Welcome to San Mateo Little League American!
Spring 2026 Registration Is Open!
We are excited to announce that registration for the 2026 spring Little League baseball season is open! Click the green button below to register with San Mateo Little League American (SMLLA). Should you run into any issues or have questions about registering your player, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We're happy to help and will respond as soon as possible.
RETURNING PLAYERS: Expect online registration to take no more than a few minutes. Information from the prior season(s) should populate automatically. You do not need to provide proof of the player’s age or residency if they were previously provided.
NEW PLAYERS: Expect online registration to take approximately 10 minutes. You will be asked to provide proof of the player’s age (birth certificate or passport) and at least three ways to prove residency (in PDF or JPG format). Click HERE and HERE for the Little League eligibility requirements.
NEW PARENT/GUARDIAN: You cannot register your child without creating an account first. If you are new, click HERE to join. Please be sure to add a 2nd parent/guardian, if any, as an additional account holder so you both receive team and league communications.
Provided below are answers to frequently asked questions about playing and registering with SMLLA and information on what you and your player can expect for the upcoming spring season.
Little League Levels of Play
Wiffle Ball | 4 | No | Yes | Hit off tee, ball & bat supplied by league | 6-10 one-hour games per season | 1 game per week on a Sat or Sun morning at Trinta South Park consisting of a 30 min practice/warm-up followed immediately by a 30 min game. |
Tee Ball | 5-6 | No | Yes | Hit off a tee using a T-Ball ball supplied by league - No coach pitching | 8-10 games per season | 1 game per week on a Sat or Sun at Trinta South Park or another local field. No separate practices or other activities. |
Single A | 7-8 | Yes | No | Coach pitch - No kid pitch | 10-12 games per season | 1 field practice at a local San Mateo field, 1 batting practice at Trinta batting cage, and 1 or 2 games per week at Trinta South Park (1 weekend game and an occasional weekday game). |
Cal | 8-9 | Yes | No | Mix of kid-pitch and coach-pitch | 10-12 games per season | 1 field practice at a local San Mateo field, 1 batting practice at Trinta batting cage, and 1 or 2 games per week at Trinta South Park (1 weekend game and an occasional weekday game). |
Minors | 9-10 | Yes | No | All kid pitch | 10-14 games per season | 1 field practice at a local San Mateo field, 1 batting practice at Trinta batting cage, and 1 or 2 games per week at Trinta North or South Park (1 weekend game and an occasional weekday game). |
PCL | 10-11 | Yes | No | All kid pitch | 12-14 games per season | 1 field practice at a local San Mateo field, 1 batting practice at Trinta batting cage, and 1 or 2 games per week at Trinta North or South Park (1 weekend game and 1 weekday game). |
Majors | 11-12 | Yes | No | All kid pitch | 16-22 games per season | 1 field practice at a local San Mateo field, 1 batting practice at Trinta batting cage or a local batting facility, and 2 games per week at Trinta North or other local field (1 weekend game and 1 weekday game). |
Juniors | 13-14 | TBD | No | 54/80 ft pitching/base distance | 16-22 games per season | 1 field practice at a local San Mateo field, 1 batting practice at Trinta batting cage or a local batting facility, and 2 games per week at Los Prados, Dore/Harborview Park or other local field within District 52 (1 weekend game and 1 weekday game). |
Provisional Spring 2026 Schedule
September 22, 2025: Priority Registration Opens
November 15, 2025: Start of Standard Registration (fees increase for kids Baseball Age 7-14)
December 15, 2025: Registration Closes for Baseball Ages 7-14
December 31, 2025: Last day to request a refund
January 10, 2026: Player Assessments (Baseball Ages 10-14)
January 11, 2026: Player Assessments (Baseball Ages 7-9)
Week of January 12-16, 2026: Player Draft by Managers and Teams Formed
February 1, 2026: Team Practices Start
February 21, 2026: Picture Day
February 28, 2026: Opening Day Ceremony
Mid-May, 2026: Playoffs and End of Season
May 30, 2026: Spring Season Closing Ceremony and All Star Announcements
June 12-17, 2026: District 52 Superbowl Tournament
June 20 - July 1, 2026: District 52 All-Star Tournament
*Dates are subject to change. Please refer to league emails for the most accurate calendar of events.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Levels of Play?
At SMLLA, we name most of our levels after divisions of Professional Baseball. The progression is Wiffle Ball ⇨ T-ball ⇨ Single A ⇨ Cal ⇨ Minors ⇨ PCL ⇨ Majors ⇨ Juniors.
How do I know which level of play is appropriate for my child?
Players are matched to the right division based on baseball ability which is determined during a League-hosted assessment. Based on baseball ability, your child could be placed one level up or down. Any child can waiver down in any division. For example, if your 10 year old isn't ready for PCL (typically 10-11’s), you can ask to keep them in Minors (9-10’s). Players that participate in Wiffle and T-ball aren’t required to attend an assessment.
What is the draft?
For Single A through Juniors, SMLLA builds teams for the spring season via a draft. All of the players attend an assessment session in early January where they throw, catch, field, pitch and hit. Later, team managers of each division draft players one round at a time. It is up to the manager to select a participant for any given division. The league can't guarantee a participant will be chosen to any specific division. However, every player will be selected for a team. For Wiffle & T-Ball, teams are built by the league taking into consideration buddy requests & school info.
What is the difference between Age and Little League Baseball Age?
Baseball age is an age categorization set by Little League International. LL baseball age is the age your child will be as of August 31, 2026. This means that some kids will have a higher baseball age than their actual current age. See the 2026 Little League Age Chart.
What is the difference between San Mateo American and San Mateo National?
