District Tournament

Each year we start the All-Star team process near the end of the regular season. The All-Star selection process takes many forms. What is supposed to happen is that the best players from across the league in each division are eligible to play in the “International Tournament”. This tournament culminates in “A World Series” for both baseball and softball from divisions Majors and up (Lower divisions stop play after the “State” level – more on that in a second). Little League has 4 Baseball World Series, one of which you see each year on ESPN, the “Majors”. They also have softball World Series for Majors’ Softball and up. Below Majors (8-10, 10-11) have District, Sectional (if the state is big enough) and State Level tournaments. The “All-Star” teams play in that tournament. All Star teams cannot be picked until the division minimum number of games have been played. In Little League that is 12. So until the league has all teams in a division having completed 12 games, they cannot do the All-Star stuff.

The beginning of the official International Tournament is “Districts”. This year 2026, District 13 will play it’s tournament at the end of June in Deer Park. There is some talk of maybe splitting the tournament into two chunks and play at different times and different locations, but for now it’s set to be at Deer Park in the end of June. District Tournament in District 13 normally takes about a week to play. We play all divisions, including softball. The winner of District advances to State in Washington state because we have no “Sectional” breaks in our division structure.

There are several “Formats” for Districts, they can be double elimination tournaments, pool play, or hybrid or modified double elimination. All the acceptable formats for the tournament are in the Little League Rule book.

How players are selected to the All-Star team is varied by the League itself. There is a recommended method, and then some leagues apply for variations with the District when picking their players. The goal of the League and the Board of Directors is to field the BEST TEAM the league can put together. It needs to be at least 12 players, and no more than 15. The players need to be able to complete the entire Tournament cycle and stay with the team as far as it can go. This is a big commitment on parents. But it’s important to stick with the team, support your teammates and see something through to the end.

The way I recommend as District Adminstrator recommend players be selected to an All-Star team is by a combination of Player Vote, and Board/Manager selection. The Board will select the manager for the team prior to the announcement of All-Stars. Then the manager selects his assistant coaches and the Board is supposed to approve them. Then the players, before the end of the regular season vote on who they think should represent the league on the All-Star team. In 35 years of doing Little League, I have never seen the kids get this one wrong. They always know who will make the best players – from every aspect – on a team. Many think it will be a popularity contest, or a “best friends” thing… but when charged properly with instructions to put the best players on the list – they do.

I would suggest letting the kids pick the first 5 players by top  vote-getter. Then let the Manager and the Board pick the remaining 7-10 players. This shows the kids they get the chance to participate in creating representation for the team, and it gives them goals for next year.

I do want to caution everyone… be fair. I get calls EVERY YEAR from parents that raise the issue –“ Our All-Star team didn’t pick my player because it’s the XXX Coach’s Travel Team”. First that is unfortunate. Second, sometimes it is legitimate. Sometimes the travel team has players in each team in the Little League division and they play the whole season with other teams and get “reassembled” at All-Star time. Sometimes the travel ball coach IS the best Manager for the team, and sometimes the kids DO pick all the travel ball players, because they are pretty good. So yes, while it does happen, I don’t condone it, and yet if it is done by the rules and is above board then it’s acceptable. Other times, it’s just a domineering manager with 12 kids from their travel ball team and a blind board that want to try and win a Little League tournament among all their travel ball tournaments. And things do get turned when that happens… it is not good for anyone…   I urge all the Boards each year to be fair, remember the community they are responsible for, and make the game about the kids, not the trophies. I like winning as much as the next person, and maybe more so, but not at the cost of fairness or the attitude of the players and families.