Little League holds four international tournaments every summer for baseball divisions: Little League (or Majors Division), Junior League, Senior League and Big League. Although all tournaments feature teams of top players from around the globe, and all are called "World Series", it is the Majors' Tournament, which culminates in Williamsport, Pennsylvania each August that is synonymous with Little League in the minds of most. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the Little League Tournaments. While it may be common knowledge that the winner of this
Canadian Championship will advance to Williamsport, many fans may not know how the participants were chosen or what happens after Team Canada travels to Pennsylvania. Let me enlighten you.
After the regular Little League season ends in June, most leagues hold tryouts for All-Star teams. Players' skills in hitting, fielding, and pitching are assessed and cuts are made until the best 11 or 12 players in are left to form the All-Star Team. While the regular season is essentially about learning and playing the game of baseball in a fun and fair environment, the All-Star season focuses on honing baseball skills and enjoying the competitive aspect of team sports.
All-Star teams typically practice three times a week in addition to playing two to three games per week. At this level, games typically last two to two and a half hours and practices can run two to three hours each. These 11 and 12 year olds and their coaches put in an average of 20 hours a week at the ballpark.
LOWER LEVEL TOURNAMENTS: DISTRICTS & PROVINCIALS
In July, Tournament play begins. Local leagues are grouped into geographical Districts that include anywhere from four to ten leagues. The District Championships for Majors Division in BC are typically held the second week of July and may last up to 10 days. Tournaments are structured in a typical double elimination format where each team plays all others in a Round Robin and the top teams advance to the semi-final games. The semi-final winners face each other in the District Finals.
Teams that have triumphed at the District level, move on to Provincials. In BC this usually happens over the last
10 days of July and consists of seven teams-a host team and the winning representative from each of the six active districts in BC. In areas where leagues are more numerous, as in much of the US, District winners move on to Sectional Championships, which are followed by State level tournaments.
Success at these lower-level tournaments does not mean a decreased workload for these All-Stars. Having won Provincials, the champs have already faced and conquered 10 to 13 opponents, depending on the size of their District.
The big prize is within reach and they know that it is only through discipline and hard work that they as teams will be able to achieve their goals. Between District and Provincial Tournaments, most teams step up their practice schedules.
THE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
The next level of Tournament Play is the Regional Championship. Teams crowned Regional Champs will move on to Williamsport and the LLWS. Canada forms its own Region, whereas, the US consists of eight Regions that are geographically based.
The Canadian Championship consists of six teams: five Provincial or Sectional Champions-BC, Ontario, Quebec, the Prairies, and The Atlantic Provinces and the Host Team. The winner of the Canadian Championship, by the time they arrive in Williamsport, in the third week of August, has met and won against an average of 16 other teams of elite players and, as a team, they have put in well over 160 hours in practice time and games since mid June.
But they have yet to meet their toughest competition.
WILLIAMSPORT: THE HOLY GRAIL OF LITTLE LEAGUE
At Williamsport, the participants are "treated like rock stars", as one former player phrased it. It is the mission of every volunteer to ensure that each team's experience at the LLWS is unforgettable. They kids outfitted with new, custom-fit uniforms, equipment bags, batting gloves and "swag" from Little League's many sponsors. In this writer's estimation, the kids all deserve it. They and their coaches and managers have worked extremely hard to get to the World Series. Each participant has lived up to the Pledge that Little Leaguers recite before every tournament game: they have "played fair and strive[d] to win". They have achieved their goal; they are living every Little Leaguer's dream.
The Little League World Series includes16 teams divided into four pools: two International Pools and two US Pools. Canada competes in International Pool play against teams from Regions such as Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, Japan, Europe, the Middle East-Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Each team has advanced to Williamsport as Regional Champions in much the same way as Team Canada. All teams are deemed to be the strongest in their part of the world. In order to win the International Pools and advance to the Championship Game versus the US Champs, teams must face four more opponents-the three other teams in their Pool and the winner of the other International Pool.
These games will be played either at Volunteer Stadium, which can hold up to 5000 fans or at Howard J. Lamade Stadium with a seating capacity of about 40,000. No admission is ever charged and seating is on a "first come, first served" basis. In front of such large crowds of fans, there can be no doubt in the Little Leaguers' minds-they have made it to the "big time".
Now you have a better understanding of the teamwork, discipline and dedication to the game the kids you'll be watching this week have. So, cheer on those kids of ours for having the strength and courage to pursue their dreams. Also remember that the volunteers that help them on their journey toward Williamsport match the dedication and love of the Grand Ol' Game that the teams possess. Coaches, managers, field attendants, announcers and tournament organizers are all volunteers. Without their help, the Little Leaguers' dream of going to the World Series would not be possible.
