Softball FAQ

Draft day this year will be held on April 11th in Bar Harbor, Rain date April 18th, (times TBD, watch the FB Page for times prior to April 11th). Practices typically start the week after the draft. Games start in the first week of May. (Farm League starts a few weeks after Minors and Majors)

AYS provides jerseys, ball caps, batting helmets, balls, bats, and catcher's gear.

You will need to purchase:

• A glove appropriate for your child's age (typically 11"-12.5" for Minors; 12-12.5" for Majors)
• Black softball pants
• Black or dark green softball/baseball belt
• Dark green softball socks
• Softball cleats (rubber or molded TPU cleats only - metal cleats are NOT permitted)
• Fielder's face mask in any color of choice (Double check size before purchasing, as they come in both youth and adult sizes. There are many styles/brands, with the most popular being the Rip It Youth Fielder's Mask)

Practices will vary based on the coach and field availability. Practices could be 2-4 times a week. Most practices are at Bar Harbor fields but also some coaches use other fields on the island for practices (on a permission basis) to help with more flexibility. Once games start field space gets harder for scheduling and might not be as consistent. Practices are usually between 4pm and 8pm, lasting an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half.

Once games start, (first week of May) they can be any day of the week. Weekday games typically start @ 5:30 lasting about 2 hours. Weekend games can be at any time from 9am to 5pm. Coaches generally ask players to be at the field an hour before the game starts to get warmed up. Home games are held on Field 1 in Bar Harbor; away games can be from Deer Isle to Cherryfield. Majors will sometimes have double headers on weekends.

Minors are 8-10 years old and Majors are 11-12. Please use the link below for the "Little Leage Age Determination Chart". The current age they are may be different than their "Little League age". Please note: softball age determination is different than baseball, so please make sure to refer to the charts.

The Little Leage Age Determination Chart may be found using the link, here: littleleague.org/downloads/2026-softball-age-chart/

If your child is at the low end of Little League Age 8 (which most likely is 7 years old) and you feel that they are not ready for kid pitch, please reach out to discuss.

We have a draft day (also called "placement day"), early to mid-April, weather depending. The kids will rotate through different drill stations. The coaches meet after and the teams are picked in a draft style to ensure the players are divided fairly and as evenly as possible.

Farm League is Little League age 5-7, with possibly some little league age 8-year-olds who are not ready for minors. Farm League is coach pitched or a tee for the younger children. Practice is usually once a week, with 5 games are played total, games are on Saturdays in Town Hill or Ellsworth. Farm League is co-ed.

Minors League is Little League age 8-10 years, player pitch. (see link for little league age determination above) Rosters usually consist of 12 players, possibly a couple less or more depending on how many children are signed up for minors. There needs to be at least 9 on each roster to fill each position on the field.

Major League is Little League age 11-12 years, player pitch. Select 10-year-olds may play up if a parent and coach determine they are ready (see link for little league age determination above) Rosters usually consist of 12 players, possibly a couple less or more depending on how many children are signed up for minors. There needs to be at least 9 on each roster to fill each position on the field.

All-Stars (Tournament Play) is a team that is made up of 12 regular season players based on stars from regular season. There is an All Star team for Minors and one for Majors.

Head coaches and the AYS Director meet towards the end of the season to select the All-Stars teams. Each coach suggests 4-5 kids from their team. During regular season, each team must play a minimum of 12 games to qualify their players for All Stars eligibility. A child that is chosen for All Stars must play at least 8 regular season games for the team they are on (please note: filling in on another team does not count towards the 8 games). All Stars does require commitment from a player and parent/guardian. Commitment includes attending all practices and tournament games. When a player is nominated to be on the All Stars Team, an email will go out to the player and parent/guardian asking for confirmation or declination for the spot on the team. If the player declines, the opportunity will be passed on to another nominated (alternate) player.

Most coaches will send out an initial email after draft day to introduce themselves and provide information on how they will communicate information and practice/game schedules. The most common method will be through either Game Changer or Team Snap apps. Please make sure notifications for the app your coach is using are turned on, so that you don't miss any important communication regarding your child's team and schedule updates or changes.

Absolutely. Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to help. There is always a need for help as all coaches are volunteers. If you wish to help, please fill out a volunteer application found on Acadia Youth website. If you have any questions about volunteering and what might be involved, please reach out to Kyle McKim, Peter Hastings, or Alicia Gordius.

Additional practice at home with your child is always encouraged for throwing, hitting, and basic fielding, to help hone their skills and grow their confidence.