“Questions Answered”
Are other teams really doing this? Yes, CVLL 9u and 10u teams are doing this. They are all currently playing in the SoCal USSSA “Fall League.” They are all “moved up” a year from the All-Star division they played in. We belong in 8u. I have been able to find that Northridge 8u, Encino, and Sherman Oaks are all registered.
What’s the cost? Virtually nothing now. $25 player registration for USSSA good through 2026 season. There are a couple of tournaments we can enter before spring starts; they are about $600 a pop, similar in function to All-Stars. We could probably get a jersey-hat combo for $50 a pop. I have a dream that we get the team fully or partially sponsored—there’s a shot it happens.
Who’s on the team? As of now, Ciccone, Deleon, Rosales, Dishell, Ross, Marcozzi, and Hernandez have expressed interest. Just informed Yoder (surprise!).
Who else is eligible to be on this team?Any kids who are in the Little League age bracket for 8u, but definitely for our purposes, only CVLL kids who will be 8u (little league) regular players next spring season.
Is this team affiliated with CVLL? No, this would not be an official CVLL team. My understanding is that the league supports these supplemental teams, but for all intents and purposes, they are completely separate.
Does joining this team guarantee next year’s All-Stars? No, the All-Star selection process for CVLL 8u is a strict democratic process where the six regular-season coaches nominate and vote on the 10 players they think deserve to be on the All-Star team. Playing on or practicing with this team will have no bearing on how that process plays out.
Practice the same as fall ball? No, not quite. I really want to step up the practice to a more fundamentals-based approach with outside coaches providing detailed instruction (Uncle Harold has agreed, and the sky is the limit if we can secure sponsorship). I still want to keep it to 1 day a week for now, but I want that day to be effective. We should establish a regimen for our pitching/hitting, encouraging outside pitching coaches and hitting training on off time.
Do you think we can be competitive?Yes, I think we could be competitive at the 8u level playing our best team. Even if we get whooped, it would still be a learning experience for everyone, but honestly, I think we would do alright at the 8u level.
Do you really want to play travel ball?Not really, no. I actually am trying to avoid taking Sage to play travel ball. I love CVLL, but after playing with and watching the older teams go through this last All-Stars and now participating in the travel fall league, I know what’s coming. I also know that Pony-ball and travel ball are enticing. There are cool programs that are attractive to the more hardcore baseball families, and I think something like this is the perfect solution to keep our Little League interesting and competitive.
What’s the ultimate goal? Winning the Little League World Series when the kids are 12u.
Why USSSA? I think in order for this venture to be effective, we need a goal. Here are the upcoming tournaments, and even having just 1 goal tournament before the year ends gives us a reason to start and will give us and the kids valuable information for next year.
Upcoming Tournaments (Fall/Winter 2025)
- Halloweekend: October 25-26, 2025, with events in Camarillo/Simi Valley.
- Veterans Day Super NIT: November 7-9, 2025, in Camarillo.
- Turkey Bash: November 29-30, 2025, with locations in Moorpark/Simi Valley.
- Toys for Tots: December 6-7, 2025, in Camarillo/Simi Valley.
- Snowball Classic: December 13-14, 2025, in Moorpark/Simi Valley.
- Winter Classic: December 20-21, 2025, in Moorpark/Simi Valley.
What’s next?
- Finish up fall ball
- Name the team
- Start practices
- Secure sponsorship
- Get hats and jerseys
- Pick a date
Can you coach? Yes, I have begun the paperwork process and am registered as a manager at USSSA. From here, I need a team name, and we can start registering players/coaches. It’s a simple online background check—nothing at all like what we do for CVLL. It’s pay $15 and run the background check. It’s a bit different than All-Stars; they seem to only allow 3 on-field coaches during games, b