SWPLL Player Evaluations
All “Little League Age” baseball
players 9 years and over must attend evaluations and these players will be
placed in a division based upon their skill level. Player evaluations are used to assign players to teams at the AAA, Majors and Juniors levels of both baseball and softball. (AA, A or Tee-Ball players do not need to attend an evaluation.)
All players intending to play Juniors (softball only), Majors or AAA baseball or softball must attend an evaluation session, even baseball players who are in the "standard" age category for that level.
How teams are formed: Teams are formed through a well-defined selection process where managers take turns choosing players from a pool of players determined by the Player Agent. This makes keeping large groups of players together (i.e. friends or "last year's team", etc) difficult. Families must expect less control over placement when this form of roster is used. The league does not accept friend or coach requests. The purpose of this form of assignment is to distribute players by skill level across the teams. Per Little League International rules, all 12-year-olds will be placed on a Majors team unless a waiver is completed and signed by the parents, Board and District Administrator.
Player evaluation session: Baseball evaluations will be held in February 25 at the Ida B. Wells High School gym .Sign up here. Softball evaluations will be held at the MJCC Sportsplex on February 25, 3-7pm. Players will be evaluated together in small, organized groups to allow families flexibility to attend an evaluation session.
What to bring: Bring a glove, bat, helmet, and wear tennis shoes.
What to expect: An individual skills evaluation of fielding, throwing, and batting skills in front of others, including managers/coaches and other players/parents. There can be some wait time as players are evaluated and our volunteers do their best to try and keep the mood lively and fun. Many players haven’t touched a baseball/softball since last spring, so it is recommended players dig out those gloves from the garage and throw the ball around a few times in advance of the evaluations to reacquaint themselves with the sport.
Questions regarding player evaluations should be directed to the league's Player Agent. Baseball player agent (bbagent@swpll.org) and Softball player agent (sbagent@swpll.org).
Upper Division Softball Evaluation/Draft FAQ
When and where are the softball evaluations?
Evaluations will be held at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center (MJCC - 6651 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219) Sunday February 25th, 3-6 PM in the Bubble (large inflated building, same location as last year and Winter Clinics).
Who needs to attend?
All softball players that will be playing on a AAA, Juniors or Majors team Spring of 2024.
How do I sign-up to attend the evaluations?
Go to: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A4A822AAFDC34-47193238-spring#/
and choose a time window for your player to show-up and participate in the process.
How long will it take, should parents stay?
The process will take about 30-60 minutes, pending how long your player wants to warm-up and number of players in that evaluation window. Parents can stay and watch but must remain in the “parent area” and avoid interacting with coaches performing the evaluations and players during the process.
What should my player bring?
Glove, bat (loaners will be available), helmet, water, shoes for artificial turf and layered clothing (it’s not a heated space).
Are these tryouts, will my player possibly not make a team?
All players will play and be placed on a team. The evaluation process allows for a fair scoring process to provide the data needed to create balanced teams during the Managers Draft. See Upper Division Softball Team Selection FAQ for more details.
Upper Division Softball Draft
How are teams created?
A Draft occurs following the National Little League Rules for team creation. Managers for each team will attend the Draft process, have access to the data obtained from the evaluation process, and form teams in a round robin selection process.
I want my player to play with certain kids or a coach, how can I make this happen?
Players are not guaranteed to play on any team, with any coach or with any other players (as was shared in the registration process). We understand for some this is not ideal, but SWPLL follows National Little League rules for the selection process to create fair and balanced teams that will lead to safe, competitive softball for all.
Is there anything I can do to have my player play on a certain team?
Managers of the teams will be making the selections, if you have history with a certain individual you can reach out to them and express your needs. Also, each team has one Manager and two official Coaches allowed per Southwest Portland Little League rules. The Manager/Coaches kids are guaranteed to play on their teams as long as they are picked by the 5th round of the Draft per the National Little League Rules. So, if you volunteer to Coach you have the ability to control where your kid will play on some level following the National Little League Rules.
Will “Special Requests” be considered?
No. If one “Special Request” is allowed it would not be fair to all, so we stay strict to the National Little League rules.
Who can I contact with more information on the Evaluation and Draft process?
Collin Mitchell
SWPLL Upper Division Softball Player Agent
sbagent@swpll.org