team will put, on average, 60-80 balls in play. That’s upwards of 150 total defensive plays each game combined! THIS develops softball players!
• Pitcher Development (RapidBullpen): No more having 1-2 players on the “bench” each defensive inning. In RapidSoftball, two players are working through a structured bullpen with one of the coaches. Pitching development is made a priority with RapidSoftball.

All-Stars

All-Stars is a competitive post-season team. Team member selections are based on player and manager input and rosters are formed based on the approved All-Star selection process. The All-Star season begins mid-June and follows Little League Tournament play rules and schedules.