New Haven, 1978. It was a warm spring morning, and they were holding little league tryouts in the field behind the ice skating rink. The coach gave us an encouraging, no pressure smile and lobbed a ball in soft and slow. We had no trouble tracking its slow arc through our thick spectacles, the bat seemed to just swing itself and the pleasant crack of wood on leather sent a thrilling jolt up through our arms and into our torso. The ball sailed into right field, the coach nodded and we were on the team.
In the years that followed, we never hit the ball again. Cumulative two year batting average: .000.
Still, the kids were kind to us, and the coach let us keep track of the statistics, which ended up being a better fit than all that ball throwing and catching anyway.
Now it’s your kid’s turn.
Registration for North Central Little League is now open for the 2011 season, which usually kicks-off with practice beginning in mid-March and Saturday games beginning in April and ending in June. The league is open to all Wallingford boys and girls, ages 5-18, and offers the following programs:
Baseball – Boys and Girls
- Tee Ball (Ages 5 and 6)
- Coach Pitch Baseball (Ages 7 and 8 )
- 89’ers Baseball (Ages 8 and 9)
- Minors Baseball (Ages 10 and 11)
- Majors Baseball (Ages 11 and 12)
- Junior League (Ages 13 and 14)
- Senior League (Ages 15 and 16)
- Big League (Ages 17 and 18)
Softball (Girls)
- Minors/Majors (Ages 8-12)
- Juniors (Ages 13-14)
Registration can be completed online here. The registration period closes on January 31. Registration after January 31 will be based on availability and subject to a $20 late fee. If you have any questions, you can e-mail the league: [email protected].
Don’t ask us for tips, though. We’d be useless, really.
As a kid, I played in this North Central Little League.
Now (some 50 years later) I’m an umpire.
It is a pleasure to be part of such a great organization.
I had the privilege of being President of NCLL for a few years about 10 years ago. NCLL is really an asset to Wallingford. It’s a solid organization, teaching good values and providing great recreational opportunities on some really nice fields. I saw none of the parent rage that’s often claimed with reference to Little League, and learned a lot about the Regional and National organizations. Some of the adult volunteer coaches and umpires have been part of the league for years. If your kid has any interest in baseball or sport generally, do not hesitate to sign ’em up!