Kirkland American Little League

BASEBALL PROGRAMS Kirkland American Little League offers baseball for many age brackets, determined by " league age ". Click into each description to learn more. Lower Level Baseball-Game Play typically starts after Lake Washington School District Spring Break Quickball (4-6 year olds) AA (6-7 year olds) AAA (7-8 year olds) Upper Level Baseball-Game Play typically starts the middle of March. Minors (8-10 years) Coast (9-11 years) Majors (10-12 year olds) Big Diamond Baseball-Game Play typically starts April 1st. Intermediate (13 year olds) Juniors (14 year olds) Seniors (15-16 year olds) QUICKBALL (FORMERLY T-BALL) Our first level of baseball introduces 4 - 6 year-olds to the fundamental rules and skills of baseball. Starting in 2023, we will be replacing our traditional T-Ball with a new program called Quickball. Quickball is a fast pace game where kids learn the basic fundamentals of baseball. Players will be introduced to hitting, throwing, catching, fielding and base running in a safe and fun environment. Quickball is a structured system which introduces baseball concepts on a weekly escalation. It will keep kids more engaged and limits the time they stand in the field waiting for a ball or their turn to hit. The game itself is similar to whiffle ball using a soft, squeezable ball. Teams will meet twice a week with each event being about an hour. The meetings will be a combined practice and game format for about 9 weeks. The season will run from late-March through early-June. We will provide parent volunteers with coaching practice plans, team baseball gear and team uniforms. The volunteer coaches receive training prior to the start of the season. Baseball cleats (rubber) are recommended, but running shoes will suffice. The League provides all players and 3 coaches with a team hat and jersey. Team parents are expected to help the coaches with other important team volunteer duties like snack coordinator, bench coach, field prep, photo coordinator, and more. Teams are generally organized by school, neighborhood and coach or buddy requests, all of which is indicated during online registration process. Coach and Buddy requests are based on a first come first serve basis. Make sure to register early to get on the team you want! To learn more about Quickball, you can read more at: Quickball USA and Quickball Brochure [Return to top] AA BASEBALL (RapidBaseball ™ Level 1 ) “AA” RapidBaseball™ is new for the 2024 season. baseball is for 6 and 7-year-olds, and continues the skill building that starts in Quickball. Players will continue to develop individual hitting, throwing and catching mechanics in a safe and fun environment. In addition, they’ll start to learn more rules of the game. “AA” will feature RapidBaseball™ Level 1 format of gameplay! RapidBaseball™ utilizes a pitching machine, with a set of rules to promote a faster pace of play, with an emphasis on player development and fun. RapidBaseball games feature the following: Time-Based Innings :