AAA Ball
AAA Ball (boys & girls/ ages 9-11) - Typically 3rd to 5th Grade
AAA Ball is geared toward 3rd and 4th graders with a few 2nd graders and 5th graders playing. Players are expected to have played one year at the AA Ball level. Pitching is performed by the players and
Little League rules are followed. The catcher position becomes very important at this level as stealing is now allowed. Due to the rosters being formed
through a draft, players are not guaranteed to be placed with requested teammates or players from the same school. Coach and teammate requests are not available in AAA Ball, Minors, or Majors divisions. Not all players registered for AAA Ball will make a AAA Ball team. Teams will be expected to play and/or practice 3-4 times per week.
This program is for players ages 9-11 (with some exceptions for tested 8 year-olds) that are ready for a faster paced, team game, able to grasp the team concept at-bat, and in the field during their AAA Ball season. Skills and attributes are evaluated by independent evaluators, CMLL coaches and Board Members at a league-wide player evaluation session, and players are then drafted accordingly. Players that request AAA Ball, but are not drafted, are offered spots in the AA Ball Division. Please note it is recommended players play two years in the AAA Ball and Minors levels, before moving to the Majors level.
Skills and attributes for AAA Ball play include the following.
- Hitters will have an understanding of the game situation, receive signs from the third base coach, and be able to bunt correctly.
- Fielders should be able to catch a flyball, and have a good grasp on the angles needed to back-up a teammate.
- Catchers should have an idea of how to block a pitch in the dirt, and have proper mechanics of throwing a base stealer out.
- Teams should know how to handle a run-down.
- Players should be able to make a proper slide into a base.
- Pitchers will be able to show proper mechanics on their wind-up, and throw properly out of the stretch.
- Pitchers will begin to learn the importance of changing speeds on their pitches.
IMPORTANT: In Spring players will go through an Evaluation process in February and be placed on teams via a Draft. In Fall, players can request to be teamed with a specific coach or teammate. We cannot guarantee that all requests will be fulfilled.
Practices and games: In Spring your team will have either have practices or games two to three times a week Monday-Thursday and on Saturdays. In Fall your team will have practices two days a week M/W or T/Th. Two games are played each weekend, typically Sat & Sun, but also some Friday evenings. There is no way of telling you which days you will practice right now. Spring game schedules are not known at this time. Each division in Cedar Mill Little League has a league coordinator who puts together the practice and game schedule for their respective league. By the week of the coaches meeting, each coordinator will have been given their fields and times they have available and will start making the schedule. In Fall, Little League Oregon District 4 makes the games schedules because we play other leagues in our district.
Any special requests or considerations should be noted during registration so that appropriate consideration can be taken when placing players on teams.
Safety and Choosing the right division for your player
Safety is a top priority for CMLL. As the divisions go up, so do the need for safety precautions. Placing your child in a division they are not quite ready for, puts them at a higher risk for injury, especially once players start pitching using hard baseballs in AA and sliding in AAA. Please note that our Spring and Fall seasons are very different from each other.
Please carefully read the division descriptions below. If you still have questions, please reach out to our Player Agent.