OWLL offers Spring, Summer and Fall baseball seasons*. We are pleased to offer co-ed programs as well as girls programs to the athletes who live or go to school within the OWLL boundaries.

For details on our girls programs, please visit our Girls programs webpage.

*fall program may be a development program, depending on registration and coach availability*

 

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On this page:

Our Seasons

Divisions / Levels

Program Descriptions

 

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Our Seasons:

Spring:

Spring ball is a house league program (where our teams play against other OWLL teams) for the co-ed rookie, minor, and major divisions, and interlock (against teams from other local leagues) for the co-ed junior, senior, and GOBL teams, as well as all girls divisions. The goal of the Spring house league program is to provide a safe, fun, developmental environment for players, coaches, umpires, and parents. Development is a broad topic, which includes learning the rules, skills, and strategy of baseball, but also important life skills such as fair play, good sportsmanship, and dealing with adversities in a dignified, positive way.

Little League has a philosophy that every player gets an opportunity to play. Even at the highest levels of Little League baseball, each player is required to play a minimum number of innings per game and receive a minimum number of at-bats.

Our Spring baseball philosophy takes it one step further and mandates that every player is given equal opportunity, in all divisions. This means all players must play an equal number of innings in the field and be rotated between positions. Batting orders should ensure players receive an equal number of at-bats over the course of the season. 

• Our Spring season starts early in May (weather dependent) and lasts for approximately 8 weeks (ending before the end of June).

• Rookie to Senior levels are split into divisions (Canadian/A and National/B).

• OWLL often offers a Travel Ball option to our Minor and Major players who are looking to play even more baseball during the Spring season.

• Teams (Rookie-Senior) are formed based on the results of skill evaluations during spring sort-outs and subsequent team draft.

Summer:

• Player placement on teams begins with the top-tier team, the all-star tournament team (also called the "districts team", and cascades downward from there. The next level offered is placement on 1 Canadian (A) level team, followed by 1 or more National (B) level teams. Note: Rookie doesn't run an All-Star team. 

• There are 12 spots available on the all-star team.

• The all-star tournament team requires a significantly greater time and travel commitment (than A or B).

• The League runs all-star try-outs around mid-May for players interested in trying out for the all-star team.

• The next tier of Summer teams (A and B) are identified through another round of try-outs that take place in mid to late June.

• Summer is generally considered to be more competitive than Spring, however, with 3 levels in most divisions, there are still opportunities for all skill levels to participate.

• Our Summer season, for most age groups, starts after Canada Day and continues until the second last week of August, followed by play-offs.

• At the rookie to senior levels, our summer teams interlock with other Little Leagues within the City of Ottawa and surrounding areas. New in 2024, we are also offering house (local diamonds only, against OWLL teams) at the rookie and minor/major (combined) levels.

Fall:

Our Fall season is only run if there is enough interest. The structure of the fall season can vary depending on the number and skill levels of interested players and coaches for a given age group.  It can include skill development sessions/practices, scrimmages, a house league set of games, or an interlock set of games with other little leagues in Ottawa.  

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Divisions / Levels:

OWLL runs the following age groups (please see the LL age chart) and levels:

• T-Ball (Little League ages 4-6): 4-6 year old and 6 year old

• Pre-rookie: (6 year old)

• Rookie / coach pitch (Little League ages 7-8): Canadian and National levels

• Minor (Little League ages 9-10): All-star (summer only), Canadian and National levels

• Major (Little League ages 11-12): All-star (summer only),Canadian and National levels

• Intermediate (Little League age 13): All-star (summer only)* (depends on interest)

• Junior (Little League ages 13-14): Canadian and National levels

• Senior (Little League ages 15-16): Canadian and National levels

 

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Program Descriptions:

T-ball: (ages 4 to 6)

• T-ball is the youngest division within OWLL, with players aged 4 through 6 who are experiencing baseball for the first time. Our T-ball program is designed to introduce baseball fundamentals, including hitting, catching, throwing, running and fielding. The emphasis is on fun!

