*Spring Intramural's Opening Weekend - April 6th 2024*
A child's path through our program can begin as early as 3 years old with the Mini Hawks program. Upon entering Kindergarten, children participate in our Little League program and continue through 7th grade. We also offer Senior level teams for children seeking the opportunity to continue to play in town with their friends beyond Little League. All of our programs are open to children who reside within our Little League International boundary which coincides with the Plainview-Old Bethpage school district (you can check the boundary here). Children residing out of the boundary but attending a school within the district are also permitted to participate.
In addition, we are proud to offer a Challenger division for children aged 5+ who have special needs. The Challenger division plays in the Spring and Fall. The Challenger division is open to all children with special needs regardless of residency.
The following is a list of our Spring intramural division structure:
MINI & LIL HAWKS
Children entering Kindergarten Fall 2024 (Lil Hawks) or Fall 2025 (Mini Hawks)
These are co-ed programs designed to introduce boys and girls to the basics of baseball/softball Our programs were developed as a fun way to teach all five fundamentals of baseball, hitting, throwing, catching, fielding and running. Simplicity and continuous action is what make these programs so much fun. There are no complex rules, no umpire is required, and participants are not required to have a glove or any other equipment. The Lil and Mini Hawks sessions will be 1 hour on Sundays at 1:30pm.
BASEBALL
Baseball is played on weeknights and on Saturdays, with children in K and 1st grade playing once per week on Saturdays and children in 2nd grade and older typically playing twice per week. Weeknight games/practices generally begin at 6pm, but may begin earlier at the start of the season when the sun sets earlier. Games for older children may begin later and be played on our field with lights.
KINDERGARDEN :T-BALL
Children begin their little league experience upon reaching Kindergarten. The focus of the T-ball division is on teaching the fundamentals of the game. Batters hit the ball off of a batting tee and are taught how to make plays in the field. Sessions include both practice and non-competitive simulated 'games' with no scoring or standings.
1st GRADE : CLINIC
In 1st grade, the boys proceed to a division in which we continue to stress the fundamentals of the game. Batting tees are used at the beginning of the season and then the boys transition to coach pitch during the season.
2nd GRADE : ROOKIES
In 2nd grade, the boys begin the season pitching and catching themselves, with modified rules to give batters more opportunity to put balls in play. Umpires are used and scores are kept but there are no standings or playoffs.
3rd GRADE : DIVISION A
Single A is the first level of competitive baseball, with children pitching from 40 feet and catching throughout the season. Teams are drafted based on player skill level to ensure balance, scores and standings are kept and there is a season-ending playoff (which all teams participate in regardless of regular season record) to crown a champion.
4th GRADE : Division AA
in AA, the pitching mound is at the standard Little League distance of 46'. The games are competitive and the rules are set to closely resemble regular baseball.
5th GRADE : DIVISION AAA
AAA baseball is standard Little League baseball with a few modifications.
6th/7th GRADE : MAJORS
Majors Division games are played according to standard Little League baseball rules.
SOFTBALL:
Softball is played on weeknights and either Saturday or Sunday, depending on potential conflicts with other sports and activities. Weeknight games/practices generally begin at 6pm, but may begin earlier at the start of the season when the sun sets earlier. Games for older children may begin later and be played on our field with lights. Scheduling for teams in the Rookies division is coordinated with nearby towns (ie, Syosset and Bethpage), while teams in our Minors and Majors divisions play in an “intertown” league that includes teams from Bethpage, Syosset, Plainedge and Farmingdale. Each Softball division consists of two grade levels, which is consistent with all town softball programs throughout Long Island and throughout most of the US.
Kindergarten/1st Grade: Clinic
After Lil Hawks, the Kindergarten girls combine with the 1st grade girls in our Clinic division. The focus of the Clinic division is on teaching the fundamentals of softball. Weekend sessions are led by a professional trainer and simulated ‘games’ are played on a weeknight using batting tees and then transitioning to coach pitch toward the end of the season. .
2nd Grade/3rd Grade - Rookies
In the Softball Rookies division, the players hit off a pitching machine and are encouraged to make the correct play in the field. Umpires are present at the games to count pitches and call plays at bases and scores are kept, but there are no standings or playoffs. Games transition to player pitch at the end of the season.
4th Grade/5th Grade - Minors
Minors softball is played using modified Little League softball rules. Players pitch from a distance of 35 feet but the field is otherwise Little League softball dimensions. Scores and standings are kept and there is a season-ending playoff (which all teams participate in regardless of regular season record) to crown a champion.
6th Grade/7th Grade - Majors
Majors division games are played according to standard Little League softball rules.