San Mateo Little League American

Parent FAQs

Do you have a question about San Mateo Little League American (SMLLA)? This document strives to answer basic questions regarding how our League works and answer commonly asked questions parents, especially new ones, may have:

1. When is registration?  Normally registration takes place towards the end of October through December.  Watch the SMLLA web site for details.  Generally registration can be done on line.  New players will be required to complete their registration in person by providing a copy their birth certificate and three proofs of residency.  The residency requirement is mandated by Little League to ensure that players are with in our league boundaries.  Please note that Little League is very strict in its age and residency documentation requirements (including specific date requirements as well as multiple forms of proof of residency).  These requirements and our league’s boundaries are noted on our website at www.smlla.org.
2. Can girls play at SMLLA?  Girls are welcomed and encouraged at all levels at SMLLA.
3. Why does my child have to try out?  Tryouts are held at Trinta Park in early January (typically the 1^st or 2^nd Saturday of January) for all players in the Single A division up through the Majors division (even if they have played in our League before) – this is also required by Little League rules.  We do not have either the volunteer time, nor room in our schedule, to hold multiple tryouts, so please plan accordingly.  Tryouts provide the managers of each team with the chance to observe and evaluate all players before the draft selection.  After registration closes, you will be notified of the exact date and time of tryout via email and it will be posted on the SMLLA web site.  All registered players will be placed on a team via a Little League mandated draft process.
4. What are the different divisions and ages of players in the divisions?  SMLLA has a Majors division, a Pacific Coast League or “PCL” division, a Minors division, a California League and an A Division (a.k.a., “Single A”), T-Ball and Wiffle Ball for kids who are age 4 through 12.  See the Programs page for a detailed explanation of the age/division breakdown.
5. How does the draft work?  Following the tryouts, managers of each division (other than T-ball) will meet to select players based on their observations and evaluations of each player. The draft order is based on a random draw of numbers.  Each team in the Majors division teams will select 12 players, beginning with “returning Majors” players.  The PCL division will draft next (typically selecting 12 players per team as well, with 11 year-olds prioritized), followed by the Minors division and finally the A division. 
6. How are T-ball teams formed?  T-ball teams are formed by the T-ball commissioner.  A person who volunteers to manage a team is given the 6 buddy picks as well. The T-Ball commissioner will attempt to group kids from the same school together, if possible.
7. How are Wiffle Ball teams formed?  Similar to T-ball, Wiffle Ball teams are formed by the Wiffle Ball commissioner.  A person who volunteers to manage a team is given the 5-6 buddy picks as well. The Commissioner will attempt to group kids from the same school together, if possible.
8. How are practice fields and times determined?  Fields and time availability varies and is based on what is made available to SMLLA by the City of San Mateo.  SMLLA does not own the fields at Trinta or any of the practice fields.  After the teams are formed via the draft process, the managers of each division will meet with the field coordinator and go through a similar draft process for fields.  Again, the Major division goes first and down from there.  T-ball teams are not included in this process and are not assigned practice times by the league.  These teams are encouraged to set their own times and practice once a week.  Some T-ball teams opt not to practice at all.  This process is the reason that field location and practice times often change month to month. Your manager is responsible for communicating the time and locations of the practices. Practice times and locations are also posted on the SMLLA web site under the scheduling tab.
9. When do I find out what team my child is on?  You will be contacted by your child’s manager shortly after the draft process is completed, or shortly after registration closes in the case of T-Ball and Wiffle Ball.  Please understand that it may take a few days for each manager to notify all of the players on his or her team. 
10. When do practices begin and how often to teams practice?  Practices begin in the beginning of February.  Generally Majors, PCL and Minors divisions’ teams will practice 1-2 times per week in addition to having one day a week batting practice at the batting cage at Trinta Park. Single A division teams generally practice one time per week and have one batting cage time per week.  T-ball teams usually practice once each week.  Wiffle Ball teams generally do not hold a practice.  Your manager will provide you with a schedule and this information is also on the web site.
11. When and where is opening day?  Opening day takes place on a Saturday in early March at Trinta Park.  The exact date and time will be communicated by your manager and also available on our web site.
12. How do pictures work?  Picture day is in late February.  Your manager will let you know the exact date and time.  The league provides each child with a “memory mate” This is a team photo with an individual shot of the child on the same page.  Contact Julie Leigh directly with questions about picture day at. jleigh58@gmail.com
13. How many games will my child play?  The Majors division plays approximately 20 games per season, the PCL and Minors divisions typically play 15-16 games per season and the A Division plays 12 games per season.    The Majors division plays twice per week and the PCL and minors divisions play once or twice a week.  A division teams generally play one game per week, but may have some weeks where there are 2 games per week. T-ball teams play one game per week.  Your manager will provide you with a schedule and this information is also on the web site.
14. How long are the games?  Majors, PCL, Minors and A division teams play 6 inning games (and may play “extra innings”).  There is no time limit on Major division games.  However, PCL, Minors and A division teams will not start a new inning after 2 hours, so it is possible for teams in those divisions to play less than 6 innings.  T-ball games are 1 hour long.
15. What happens if it rains?  Games can be played in a light rain unless the conditions pose a safety hazard for the players.  The Blue Jacket on duty will work with our field maintenance and umpire crews to make these decisions. Often the call to cancel will be made at the last minute to avoid rescheduling conflicts.  You should always assume the game will be played unless you hear otherwise from your team’s manager.  You can also check the field status on www.smlla.org. If a game is rescheduled, your manager will let you know when the rescheduled game will be played. 
