Will PCLL meet your family's needs? 

Consider the following when choosing a youth baseball program:

Platte Canyon Little League is based in Bailey, Colorado and we serve youth in the Bailey, Pine, Conifer, Morrison and Evergreen areas as well as along the 285 Corridor from Fairplay to Bailey. All youth (male and famale) are encouraged to play in our league.

Our Divisions include T-Ball (ages 4-6), Coach Pitch (ages 6-9), Minors (ages 8-12), Majors (ages 10-12), Juniors (ages 12-14), and Seniors (ages 14-16). Please click on the Programs page for more specific information.

What Does Your Child Want?
Ask your child what they want out of their baseball experience. You may be surprised at the answer. Responses range from "I want to win" to "I want to have fun and play with my friends." Understanding your child's wants is a first critical step in selecting the right program.

Next ask yourself what YOU want from a sports program. Are you looking for a program that will teach the fundamentals of the game? Maybe you know your child will never be that Cy Young award winner and you want to instill a love of the game or simply use sports as medium for teaching life lessons. Perhaps, your child does have exceptional athletic promise and you want him/her to be challenged at the highest level of competition. Most importantly, be honest with yourself. Make sure you are in this for the benefit of your child and not to relive the glory days!

Aligning your goals with your child's goals and selecting the right program will lay the foundation for a long, enjoyable and successful baseball career.

Finally, contact one of our Board Members and discuss what PCLL has to offer and how we might meet your needs. PCLL is designed to offer baseball to meet a variety of needs. From first time rookies to advanced competition, we probably have a team for you.  


Little League Rules for a Reason
"Little League Rules for a Reason" is not just a marketing tag line for Little League, it succinctly captures both the prominence of the organization as well as years of experience that resulted in a set of rules that are uniquely designed to protect player health, ensure a progressive skill development, create the appropriate level of competitiveness and most importantly to just have FUN. 

Little League rules are slightly different from other leagues, the most notable differences are:

• No Lead-offs - Base runners cannot lead off until the pitched ball crosses the plate. Without this rule, a youth baseball game can quickly turn in to a track meet - a walk is as good as a triple or double as runners/coaches take advantage of a pitcher's slow delivery and the catcher's inexperience. With the no-lead off constraint, young pitchers can concentrate on the batter and their delivery mechanics, not the runner, complicated pick-off move or balks (there will be plenty of time to master the pick-off later). The no-lead off rule also delays the runner attempting to steal and gives the defense a decent chance of picking off the runner at second or third. This in-turn forces the offense to duly consider their chances of stealing a base and are more likely to try and earn their runs through hitting and not through defensive errors.

• No Stealing Home Plate - Except in the Majors, there is no stealing home plate on a passed ball. Learning to block a wild pitch, and there are lots of wild pitches in youth baseball, is an advanced skill. The defense is not penalized because a young catcher has yet to master the art of the block. In addition, this rule allows Coaches to put different players at catcher (what kid does not want to put on the gear and pretend to be the next Johnny Bench?) without putting his team at a significant disadvantage. The offense is also forced to earn their runs through hitting.

• No Dropped Third Strike - For similar reasons for not allowing teams to steal home plate, there is no advancing to first on a dropped third strike (the Major league being an exception). 

• Wider Strike Zone - Our umpires are instructed to loosen the strike zone to encourage batters to swing. Young players quickly learn that a tight strike zone can be an easy pass to first base. We want kids swinging and hitting the ball and avoid those painful games where most runs come from walks.

• Stricter Pitch Counts - Little League was the first youth sports program to research the impact of over pitching on a young athlete's arm. The research resulted in strict rules that limit the number of pitches a pitcher can throw and mandates a rest period based on the number of pitches thrown. Little League pitch count rules are stricter than most other leagues, ensuring the health and well being of young pitchers.  The strict pitch counts also forces coaches to develop more pitchers for depth on the mound. Coaches cannot rely on just one or two pitchers to power their team to a championship. Coaches must develop a cadre of pitchers who can consistently get the ball across the plate. This in turn offers more opportunities for young athletes to try their hand at the mound - and what kid does not harbor dreams of being the next Tim Lincecum?

Baseball is What We Do
Platte Canyon Little League is about baseball. That's all we do. It's all we think about. We love the game and want every child to have this quintessential American experience.

Platte Canyon Little League is part of Little League International - the same organization that brings you the Little League World Series on ESPN and ABC.  Little League is the world's largest volunteer youth sports program with over 4 million volunteers worldwide. The program has been in existence for over 70 years and brings a wealth of experience and resources to our local chapter. See www.littleleague.org for more information.

Keep it in Perspective
We are a values driven organization. We recognize that very few of our youths will grow up to make a living from baseball. Our youths are better served if we instill virtues that transcend the playing field and are necessary for success in life.  Winning baseball games is not our product. We believe that winning is the by-product of a program that produces young athletes of CHARACTER, COURAGE and LOYALTY.