the Price of Little League

Little League Baseball doesn?t seem to change much over the years. You sign up weeks in advance, pay the money and you get assigned to a coach. You practice together a few weeks, then the games start. You have 3 or more games a week and then it's over. It is a chance for kids to learn about this American sport and have some fun together. You don't get the high quality coaching you would in some of the select leagues, but you don't pay nearly as much either. They try to divide the teams so they will be competitive and spread out the new players so they don't all end up on one team, going against the team that has been together since t-ball.

I think you get what you pay for with Little League. You don't see the specialized coaching and individualized attention, but for the price you pay, you get a lot of games and practice time. You learn the rules of the game and get to play and put the skills you've been working on, into action. You get umpires at every game, which must take up most of the money paid. Sometimes the coaches' son may get some preferential treatment, which can be annoying, but overall it is a great first step into the sport.

Try to find out ahead of time which coaches will be available. Some are definitely better than others. I look for a person that will portray sportsmanship and class out on the field and in the dugout.