RVLL All-Stars

Upon the conclusion of the regular Little League season, an All-Star team is named for the 9/10s, 11s, Little League (12) and Juniors divisions. These teams represent Ross Valley Little League at district level tournament play that runs from June 1 through roughly July 15. All-Stars is a recognition of the strongest players in the league as voted on by their peers and managers. The All-Star team is rewarded with special RVLL t-shirts and notices in the Marin Independent Journal.

All-Stars are expected to fulfill the obligations associated with this honor, which include attending all mandated practices and tournament games. Parents of prospective All-Stars Players will need to construct their summer vacation schedules accordingly if they wish their child to be considered for the All-Star tournament.

Q: What is All-Stars? A. Upon the conclusion of the regular Little League spring season, All-Stars teams are named for the following age brackets: 9/10 year old, 11 year old, Little League (12 year olds) and Juniors. These teams represent RVLL at the All-Stars district level tournament that runs from mid-June through roughly mid-July. Eligible players come from Minors, Majors and Juniors and are required to have played in the current Spring RVLL season.

Q. How is the team selected? A. Team selection is based on a vote of the league Managers, as well as player voting at the 12 year old level. This vote is conducted near the end of the RVLL regular season. Manager voting is based on their assessment of player performance over the preceding 3 months. The exact selection process details are listed in the RVLL bylaws.

Q. How is my child notified? A. Families for the All-Stars teams are notified in the evening on June 1st. Unfortunately, the league is prohibited by Little League International from notifying anyone before that date. We know that can make summer planning challenging, but we ask you for patience and flexibility in order that your son or daughter can potentially participate fully in the All-Star team experience.

Q. If my child is selected, what is the commitment? A. All-Stars are expected to fulfill the obligations associated with this honor. These include attending ALL mandated practices and tournament games. In the recent past, practices have sometimes been twice daily for the weeks leading up to games, with morning hitting sessions in the cages and late afternoon/early evening sessions on the diamond.

Q. I already know that my child will not be available due to vacation plans. Should I tell anyone? A. YES. You must tell your Manager. If you know that your child will not be available for the All Stars team in its entire commitment, yet you neglect to inform your manager, then you are depriving another child the potential opportunity to be named to the team. This is also helpful for Managers as it can impact the Tournament of Champions lineup if your team wins the season championship for RVLL.

Q. Does being named to the All Star team mean my child will be playing in the All-Star tournament games? A. Not necessarily. The team of All-Stars that competes in the All-Star tournament games is referred to as the Travel Team. The Travel Team is drawn from the elected members of the All-Star roster, typically after that Roster group has had the opportunity to practice together for 7 to 10 days.

The composition of the Travel Team is at the sole discretion of the All-Star team Manager. Selections are made based on the Manager assessment of both overall ability and the team need for specific baseball skills. Travel team members are guaranteed to play in games.

Not all elected All-Stars will make the Travel Team. All Stars and families of All-Star players need to be prepared that selection to the Travel Team is a competitive process. Nonetheless, elected All-Stars who do not see game action as travel team members remain an important part of the All-Star team, practice with the squad, and stand ready to step into a Travel Team spot should one become available for any reason.

Q. What is the Tournament of Champions (TOC) and is that related to All-Stars? A. No, they are not related. TOC is from the regular season of baseball. The championship team from RVLL gets to play other championship teams from surrounding areas within the district. Those games follow the week or so after the regular season ends. All-Stars teams, on the other hand, are a selection of the top players from a number of RVLL teams that play against other All-Stars teams. All-Stars play longer into the summer and the time commitment is more significant.