Greeting Penfield Little League Parents –

Moving forward, we are going to take a different approach as we look to develop our future players.

In 2019, the Rookies 4/5 program, became Rookies Academy!

In the past, these games were played by players who did not yet have a grasp on the FUN-damentals of the game. Before a player can be expected to play a game, they need to learn these FUN-damentals: throwing a ball properly, catching a ball properly, and swinging the bat properly.

Instead of the team/game approach where some instruction was given, we will use the field like a classroom, so instruction can happen at maximum capacity.

We will assign players to one-hour learning sessions. We feel that the players in this age grouping cannot be expected to be focused for more than an hour at a time.

The players will be assigned to (2) one-hour sessions per week.

We will use trained instructors to teach the FUN-daments, using a manual supplied by

Little League International.  The following is a review written by a Tee Ball Coach:

EXCELLENT RESOURCE FOR INSTRUCTORS AND PARENTS.

"I am a mom volunteer and I had no idea what to do. I came across this resource and it has been a life saver. My team have a ton of fun each practice. I have had parents praise me and say they have never seen a better coach. My practices are planned, and we are learning technical skills each practice through fun games. It is an amazing tool! Parents think I have been coaching for years."

This training manual will be used by each volunteer instructor.  We encourage parents to purchase this manual, for home use, to work with their player in a one on one homework scenario.  If you wish to purchase, please contact us at [email protected]

Additionally, we will also begin offering softball sessions of this new Rookies Academy for our female players. The baseball side of PLL has offered Tee-Ball for boys and girls for several years. Until 2019, girls’ softball was not offered for our youngest players. The FUNdamentals for baseball and softball are the same: throw, catch and hit.

The Rookies Academy has both softball and baseball sessions.  Both girl’s softball and boy/girl teams will be formed.  It is felt that with girl’s teams being instructed using a 10” softball rather than a baseball, will help us build a stronger girls softball program.

You can register for the Rookies Academy, through our web site penfieldlittleleague.com.  If you have an account with PLL, click on "Login", enter your user-id and password.  If you do not have an account click on "Register", create an account, complete your User Profile, then click on "New Participant" and complete your players profile.  If you have multiple players to register, click on "New Participant" and complete the 2nd players profile, once you have completed the last player in the family, click on "Continue" and follow the prompts through checkout/

The online registration form has a box that can be used for requests, like on the same team as a named player, or any other request that you may wish including the weekday Monday through Thursday that you would like to have your player attend and which Time Slot 6:00PM or 7:05PM

You can also express in the same box that you would like to volunteer to be an Academy Instructor.

We will continue to supply a hat and shirt for each player, we encourage you to purchase plain gray baseball/softball pants, to go with the supplied shirt and cap supplied by PLL.  Part of learning to play baseball/softball, is to dress like player.

As you will note throughout the above piece, we have capitalized the first three letters of FUN-daments, because we believe this approach will be both FUN and Educational in the development of our future players.

Rookies Academy Level of Play

• For League Age Players 4 & 5.  It is a Co-Ed Baseball Division
• League Ages 4 is determined by the players age on or before April 30th of the current season. League Age is determined by a players  age on our before August 31st of current season.
• Rookie Division does not require a tryout to be selected to a team.
• The level of play is designed for players, in their first or second years of organized baseball. 
• The goal is to instruct them in an on-field classroom format the basic skills of throwing, catching and hitting a baseball.
• Rookies is a starter level of Tee Ball.
• Players will hit off a tee all season.
• The Player Rosters has a maximum number of 14 players.
• There will be 3 Trained Instructors for each group..
• League provides: Shirts, Hats, Balls, Bats and Catchers Equipment.
• Players supply Plain Gray Baseball Pants, without stripes.  Molded plastic or rubber cleats or sneakers are the acceptable footwear.
• Players can use their own bat and helmet.
• Players will normally have two sessions per week.  Each session will be one hour long. .
• Saturday sessions are scheduled at 9, 10:05:11:10 and 12:20, except for Opening Day, when the start times are pushed back one hour to allow for the Opening Day Parade and Ceremonies.
• Sunday's are only used for makeup sessions of sessions cancelled the previous week.
• All sessions are held at the Little League Complex located at 3100 Atlantic Ave next to the Town Hall.
• The Registration Fee is $155.A second child in the same family is discounted $25, Third child same family is discounted $50 and all additional players over three will be charged $100.
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