Ideas for Best, Flexible, LL Age Brackets

My suggestions for LL are to allow overlap at every division to allow for the player who doesn't fit the "norm". I like three year spans with the NORM or typical age to be the one in the middle...

My suggestions: assuming a sufficiently large enough league... (The leagues I've been involved with have ranged from 500 to 750 kids)

T-ball: have two divisions 5-7 and 6-8
ROOKIE 7-9
Minor B or AA 8-10
Minor A or AAA 9-11
Majors 10-12

The problems come in the exceptional players or the weaker players... Obviously the above brackets would force every 12yo onto a major team...( you could extend AAA to 9-12) and what's wrong with that from a "REC" point of view. Well, every league has their "competitors". And they are usually a majority in the LL majors. I've seen many a manager bench a kid except of the minimum time required...

On the other hand, last weekend our baseball club's 10U team played a team with a kid that was supposed to be still 9 yo and he was 5'7" and about 150 lbs... that's bigger than most 12 year olds... so making him play down wouldn't be in his best interests nor the rest of the league... But What if Mom and Dad decide they want to keep JR "DOWN" and dominate the division? Can you force him up ???

I would like to see a "petition" option available for parents to request either moving up a division or staying down a division. But then you have to publish guidelines for the BOARD to follow in their decisions... Here's the problem.. If the board approves one player to move one way, on what basis can they deny another... ?

Guidelines suggestions for moving up....Parents must show cause and state reasons plus they must get... 1) recommendation from last coach, and 2) recommendation from 2 coaches in the upper division. Plus All coaches in the upper division must evaluate player and the majority must believe the player is capable of competing at that level. And the final test... The player has to be drafted. (however if he's an exception player he normally will go in the top couple rounds)

Guidelines for staying down... Parents must show cause and state reasons plus they must get... 1) recommendation from last coach. Plus board will get evaluations of Coaches in current division stating player would be in lower half of the talent pool.

Obviously, more time spend on trying to create a set of guidelines that are equitable, the better. PLUS publish the guidelines prior to SIGN-UPS.

Just remember, whatever you come up with ...STICK to it for the current season and make alterations (to improve it) the next year... Because no matter what... SOMEONE will disagree...