Johnston Little League is located in Johnston, Iowa, a Northwest suburb in the Des Moines metropolitan area. Home to ~650 Little League baseball players, it is one of the largest Little Leagues in the state. Divisions of play offered include:
Big Bats:
Designed as an alternative to tee-ball for young players just learning the sport, Big Bats utilized a big red bat and wiffle ball. Key advantages over tee-ball include lighter bats that are easier for young kids to swing, being able to hit balls pitched by their coaches, and confidence in the field that they won't be hurt by a heavier tee-ball. Overall, feedback for this division has been very positive as an introduction to the sport of baseball. Games are limited to 1 hour, and played on Mortgage Producers field sized specifically for this age group. The season starts a bit later for this age group to avoid cooler spring days, typically running from April 15th - June 15th.
Minor - Coach Pitch (6U/7U)
The 6 & 7 year old coach pitch division is played with coaches pitching to their own players, with a tee available to ensure everyone is able to put the ball in play. The season generally starts around April 15th and runs through June 15th with games primarily played on Bob Brown and Dragon field.
Minor - A (8U)
The A Minor division is the first opportunity for players to pitch. Here players pitch unless/until a batter receives 4 balls, at which point the batter's coach pitches until the ball is put in play. This is the oldest division with the mid-April start date, with the season running from approximately April 15th - June 15th. Games are typically played on Bob Brown and Dragon field at Lew Clarkson Park.
Minor - AA (9U)
The AA Minor division is the home to the 9U age group. After the 8U transition to player pitch, this is the first year the players are the only ones on the field. Umpires are provided for this division and which tends to see a lot of walks while players get used to pitching on the full size (46/60) field. This division targets an April 1st start date and is the first where players evaluations are held and players are drafted to evenly matched teams. Games run through June 15th and culminate in a season ending tournament. The primary field where AA Minor games are played is Coldwell Banker.
Minor - AAA (10U/11U)
10 & 11 year old players register for the AAA Minor division, and 11 year-olds will be "called-up" to play in the Major division during the player draft based off their tryout. All registered players will be placed on either a AAA Minor or Major team, but not both. The season runs from approximately April 1st to June 15th. 10 and 11 year old players will be eligible for nomination and selection to the 11 and 10 year old JLL all-star teams, regardless of whether they play in the AAA Minor or Major division during the regular season. Doctors Now serves as the primary field for games in this division.
Major - (12U)
The Major division remains the signature division of Little League Baseball. 12 year old players will be placed in this division by default, with the remaining 3-5 roster spots per team filled with players selected from the 10 & 11 year old age group. Some of the benefits include ensuring that younger players aren't required to move up to Majors before they are ready, fostering a high level of competition in this more intense division, and keeping the Majors division at 10 teams or fewer to avoid the need to double-charter. The Majors season runs approximately April 1st through June 15, with most games played on Community Choice and Iowa Realty fields. Each team will also play a game or two on the shorter 200 ft. fences that will allow an opportunity for a few more home runs! Players drafted to Major teams that are 11 will be eligible to be nominated for the Major all-star team, but will also be eligible for selection to the 11 or 10 year old teams if not selected to represent JLL on the Major All-Star team.
Intermediate (50/70) - (12U/13U)
The Intermediate division serves as a transition from the Little League field dimension of 46/60 to the full size 60/90 dimensions on which the Juniors & Seniors division is played. This division is played on 50/70 field dimensions, and opens the game up to include leading off and the nuance of the pitching game that accompany that change. Players in this division can also play in the Junior/Senior (for 13 year old players) or Major (for those that are 12) divisions. This is the first year for inter-league play, as JLL teams compete against teams from surrounding Little League programs, though most are within 15 minutes of the Des Moines metro. Games hosted at JLL are played on Iowa Realty and Community Choice, which are convertible between the 46/60 and 50/70 dimensions. Games are targeted for week days, with priority given to eliminating conflicts with the Junior/Senior schedule and minimizing conflicts for those playing Major. The Intermediate division also allows for a competitive All-Star season with a national tournament.
Junior/ Senior - (13U/16U)
In prior years JLL has fielded both Junior and Senior division teams. As 9th grade high-school players now devote their spring to the JHS program, older 8th graders that are league age 15, and 15 & 16 year olds interested in playing recreationally outside the HS program didn't have a division in which to compete. For 2020, JLL will combine the Junior and Senior division age group and charter a Senior division open to all 13-16 league age players. The division plays on the full-size 60/90 field dimensions on both United and Avaux fields. The season runs from April 1st through June 15th, essentially functioning as the Junior program had in prior seasons. Priority is given to preventing scheduling conflicts such that 13 year old Junior/Senior players can also play for a team in the Intermediate division. The expected make-up of the division by age group is 30%-13U, 55%-14U, 10%-15U, and 5% 16U. This division's intention will be to play intra-league only, with all games at Lew Clarkson Park but may interleague similar to Intermediates when numbers dictate. JLL will field a Junior All-Star team eligible to advance to World Series play from those league age 13 & 14. A Senior team will only be fielded if numbers warranted.