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The official home of Raccoon Valley Little League and Bandits

Why RVLL?

There are so many baseball options. Why Raccoon Valley Little League? 
Raccoon Valley Little League strives to provide children the opportunity to learn and develop skills that pertain to the game of baseball, while fostering the spirit of good sportsmanship in a safe and inclusive environment.

What sets Little League apart from other organizations? 

  1. LEGACY– Since its founding in 1939, Little League has grown to 2.4 million children in 80 countries building leadership, character, courage and loyalty each year. Learn more about the league’s history at LittleLeague.org.

    Did you know? RVLL will be celebrating 65 years in operation in 2020 and is considered one of the oldest Little Leagues west of the Mississippi River. Our first field was located at Grand and 31st Street. 
     
  2. COMMUNITY – Little League has always focused on neighborhoods and community inclusion. Every player gets to play. And as a non-profit, volunteer-run organization, we build long-term relationships with families and leaders in the community. Learn more about why it's important at LittleLeague.org.
     
  3. COST – Because of our long-term commitment to our local communities, we maintain our own Little League fields and infrastructure so fees remain low. Travel/tournament teams cost significantly more because families must cover the costs of finding fields and teams to play. RVLL has made a substantial commitment to keeping league fees affordable – we keep our fees low, we offer payment plans and we offer full scholarships to any child thanks to generous donations by our community.
     
  4. MEMORIES – Many of those serving on the Board of Directors are former RVLL coaches and some were even players. Our hope is that today’s RVLL players will grow into tomorrow’s RVLL coaches and board members!  

Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions

When does registration for Spring Season open and close?
Registration will begin December 1 and close early March.

What if I miss the registration timeframe? Can my child still play?
Maybe. You will need to reach out to us, telling us what division your child would be signing up for and we will determine if we have any room available. If you miss out on the Spring Season, we will have a Summer Season you can register for.

How do I figure out which division my child should play?
Please look at the Little League age calculator to determine which level they should play. We offer a range of ages in each division to help determine what level of play your child is at. For example, our T-ball program will allow a child up to 7 years old, if they have never played any baseball before. Our A division allows for 7 and 8 year olds and is a two-year program.

When will I find out what team my child is on?
We are closing registration earlier so that we can roster all players in order for families to learn of their teams sooner. Once teams are published, you will receive an email notifying you. Every team will need volunteer coaches; we cannot finalize teams until we have enough coaches. Usually what holds us up on sending out team information is that we don't have enough coaches. Please consider coaching, being an assistant coach or a team parent. For the younger teams (T-ball, coach pitch), it's not necessary to know everything about baseball, just the basics. At this level it's just important to teach the kids how to be safe (no swinging bats around people), how to be a good sport (cheer on your teammates) and how to have fun (celebrate with snacks whether you win or lose).

Can I request a specific team, teammate or a coach?
You can, but your request is not a guarantee. Any parent who volunteers to coach will have their child on their team. If you recruit someone to help with coaching, their child will be on your team. However, we cannot take entire team requests (stacking a team) for the Spring Season. Siblings playing in the same division will be placed on the same team. In the AA and AAA division we rarely take team requests as we require player evaluations and roster based on scores.

When will I know the schedule for my child's games?
Creating a schedule is one of the last things we do when putting together our seasons. We have to ensure we have coaches (volunteers) in place for all teams and we must finalize all rostering before a schedule is put together. We try to get schedules out at least 2-3 weeks prior to games starting. Our games will be held Mon-Thurs at 5:30pm and Saturdays beginning at 10am. During registration we do not know what days kids will be playing until the schedule is built.

When will practices be held?
Coaches will determine practice schedules and must reserved field space through the Team portal page. Batting cages will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Since most fields will be used during the week for games, we highly recommend using Friday evenings and Sundays for practices. We suggest you use the same time/day for practices to make it simpler in reserving a field and for everyone to remember.

When will we receive our uniform?
Each player will receive a team shirt and hat. We also try to order at least one coach's hat. Uniforms will be handed out to coaches. Coaches will be contacted when their team's uniforms are ready. Coaches will be required to bring a copy of the email (or show on their mobile device) to ensure they are taking the correct uniforms. If additional shirts/hats are required for a late registrant; we will work directly with the parents to get them the items.

When will games begin for Spring Season?
Games for our older players start mid to late April. Our youngest players start the first Saturday of May barring any weather event.
Games are held Mon-Thurs evenings and Saturdays.

We are need some financial help with registration. What do you offer?
Little League International has partnered with T-Mobile with the Call up Grant. You can access that at www.littleleague.org
RVLL also offered scholarships for those who don't qualify for the LLI grant and/or have multiple children from the same household. Please reach out to us at [email protected] with your request. We will not ask for any financial information.

Local Sponsors

Raccoon Valley Little League

5301 Park Ave 
Des Moines, Iowa 50321

Phone: 515-599-7855

Email: [email protected]

LITTLE LEAGUE® International

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