St. Louis Park Little League

 

The goal of Saint Louis Park All-Star play is to win tournament games while representing Saint Louis Park Little League in a professional and well-respected manner. The goal to win tournament games is an important objective which differs slightly from Little League regular season play. For example, regular season rules which encourage player development through rotation of players in different positions do not apply to tournament games. Additionally, playing time among players may differ and there are no guarantees regarding which positions players play and how long they will play them. With respect to playing time policies, most tournament rules state that everyone must bat at least one time during a game and play one full defensive inning.

 

Experience has shown that having a clear understanding of the above noted goal and playing time rules prior to tournament play helps greatly with you and your child’s expectations should your child be recognized with a roster spot on an SLP All-Star team. Our All-Star teams’ success is based on how the team performs as opposed to the strength of any individual’s statistics and/or playing time. 

 

All-Star Team Selection:
In order to make the All-Star selection process fair, effective, and appropriately transparent, the Saint Louis Park Little League Board has approved the following process for All-Star player selection. Child age is determined as of May 1st, 2011.

 

12-year-olds: Consistent with National Little League rules and past practices, the 12-year-old All-Star selection process includes a peer-player vote component. Specifically, all Little League players in Majors will be given a list of the 12-year-old players in the league. They will vote for the 6 players they feel are most deserving of a roster spot on the team. Players are not permitted to vote for any of their teammates.

 

The top six 12-year-old players receiving the most votes will automatically be selected to play on the 12-year-old All-Star team. The remaining players will then be selected by the Majors managers at an All-Star selection meeting. This manager’s meeting will be run by the Little League President and will include the Major League player agent and 12-year-old All-Star Team manager and coaches. The selection process will include a voting component among the managers to complete the roster if necessary. The 12-year-old team may also include 11-year-old players if managers feel specific 11-year-old players are both capable of playing on this team and represent a good fit for team success.

 

11-year-olds: The 11-year-old All-Star team will only be comprised of players from the Major League. The selection process will take place at a player selection meeting run by the League President and will include the Majors managers, Major League Player Agent, and 11-year-old All-Star Team manager and coaches. The 11-year-old team may also include 10-year-old players if coaches feel specific 10-year-old players are both capable of playing on this team and represent a good fit for team success.

 

10-year-olds: The 10-year-old team may be comprised of players from both the Major and Minor Leagues. The selection process will take place at a player selection meeting run by the League President and will include the Majors managers, Major League Player Agent, Minor League Player Agent, and 10-year-old All-Star Team manager and coaches. Specifically, the 10-year-old selection process will be as follows:  All 10-year-old players in Majors will be individually ranked by all of the Major League managers and coaches. Their rankings will be submitted to the League President. The top seven players with the highest cumulative ranking will be offered a roster spot on the team. The remaining 10-year-olds in Majors will be placed in a pool of eligible players which will also include the highest rated 10-year-olds from the Minor League. 

 

The eligible 10-year-olds from the Minor League will be determined by having the Minor League managers nominate players from their team. The Minor League Player Agent and League President will then review the Minor League list and assist with further identification of top potential candidates for consideration. If the President feels that further information regarding players’ skills is needed, he/she may contact other managers or coaches for additional information, but these people will not be part of the final decision making process.

 

At that point, to complete the 10-year-old All-Star roster, the remaining eligible 10-year-old players from both Majors and Minors will be selected at the player selection meeting. The 10-year-old team may also include 9-year-old players if coaches feel specific 9-year-old players are both capable of playing on this team and represent a good fit for team success. 

 

9-year-olds: The 9-year-old selection process will be as follows:  All Minor League managers will be asked to submit the names of the 9-year-old players from their team whom they feel are appropriate for All-Star play consideration. A committee consisting of the Minor League Player Agent, Minor League All-Star manager and coaches, and League President will then review the Minor League list of 9-year-olds. If the President feels that further information regarding players’ skills is needed, he/she may contact other managers or coaches for additional information, but these people will not be part of the final decision making process. The selection committee will then review the list and select the players who will make up the 9-year-old All-Star roster. 

 

 

1. My child competed in a non-Little League sponsored tournament (i.e. Slugfest). Will this be a factor used to determine their All-Star selection?

 

Playing in non-Little League sponsored tournaments such as Slugfest does not automatically qualify someone for All-Star play. 

 

2. How will we be notified of the All-Star selections?

 

The final All-Star selections will be posted on the SLPLL website on or about June 15, 2011.

 

3. How are the managers of the All-Star teams determined?

 

The All-Star managers will be selected by the President in conjunction with discussions with League managers and player agents. If a player agent is being considered for an All-Star manager position, they will not be part of the manager selection discussion. After the All-Star managers are selected, team coaches will be determined through cooperative discussions between the President, player agents, and appointed All-Star managers. 

 

Criteria for manager selection include, but are not limited to: ability to connect with kids skillfully and motivate performance in a positive, well-respected manner; possess solid knowledge of the game and tournament rules; demonstrate ability to identify and leverage the skills of different players to optimize the potential of team success; demonstrate ability to work well with other coaches and parents; and exhibit behavior which will positively reflect on Saint Louis Park Little League and the City of Saint Louis Park.