16. When does the season end?  The regular season generally ends in mid- to late-May, but this can vary depending on rain-outs and games that need to be rescheduled for any other reasons.  In addition, the A Division, the Minors division, and perhaps the PCL division, may play a post-season, single elimination tournament.  Finally, the Majors division, the PCL division and the certain teams within the Minors division typically play a post-season tournament with San Mateo National Little League.  The city championship tournament generally starts in late May or early June and runs through the second weekend in June.  All-Star teams are typically announced in mid-June, with single games played amongst our A division and Minors division All-Stars, as well as tournaments competing against teams from other leagues for certain Majors, PCL (and perhaps a few Minors) players who are generally 10-12 years old, in addition to a few 9 year-olds.  Please see the All-Star information page at www.smlla.org for details, as participation in these tournaments may require firm commitments that could last as long as early- to mid-July.
17. What does my child need to play?  The league will provide your player with a team hat and jersey.  Your child will need baseball pants, cleats, a mitt, socks, belt and an athletic cup (most kids prefer to use their own bat, but many share, and the League has a few that can be provided to teams that need them).  The color of the pants, socks and belt are determined by team.  Many teams wear white pants but it is up to a manager whether he or she prefers to have the team wear a different type of pant (i.e. gray, black or pin stripes).  Socks and belt color are also determined by the manager and usually match the jersey. All equipment can be purchased at Big 5, Sports Authority or any other sporting goods store.  Your child also should have a water bottle and a bag to carry their equipment in.
18. What if my child loses something?  Be sure you label all your child’s equipment with his or her name to aid in returning if lost.  We do maintain a lost and found at Trinta and you can ask the Blue Jacket on duty to help you look for lost items. 
19. What else do I have to do?  San Mateo Little League American is a volunteer run organization.  All teams will need a Team Parent to help the manager and coaches coordinate the team.  Each team will also need to have at least 2 scorekeepers, field prep people and snack shack workers.  When a team is the home team for a game, they provide the scorekeepers and do the field prep; when a team is the away team, they provide 2 volunteers for the snack shack. Your manager will provide you with a game schedule that should indicate when your games are and what you will need to do. Most teams also choose to have a snack after each game and parents take turns providing the snack. 
20. What does the Team Parent (or Parents) do?  The Team Parent is responsible for being the communication liaison between the League and the manager.  At the Team Parent meeting before the beginning of the season (usually towards the end of February), picture forms, fund raiser instructions and other key dates are communicated to the Team Parent to pass along to team families.  During the year, the Team Parent Coordinator ( This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ) may send out other information and request that the Team Parent pass it on to their teams.
21. How do I know what to do in the snack shack or if I have to keep score for my child’s team?  The League provides a score keeper training at the beginning of every year and a more experienced parent could also show you.  Directions for working in the snack bar also provided in the snack bar.
22. Other than registration fees, are there any costs? Registration fees cover only a fraction of the League’s cash operating expenses (not counting the thousands of volunteer hours required to run our League).  Each team (in divisions other than T-ball and Wiffle Ball) is required to solicit a team sponsor (which is prior years has cost $500).  This can be a local business (other than a League Corporate Sponsor) and/or the parents can choose to collect money and sponsor the team themselves (team sponsorships can be split into $250 shares). Team sponsors receive a banner at the field, a plaque and recognition in the yearbook. Generally each team also has an end of season party and chips in for coaches gifts as well.  This can run between $20 and $50 depending on the team.  Some teams choose to have banners made as well, although this is not required.  The cost for this depends on the team but is generally $10 or $15 per player.  The League may also determine it necessary to facilitate some additional fund raiser, which we would strongly encourage players and families to participate.  
23. What do I do if I have a question or concern?  The first person to approach is the manager of your child’s team.  You can also ask questions of the Commissioner of the division in which your child’s team plays (who is usually introduced at team meetings at the beginning of the year).  If your concern still hasn’t been satisfied, please reach out to the League’s Player Agent ( This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ), who supports players and families in all divisions.  Of course, you are always welcome to attend Board meetings as well, but aside from asking for consideration for a potential Agenda item, we ask that you do not burden the League’s President with individual matters that can be resolved by your individuals noted above, as the President has numerous responsibilities and we have hundreds of families on our League.
24. Can I bring food or drink to a game?  Certainly food and drink are allowed at Trinta and many teams have pizza or hot dogs, (some even BBQ) after a game.  Alcohol and tobacco use of any kind is not allowed at Trinta.
25. Who are the umpires?  For most games umpires are former SMLLA players who return to work as umpires.  They are usually between 13 and 15 years old.  They do receive training but are young.  We ask that you keep that in mind and treat them with respect even if you do not agree with their calls.
26. What is the “Blue Jacket”?  The Blue Jacket is the Board member on duty during the time games are being played.  The Blue Jacket is responsible for the security of the park and safety of spectators and players.  If the umpires are unclear as to how to respond to a rules-related question in a game, they may reach out to the Blue Jacket for assistance.
27. What if I need financial assistance to cover the registration fees?  San Mateo Little League American does not offer financial assistance but makes every effort to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to play.  Requests are handled confidentially through the league president.  For information or to discuss your needs, please email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
28. How do I know where to find the field that our game or practice is on?  Trinta Park has two fields, the North and South field. Our schedules clearly indicate at which field a game is played. For several weeks of the season, some teams also play night games at Central Park in San Mateo. During the regular season, practice schedules are also posted, which clearly identify which fields are in use. If you have any questions about where you should be playing, you should work with your child's manager/coach.  Listed below are the important locations:

Trinta Park -- 150 19^th Ave, San Mateo

Central Park -- 601 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo

Bayside/Joinville Park -- 2219 Kehoe Ave, San Mateo

Harborview Park (Dore) – 1725 Monte Diablo Avenue, San Mateo

Shoreview Park -- 928 Ocean View Ave, San Mateo

Los Prados Park -- 1837 Bahia Ct, San Mateo

King Center -- 725 Mont Diablo, San Mateo