Solana Beach Little League - All-Stars Overview For Families

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The SBLL All-Stars selection process is an important part of the season in the AAA and Majors Divisions. Every year, there are several players worthy of consideration and nomination, but only so many spots on each All-Star team. The purpose of this document is to share how the selection process is conducted, what factors are considered, and how final rosters are determined. The SBLL Board of Directors is committed to transparency in this process. If you have questions about how All-Star selection works, please reach out to Kyle Grozen, one of our All-Stars reps on the Board, at [email protected].

Introduction to All-Stars:

SBLL annually fields All-Star teams at the Majors, 11U, and 10U levels. All-Star play begins at the conclusion of the SBLL playoffs and typically continues into early July, but with the possibility of extending later into the summer. All-Star teams meet as much as 4-5 times per week in the leadup to tournament play, representing a significant time commitment. 

SBLL All-Star teams compete against other leagues with the goal of winning district, state, national, and international championships. Our league approaches All-Star play as an opportunity for our players to compete at the highest level, while developing skills and representing Solana Beach. As a result, SBLL aims to field the best teams possible.

The Nomination Process:

Regular season managers at the Majors and AAA levels have the opportunity to nominate players on their team for All-Star selection. Nominations are done based on Little League age, which is determined by the player’s age on August 31st. This date is set by Little League International and is not negotiable under any circumstances.

If your player is nominated for an All-Star team, you may receive an availability check from your team’s manager or an SBLL board member to confirm that they are interested and available if selected. It is important to note that being nominated for an All-Star team does not guarantee that a player will ultimately make the team.

Once nominations are received, the league will share the full lists of Majors and 11U nominees with Majors managers, and the full list of 10U nominees with AAA managers. Each manager will then rank the players within each age group from 1-xx. From there, the managers’ rankings are compiled by the Board into three composite, average rankings (one for each age group).The one highest and one lowest individual rankings for each player are removed to eliminate bias on either end and build a fair consensus picture of the nominees. 

For example, a player who receives individual rankings from managers of #1, #3, #4, #5, #8, and #15 would have the #1 and #15 removed from their composite ranking; their average ranking would be based only on #3, #4, #5, and #8, for an average ranking of #4. This policy still holds for duplicate rankings. For example, a player who was ranked #1, #1, #3, #7, #9, and #9 would only have one of the #1 and one of the #9 rankings removed; their average ranking would be based on #1, #3, #7, and #9, for an average ranking of #4.

Roster and Coach Selection:

The top 9 players at each age level in the composite average ranking automatically make that All-Star team. These players are guaranteed spots, unless they are (a) injured and unable to play for a significant part of the All-Star season, or (b) unable to commit to the All-Star season.

At that point, the All-Star managers are confirmed by the league President, with approval from the Board. If a potential manager has a child nominated for the All-Star team, their child must be ranked in the top 9, in order to ensure fairness in the rankings process.

Additional selections beyond the top 9 players are then made at the discretion of the team’s manager. Additional selections may or may not be the next players in the composite ranking, but they must have been nominated for the team. This is designed for All-Star managers to identify potential “needs” they feel will best support their team, and give them the flexibility to round out their rosters as they see fit. All-Star managers make these decisions with input from other managers, coaches, and knowledgeable sources throughout the league. All-Star teams typically carry no fewer than 11 and no more than 13 players.

Once the final roster is chosen, the league President selects two assistant coaches per team, with approval from the Board and in collaboration with the All-Star Managers. Similar to managers, assistant coaches need not have been regular season managers/coaches. In most situations, the children of assistant coaches should also have been ranked in the top 9, but this is not required so long as they are selected to the roster. While there are some opportunities for additional parent involvement in All-Stars, Little League holds a strict limit of 3 official coaches for teams, one manager and two assistants.

Traits of an SBLL All-Star:

Our All-Star teams represent the best of our league, both on and off the field. When considering nominees for an All-Star team, managers consider the following in the context of their regular season teams:

• Was this player a significant offensive contributor to our team, considering contact, power, and baserunning?

• Was this player a significant defensive contributor to our team, considering defensive consistency, fundamentals, and primary positions played?

• (If applicable) Was this player impactful as a pitcher for our team, considering innings pitched, velocity, control, and command?

• Was this player a positive presence in our dugout and on the field, someone who connected with their teammates and understands team-first baseball?

• Are the player’s biggest strengths at or near the level of “All-Star contributor” (typically around the top 15 players in the league at their age level)?

• If this player did not meet one or more of the above criterion, was this due to an outside factor (i.e. injury) that will be resolved prior to All-Star play?

Every year, we have players who meet the above criteria but may not ultimately make an All-Star team, because of the strength of our league. The depth of our league is competitive nationally. Whether selected for an All-Star team or not, an All-Star nomination in SBLL represents a great accomplishment.

SBLL hopes that our league will follow, support, and encourage our All-Star teams. We will post the tournament brackets for your information on the website before they begin in mid-June. 

Go Beach!