Can we play in your league?

Players age 7 and under can choose any league and we 'd love to include you in the EALL family.  For spring baseball, players age 8 and up must either a) live within our boundaries or b) attend one of the following schools: Daniel Webster Elementary, Longfellow Elementary, Aveson School of Leaders, or Stratford School. Requests to allow out-of-boundary players must be approved by the Little League International Charter Committee in Williamsport, PA.

The Age Determination Date for a Little League Baseball player is the actual age of a child on August 31 of the current year. A calculator and more information from Little League is available here. 

When does everything happen?

The divisions are described on our Programs page, and you also need to determine their League Age. If you are uncertain feel free to contact us and our player agent can help determine where your player is best suited to play.

How do I make sure my child is on a team with their friends?

Yes, we do have scholarships available for families experiencing financial hardships, for a 90% discount. Contact Us for more information. A commitment to volunteer back to the league is appreciated. 

Decisions about games at Donley (upper & lower) being cancelled due to weather are usually made at approximately 7:00-8:00 AM the day of the game. Sometimes our dedicated grounds volunteers are able to salvage a field with their magic, even if it rained heavily overnight.  For away games, those decisions are made by the home team's league.  Our cancellation notifications are sent by email and text.  Contact us if you are interested in helping to maintain our fields!

The fastest way to find out if your game is cancelled is to make sure your GameChanger app is installed and allow notifications. 

Field status is noted at the bottom of our home page, but this information is generally not updated except for very extreme or long-lasting conditions.  

I'm registered, now what?

1. Mark your calendar for Opening Day! It’s fun and we also typically do team pictures that day so you don't want to miss it. 

2. Make sure to download and fill out the medical release form and bring it to the Assessment Day. 

3. Gather documents needed to verify residency or school attendance in our boundaries. Bring those and a birth certificate (to verify age) to the Assessment Day or email them to our registrar. 

4. Get ready to volunteer!  We are an all-volunteer organization and rely on our families’ support to make each season a success. Download and fill out the volunteer application. Register to be a team parent, manager, or coach.

5. Download the GameChanger app. Once your child is placed on a team their schedule will be tracked through the app and coaches use it to communicate with you. 

What do I need to bring to the Document Submission Day?

• Every player must have a MEDICAL RELEASE FORM on file with the league. We need a new one every year.

• If you're registering your child as being a resident within our boundaries, then you need to bring in one document from each of the three groups LISTED HERE.  For the Spring 2025 season, documents must be dated within February 1, 2024 to February 1, 2025.  This must be done annually per Little League rules. After a full season, players can continue to play in EALL for the remainder of their career even if they move. Please contact us if that happens.

• If you're registering your child as attending a school within our boundaries, then you need to have the principal or a designated representative from your school fill out THIS FORM.  Players attending a preschool do not need to have a school form, but once they get into a regular school, this will be required.  School forms do not need to be resubmitted for the remainder of your child's EALL career unless they change schools.  After a full season, players can continue to play in EALL for the remainder of their career even if they change schools.  Please contact us if that happens.  Eligible schools are: Aveson School of Leaders, Longfellow Elementary School, Stratford School, and Webster Elementary School.

• If your child is age 7 or younger, the eligibility rules are different as of the Spring 2025 season. Contact us when you sign up and we'll let you know what is required. 
  

Why do you need to see a birth certificate?

The birth certificate is a Little League requirement to verify the player’s age. It is not unheard of for people or leagues to lie about a kid’s age to gain an unfair advantage over other teams.

Does my tee-ball player have to come to the Skills Assessment?

No. Tee Ball players do not need to attend the skills assessment, but you can still come that morning to turn in your medical form and other eligibility documents.

What gear do I need to purchase?

Your child's jersey and hat will be provided.  You'll need to purchase pants, belt, socks and cleats.  If you have soccer cleats, they may be used in Tee Ball.  Pro tip: don't buy new cleats until they get older! They'll outgrow them constantly, so it's recommended that you buy used cleats at Play It Again Sports, and when they out grow those, bring them back for a trade-in credit for the next size up. 

Bats and batting helmets may be available to share, but you may want your child to have their own.  Again, Play It Again Sports is a great place to get used gear.  Tell them you're with East Altadena Little League to get 10% off of all purchases.  Prior to the season opener, we usually are able to provide additional special discounts from Play It Again Sports, Dick's Sporting Goods, Jeffs Sporting Goods and other local retailers.

What else can I do to help?