• All levels of T-ball run once a week for 1 hour at various OWLL diamonds.

Pre-rookie: (age 6)

• Pre-rookie is for 6 year old players who are ready for a little more structure and instruction but aren't quite ready for a pitched ball or for game play.

Rookie / coach pitch: (ages 7 and 8)

• The rookie division play in an internal house league and is split into 2 levels: Canadian and National which allows players to play at their skill and comfort level. 

• The Canadian (A) level is for the most advanced players.

  • Canadian level teams will have 2-3 sessions per week 

  • Mondays and Wednesdays are reserved for games. The coach may add an additional practice session.

• The National (B) level is for those players graduating from T-Ball but who are still developing basic baseball skills.

  • The National level teams will have 2 sessions per week (Mondays and Wednesdays). 

  • There will be one game and one practice per week.

Minor: (ages 9 and 10)

• The minor division plays in an internal house league and is split into 2 levels: Canadian and National which allows players to play at their skill and comfort level. 

• The Canadian (A) level is for the more advanced players. 

  • Canadian level teams will have 2 games per week, normally on Tuesdays and Thursdays, though Sunday games are sometimes scheduled due to rainouts or field availability issues.

  • The coach may add an additional practice session based on field availability.

• The National (B) level is a mix of new players and those players who are still adjusting to player pitching. 
  • The National level teams will have 2 sessions per week, normally on Tuesdays and Thursdays, though Sunday games are sometimes scheduled due to rainouts or field availability issues.

Major: (ages 11 and 12)

• The major division plays in an internal house league and is split into 2 levels: Canadian and National, which allows players to play at their skill and comfort level. 

• The Canadian (A) level is for the more advanced players. 

  • Canadian level teams will have 2 games per week, any night from Sunday to Thursday, however, often games are on Mondays and Wednesdays to allow our 12-year-old major-aged players the opportunity to umpire minor games.

  • The coach will add an additional practice session based on field availability.

• The National (B) level can be a mix of new players and returning players.

  • The National level teams will have 2 sessions per week,  any night from Sunday to Thursday, however, often games are on Mondays and Wednesdays to allow our 12-year-old major-aged players the opportunity to umpire minor games.

  • The coach may add an additional practice session based on field availability.

Intermediate: (age 13)

• Intermediate may be run during the summer based on whether there are other teams to play against. In the spring, 13-year-old players will participate at the junior level. If there is no intermediate team offered, these players can sign up for junior.

Junior: (ages 13 and 14)

• The junior division plays in a tiered city-wide interlock league and is split into 2 levels: Canadian and National, which allows players to play at their skill and comfort level. 

• The Canadian (A) level is for the more advanced players. 

  • Canadian level teams will have 2 games per week, any night from Sunday to Thursday, with 1 home game (OWLL diamonds) and 1 away game.

  • The coach will add an additional practice session based on field availability.

• The National (B) level can be a mix of new players and returning players.

  • National level teams will have 2 games per week, any night from Sunday to Thursday, with 1 home game (OWLL diamonds) and 1 away game.

  • The coach may add an additional practice session based on field availability.

Senior: (ages 15 and 16)

• The senior division plays in a tiered city-wide interlock league and is split into 2 levels: Canadian and National, which allows players to play at their skill and comfort level. 

• The Canadian (A) level is for the most advanced players. 

  • Canadian level teams will have 2 games per week, any night from Sunday to Thursday, with 1 home game (OWLL diamonds) and 1 away game.

  • The coach will add an additional practice session based on field availability.

• The National (B) level can be a mix of new players and returning players.

  • National level teams will have 2 games per week, any night from Sunday to Thursday, with 1 home game (OWLL diamonds) and 1 away game.

  • The coach may add an additional practice session based on field availability.

GOBL: (ages 17 to 19)

• GOBL was created by the Little Leagues in Ottawa when Little League International removed the Big League division. GOBL is a city-wide interlock.

  • ​Teams play 2 games per week, 1 home and 1 away. Games can be any night of the week.

  • Coaches may add an additional practice session based on field availability and player interest/availability.