A Homerun Guide To Little League In Missoula
Spring is here and Little League baseball and softball registration is in full swing! Here’s some helpful information whether you’re new to Little League or a seasoned pro.
GET REGISTERED
Registrations are happening NOW! Before you register, you’ll need to determine which league your child(ren) will be playing in. This is determined by the neighborhood that you reside in or school your child is (or will be) attending. According the Little League Missoula (www.littleleaguemissoula.org ), here are the leagues in and around the Missoula area:
Mount Jumbo Little League Stretches from the farthest western limits of the Hellgate Elementary School District, through the city of Missoula, north of the Clark Fork River to 1 mile east of Potomac School and 1 mile southeast of Clinton School to First Street to the River. Kids living outside of these boundaries on the east can waiver in as they do not cross any Little League boundaries. Kids on the west belong to Frenchtown Little League. Schools: Hellgate, Bonner, Clinton, Rattlesnake, Lowell
Mount Sentinel Little League South of the Clark Fork River, east of Russell Street until South Avenue and east of Brooks Street. Schools: Cold Springs, Chief Charlo, Russell, Lewis & Clark, Paxson, Meadow Hill, Washington, St Joseph
Westside Little League Boundaries - NORTH: Clark Fork River EAST: Russell St SOUTH: Brooks St/Hwy 93 WEST: Lolo & Frenchtown school districts. Schools: Franklin, CS Porter, Big Sky, Hawthorne, Valley Christian, Target Range, Mountain View, some Russell
Lolo Peak Little League Southwest of the Bitterroot River through the city of Lolo, south down the Bitterroot Valley, west to the top of Lolo Pass on the Montana/Idaho border.
Frenchtown Little League All children eligible to enroll in Frenchtown Schools, extending north to Polson and west to the Montana/Idaho border.
Garden City Softball All girls softball players in the Mount Jumbo, Mount Sentinel, Lolo Peak and Westside Little League boundaries.
Pro-Tip: Prior to or shortly after registering, email or call the contact info listed for your league to get on their email list so you can be in the loop on any tryouts, registrations, or other league information.
GET THE GEAR
Items that typically need to be purchased include a glove, baseball/softball pants, and cleats. Some parents may also choose to purchase a bat for their child to use. If you decide to purchase a bat, make sure you check out the USA Baseball Bat rules that also apply to Little Leaguers. Need help finding the right bat size for your child? Baseball Monkey has a great baseball and softball bat chart. The Little League program your child is registered with will provide each team with uniform shirt and hat. Each league or coach will bring helmets, bats, balls, and catcher’s equipment. Coaches are almost always volunteers so they may ask parents to bring additional items for their child or team to use throughout the season.
Pro Tip: I am a mom of four and three of my kiddos are old enough to participate in multiple sports throughout the year--which means we have A LOT of gear! One thing that has been extremely helpful (and versatile) is this duffle/bat bag that we purchased on Amazon for each of our kids. Not only does it hold all of their equipment during each sporting season but it’s durable, reasonably priced and washable (to get rid of the sweaty, post-game stink). Check out the bottom of this article for more gear suggestions!
—Charity Stubb
GET SOME PRACTICE IN
GIF Credit: https://gifer.com/en/8wL7
Here are a few ideas:
Play a good old-fashioned game of catch.
Head to the batting cages. There aren’t many around Missoula but Westside Lanes has great indoor batting cages complete with automated pitching machines. The Clawson Complex located behind the Missoula YMCA also has some outdoor batting cages where you can pitch to your Little Leaguer.
Get a group together and head to any one of Missoula’s baseball/softball fields around town for some batting practice or even a friendly game!
GET INVOLVED
Volunteers are what make Little League successful! No matter what league you join, it’s likely there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved from helping with your child’s team as a coach to assisting the leagues fundraising opportunities like working the concession stands. Additionally, there are always a number of opportunities to volunteer on a one time basis such as a field work day or opening day ceremony.
Pro-Tip: You can show your support during practice and games by helping out in the field if your kiddo is in tee-ball. As the first experience in Little League tee-ball is exciting for parents and children, however, as a coach it can sometimes feel like herding cats. The coaches are almost always volunteer parent who has a child on the team as well. Parent help makes the tee-ball experience more exciting and enjoyable for the children and the coach—don’t forget your mitt!
MORE GREAT GEAR SUGGESTIONS:
