Lightning is a competitive tournament team program within PCLL for Little League players who want to play more baseball at a higher level. PCLL Lightning is a great way to prepare your player for a strong regular season and post-season District All Star play (ages 9-12, if selected at separate tryout).
The Lightning program is available to players who are league age 8 and have completed one season in the Machine Pitch division and meet all other requirements..
Age restrictions apply. Boys and girls are welcome and encouraged to try out!
Players interested in a position on a PCLL Lightning team MUST try out. Everyone is welcome to try out, but not everyone will be selected to a roster.
There is no cost to try out but there is a fee to participate which includes the regular season registration and uniforms for both the regular season and the Lightning program. Players that participate will receive Lightning team uniforms, helmets, and personalized team baseball bags included in the registration fee. Our registration fee is historically between $700-800 and includes both Lightning team uniforms, Lightning gear, and tournament registration fees. Compared to local travel teams at $1,500-$3,000, the kids get a lot of baseball and excellent experience for a competitive cost.
Tryout Format
Players will rotate through stations and be evaluated by a panel of coaches on hitting, fielding/throwing, and running. Pitchers and catchers will be evaluated on their specific skills.
Everyone is welcome to try out, but not all players who try out will be selected.
Tournaments
Tournament dates are typically not available until the end of the calendar year or early into the next calendar year. Tournament fee, published level of play, dates, and locations are all factors that we consider when selecting which tournaments appear to be a good fit with our Lightning teams. As soon as our registration is confirmed with any tournament, we will share this information with our rostered families.
We expect to participate in three or four tournaments. As we begin the transition to kid pitch in our training, we will consider the possibility of participating in an 8U kid-pitch tournament.
Players will also participate in the PCLL regular season as they otherwise would as a registered PCLL player. The Lightning fee includes both the Lightning registration and regular season registration.
Game Locations
Tournaments are usually held on weekends, which means that a game could be scheduled on a Friday night, Saturday at any time, and Sunday at any time. Locations vary, but tend to stay within the greater southeast Michigan area.
Winter Indoor Practices
Selected players will practice indoors, January through March, once per week. In the past, indoor practices have been held at a baseball facility in Canton.
Eligibility
Players MUST reside within the Plymouth-Canton Little League boundaries OR attend a school located within the boundaries.
Check your residency HERE.
Each team is required to keep a copy of player birth certificates on hand at every tournament.
***Cost to Participate***
There is a fee to participate which includes both the tournament team and regular season uniforms (one pair of pants), tournament fees, insurance, regular season registration, and winter indoor practice costs. The fee for 2019 was $525. The fee for 2020 is still being calculated.