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OT: Hastings Little Leaguers Headed to LLWS

What's the story with this little league stuff anyway? Clearly not playing at the level of really good USSSA teams. And I've never really heard of LL teams playing around here, so is the Hastings team made up of kids that played USSSA earlier this summer? Or is it completely separate? I know Kearney did well a few years ago.
 
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What's the story with this little league stuff anyway? Clearly not playing at the level of really good USSSA teams. And I've never really heard of LL teams playing around here, so is the Hastings team made up of kids that played USSSA earlier this summer? Or is it completely separate? I know Kearney did well a few years ago.
I actually have wondered this exact thing for years and have no clue, but it's definitely not close to the most elite level of play for kids this age
 
The players have to play in a little league of America league. Down here, we select an All Star team that competes in the tournament. Local, State regional then llws. They aren’t club teams
 
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Little League is totally different than select. I like LLWS but our 12u team would have rolled most of them. Normally at LLWS those teams are pretty solid though.
 
So does Nebraska have two teams? I thought South Dakota no hit Nebraska last night to move on.
 
So does Nebraska have two teams? I thought South Dakota no hit Nebraska last night to move on.

I think two teams from each region make it to Williamsport so Nebraska is playing South Dakota in the final, but both go.
 
Didn’t any of you play LL growing up?

Let’s say you live in Bellevue. You have 7-8 teams coached by kids’ dads & you play a season. Then at the end your town selects an All Star team who travels and plays other towns. It’s basically your Varsity HS team when they are 12. And there is a tournament that starts locally, then State, then region. Then the LLWS is 8 teams from across the nation & 8 teams from other countries. It’s a huge thing on ESPN/ABC every summer.

Select baseball is totally different. It would take the best players off the LL teams from each town.

I’m in my 40’s & Select baseball wasn’t even really a thing in the 80’s & early 90’s when I was a kid. It was all Little League.
 
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I think two teams from each region make it to Williamsport so Nebraska is playing South Dakota in the final, but both go.
Not unless they changed the rules. There are 8 Regions, and the winner of each region goes along with 8 international teams.
 
Looks like there are no international teams this year, so they're taking two from each region.

 
For comparison purposes...Most of the Hastings LL team played on a 12U Hastings USSSA team that was one of the top AAA teams in Nebraska. There were 16 or so Majors teams in NE this year ahead of them, so this Hastings team would be one of the top 20 teams in the NE for 12U.

Now my son plays on one of the better Majors teams at this age. We'd love to have my son's team play LL and make a run at the title, but our players are all spread out over Omaha and wouldn't be in the same LL districts.

I do know other states and regions of the country are very competitive in LL, much more so than NE which is dominated by USSSA. Indiana alone a few years back had over 100 Little Little leagues, whereas NE has less than 12 (I believe).

I love the LL rules as they have true pitch counts and rest rules, all players have to play, etc. USSSA rules allow child/arm abuse as players get 8 innings/weekend which causes all sorts of arm injuries over time.

Either way, extremely cool to have a team from Nebraska in this year!! Go Hastings!!!!
 
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Looks like there are no international teams this year, so they're taking two from each region.

Really? That’s interesting. Takes the luster off of being “World Champs.”
 
That was a fantastic catch and an amazing way to end the game.....and if i've learned anything, it's that every dad thinks their sons team could beat most of these teams, and i'm skeptical.
I mean, we all have 1000lb bench so I’m assuming all the kids of the people on here throw no hitters and hit it 450 ft.
 
Your 12u team will burn out by the time they don’t sniff JV. Club ball has ruined more ball players than it’s made by exponents.
While a few here and there may quit, a large majority don't at the upper levels (AAA/Majors in NE). And not sure what you mean by "ruined" players. Try and find any on this list of committed Nebraska college bound players that did NOT play club ball-good luck! The list starts about a third of the way down the web page.

Nebraska Prospects Link

And here's the link to look up which club team each listed player played for:

USSSA Athlete Search
 
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Some differences between LL and USSSA.
little league mound 46 ft. USSSA. 50
Little league bases. 60ft. USSSA. 70
Little league fence. 200ft. USSSA. 230
 
The right fielder with a diving catch to win it! When I played little league we played in the immortal words of Tanner Boyle "the booger eating moron" in right field.
 
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While a few here and there may quit, a large majority don't at the upper levels (AAA/Majors in NE). And not sure what you mean by "ruined" players. Try and find any on this list of committed Nebraska college bound players that did NOT play club ball-good luck! The list starts about a third of the way down the web page.

Nebraska Prospects Link

And here's the link to look up which club team each listed player played for:

USSSA Athlete Search
Amen. The USSSA hate sounds like sour grapes. My sons played majors and AAA. My oldest won state this year and it's cool to know kids from basically all the good HS teams that he played against growing up. If baseball has gotten crazy it's not alone, it mirrors pretty much every other sport and slice of life.
 
Amen. The USSSA hate sounds like sour grapes. My sons played majors and AAA. My oldest won state this year and it's cool to know kids from basically all the good HS teams that he played against growing up. If baseball has gotten crazy it's not alone, it mirrors pretty much every other sport and slice of life.
The crazy comes from club/select coaches that steal your money.
 
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No, it’s the random bragging on a post about a Hastings little league team that is odd.
Amen. The USSSA hate sounds like sour grapes. My sons played majors and AAA. My oldest won state this year and it's cool to know kids from basically all the good HS teams that he played against growing up. If baseball has gotten crazy it's not alone, it mirrors pretty much every other sport and slice of life.
While a few here and there may quit, a large majority don't.

Try and find any on this list of committed Nebraska college bound players that did NOT play club ball-good luck! The list starts about a third of the way down the web page.

Nebraska Prospects Link
 
No, it’s the random bragging on a post about a Hastings little league team that is odd.
I didn’t start the bashing select etc baseball. My kid’s team won state, every contributor on the team played travel ball. Kids on the team that played other forms of baseball, well, they’re terrible. Seems like a relevant point.
 
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