Myrtle Park was a great place to learn how to play baseball but your graduation from Majors up to Juniors is an exciting leap. With the larger ballparks, lead-offs, and bigger bats, the game gets more interesting. Mount Seymour LL takes great pride in our upper divisions, keeping baseball fun, and our teenagers playing!
For those 13 year old Little Leaguers who are moving up to Juniors for the upcoming season there are a few differences from Majors that you should to know about; including ballparks, lead-offs, and bats.
Games are played at Kirkstone in Lynn Valley and Ambleside in West Vancouver or Inter River Park. We anticipate that Highlands, Lynn Valley, and West Van LL’s will will all have Juniors teams this year, which will make for an excellent Juniors Division on the North Shore. There is also an opportunity for us to host other leagues from across the Lower Mainland with a few travel games thrown in if the interest is there. Last year we hosted two teams from Vancouver Island who traveled to us for some double header fun, and we have the opportunity to hop on the ferry and do the same. We have a playoffs schedule near the end of season as well as an opportunity to play post season/Juniors All Stars.
Game days are typically scheduled for Tuesdays or Thursdays as well as Sundays. Teams will also practice one a week.
Teams are still drafted but we do our best to accommodate reasonable friend requests. For those concerned about the age range of Juniors, we expect our teams to be a balance of grade 7’s, grade 8’s, and some grade 9’s with the LL age range.
The ballparks are all larger than the Majors Diamond you are used to. The base paths are 80 feet long; and the pitching mound is 53 feet from home plate. Myrtle was 60 and 45 feet, respectively. The outfield is naturally larger; and some parks have a home run fence at 250 feet.
With the longer base paths, lead-offs are allowed. Your coaches will show you proper technique; but with a little practice, base stealing is great fun! You no longer need to wait for the ball to cross home plate – in fact, you’ll get good at running while the pitcher is still in his (or her!) wind-up.
Hopefully you are looking forward to the experience; and are ready for a great season. Sign up with Mount Seymour Little League and Play Ball!