Help us find sponsors! We are a non-profit organization that relies on sponsors and donations to operate. Our player registration fees only cover about 50% of our expenses. If you or your business is interested in becoming a sponsor please let us know.

And hang on to those great photos! We’ll put a call out for yearbook photos mid-season and would love to have every player included in a candid or game photo.

We’re new, what are the expectations of families?

1.  Make sure your child comes to as many practices and games as possible.  We understand that families have other obligations but the coaches can’t help them develop skills if they don’t play. 

2. Complete the volunteer application so that you’re cleared to help on the field and in the snack shack. 

3. Keep our fields clean - take your trash with you after games and practices. 

4. Each family is asked to participate in fundraisers such as sweepstakes and silent auctions. 

5. If your game is the first or last of the day, expect to help with field preparation/cleanup. Don’t wait to be asked, just pitch in or ask the coach how you can help.

We’re just starting Tee Ball, what else should we expect?

Kids this age need a lot of supervision and individual attention.  We keep our Tee Ball teams small to make this possible, but even so we need every parent on the team to be involved. Every family should expect to help the coaches during practice, be in the dugout during games to help kids get helmets on/off, and pitch in to handle snack duty 1-2 times.

My child is moving up to the big field, are there different expectations for us?

Yes, games that are played at Upper Donley field need volunteers to run the scoreboard, make announcements, and work the snack shack, in addition to field prep and cleanup. A minimum number of snack shack shifts is required for each family. You can also help run the batting cage during practices. The good news is that you don’t have to bring team snacks anymore since the snack shack is open. Working as the announcer or in the snack shack gives you a shaded, home-plate view of the game.

My child ended up in a different division than we registered for, and there is a price difference - how do I get a refund or pay the increased amount? 

I can’t get my child to practice today, what should I do?

First, reach out for help. As a small community league it is likely that other players on your team will live in close proximity or attend your same school - ask your team parent if you need help to arrange carpooling. Make sure to use the GameChanger app to tell coaches if you will be at games. If you have a specific day you need to have your practice, volunteer to manage a team and you can influence the schedule.

Fall Ball: What's the difference between Lower Minors and Upper Minors?

In Lower Minors, players pitch, with coaches stepping in to pitch after 4 balls (no walks). Catchers are used and bases may be stolen. Upper Minors is full rules, and only players can pitch.  Upper Minors corresponds to the Spring season's AAA division, while Lower Minors generally encompasses the Spring AA and Farm divisions.

How do I get off the waitlist?

Our only limitation to having more kids play is the number of adults willing to manage a team. The best way to make sure your child gets on a team is to volunteer to manage. Assistant coaches are also needed, but they’re not of much use if no one will step up to be the team manager. At a certain point it is too late to add teams, so don’t wait too long.  If there is anything we can help to make it easier to say "yes" to taking a team, let us know. 

We played for EA before, can I skip giving you all those documents this year?

No, it is a Little League requirement to submit residency documents annually.  We may have your birth certificate on file if our volunteers did an amazing job with record keeping, but it's less hassle to bring it than to come back a second time. The only exception is for players who have been verified for tournament eligibility-they only need to submit the medical form each year after that.

Does coaching my child during the game help them play better?

Even neutral instructions called out during the game can be a problem, as it takes the player’s attention away from the game and their coach. The coaches may not see things as quickly as you do (they are watching all the players, not just yours) but they will eventually and you can trust them to handle it. Cheer, applaud, enjoy watching the game and let the coaches be in charge. Tournament rules prohibit speaking to a player or coach during a game, and the regular season is a great time to practice your restraint. 

But I know exactly what they should be doing differently and you said that everyone needs to help out.

Yes, please volunteer to be a manager or assistant coach so that more kids can benefit from your love of the game.

Is my child's performance important to their future athletic career?

Not really – this is only Little League. Long-term look at this as an opportunity to associate sports and baseball with fun, friends, and our local Altadena community. 

What should I know about Little League insurance?

Click here for information.

I’m really into this, where can I learn more?

Little League has excellent parent resources here and this very informative brochure. You can also download the Little League Rulebook app to have it all at your fingertips.

At the end of the Spring season District 17 hosts several tournaments which include teams from all the member leagues. Typically each tournament is hosted by a member league, with all games for that tournament played at that league’s field. EALL frequently hosts the Futures 7-8-9 All-Stars Tournament.

Players selected for All-Stars will need to provide an original birth certificate for age verification. The copy you gave us at the start of the season does not work, we will need an original for review by the District.