San Mateo has two little leagues. For players that are baseball age 8 or older, you are recommended to play in the league affiliated with either your home address or the address of the school your child attends. You can determine your eligibility for San Mateo Little League American using the Little League Finder tool. If your home and school are outside of the boundaries and your player wants to join San Mateo American, please contact [email protected] to discuss your request.
If a player is baseball age 4-7 and they don't meet the boundary eligibility requirements, can they play San Mateo American?
Yes. In 2025, Little League International removed the boundary restriction for players baseball age 4-7 so they can play in any Little League they want.
Can the sibling of a player registered in San Mateo American also play in San Mateo American?
Yes, if a player is baseball age 7 or younger, and lives outside the SMLLA boundary, and does not attend a school within the SMLLA boundary, and chooses to play in SMLLA, any older sibling(s) who meet the age requirements can play with SMLLA and are eligible for All Stars consideration. If the younger player stops playing during the season, the older sibling will be rendered ineligible for All Stars for the current season and must play in the program where they are eligible (via address or school attendance) next season.
Can I request my player be placed on a specific team - with a specific coach or friends?
Teammate requests are possible in our Wiffle Ball and T-Ball divisions, but are not guaranteed. We generally try to organize teams by schools and friends for Wiffle Ball and T-Ball.
Since teams in our Single-A through Juniors divisions are created via a draft format to promote equitable teams, SMLLA cannot accept requests for specific coaches or players to be on a team together in these divisions.
I found out my child has a conflict and cannot play Little League. Can I cancel my child’s registration?
Registration fees for the Spring 2026 season can be refunded on or before December 31, 2025. After this date, no refunds will be processed. Please contact [email protected] to coordinate a refund on or before December 31, 2025.
Additional questions? Email us at [email protected].
San Mateo Little League American Boundary Map
For those new to SMLLA, our district map is below. You can check to see if you reside in the boundary HERE. If you do not live within our boundaries there are exceptions which allow you to play in our league. Please click HERE for a list of exceptions and required forms.
In 2024, Little League International amended its residency rules so that children at the youngest level of Little League Baseball (Baseball Age 4-7) have the ability to register for any Little League program they choose, without respect to any geography- or school-related eligibility requirements. Players who register under this option are eligible to participate in all aspects of league play, including International Tournament play, for the duration of their Little League careers provided they have continuous and unbroken participation from the time they are League Age seven within the specific league where initially registered and provided all other participation eligibility requirements have been met. If a younger sibling is registered under this option, any older siblings are also eligible to play in SMLLA.
Players Baseball Age 8 or older (i.e., age 8 or older as of August 31, 2026) and who do not have a younger sibling registered in the league must either have been eligible and been registered to play in SMLLA in the prior year or must meet the residency or school requirements (i.e., either reside within the SMLLA boundary or attend, full-time, a school that is located within the SMLLA boundary) to be eligible. Opportunities and waivers will continue to be available as an option for players should they be interested in switching leagues that are outside of these requirements, based on approval and potential stipulations from the Little League International Charter Committee.
Please click HERE for additional information regarding the updated Little League eligibility guidelines, including relevant FAQs.
Note for Registration: If you (i) are registering a player that is Baseball Age 4-7, (ii) enter an address that is outside of the SMLLA boundary, and (iii) select “Other/None of the Above” from the school list, you may receive a message prompt during the registration flow that indicates the player is not eligible to participate in this league. You can ignore this message by pressing the “Continue” button and may proceed through the registration process.
2026 Spring Registration Fees
Registration fees are the primary source of funding to operate our league. These fees pay for our field permits, umpires to officiate each game, insurance, equipment (balls, bases, etc.), etc. SMLLA takes pride in providing a fee structure that is extremely competitive compared to other youth sport options.
4 | $95 | $95 | |
5-6 | $195 | $195 | |
7-8 | $275 | $325 | |
9-12 | $335 | $385 | |
13-14 | $375 | $425 | |
Notes regarding registration fees:
Please register early to ensure the lowest cost! Fees increase for the 7-14 age groups starting on November 15th.
SMLLA will automatically apply a $50 discount for additional siblings registered.
Registration fees are based on the baseball age of your player. The division that your player ultimately ends up in will be determined at a later date following player assessments and baseball draft (as further described below).
We are a non-profit and 100% volunteer-run organization. We ask all parents and guardians to volunteer their time to keep our fees competitive and provide the best possible program for our kids. If you are unable to volunteer, a $100 per family opt-out option assists us in procuring the resources needed to operate the league.
Closed Divisions: SMLLA tries to make room for all interested players. However, we are sometimes faced with having to close divisions as they fill up. We encourage you to register as early as possible in order to secure a place in our league. If the division/age group you are interested in joining is closed, you may have the option to join a waiting list.
A nominal, non-refundable processing fee is added to each registration.
Financial Aid Request
Some families have generously donated funds to allow those in need to offset their fees.
Our financial aid program has been made possible through the generous donation from our corporate and individual sponsors. We ask that aid recipients reciprocate their benefit by donating their time through various volunteer opportunities available. Parents can volunteer by: Coaching, Scorekeeping, Field Preparation, Field Supervisor, and Umpire. Training for all volunteer positions is provided by SMLLA. Click below for details and to apply.
Financial aid details
Financial aid application
If you have questions, please email [email protected].
What to Expect
Uniform: Parents are required to order their child's jersey through the GearUp/SMLLA portal. The cost is around $35. Hats will be provided by the league. More information will be provided by the team manager.
Baseball Draft: Teams from Single A - Majors are selected by a draft based on player capabilities observed during SMLLA assessments. Buddy requests are not allowed in Single A – Majors. Player assessments are tentatively scheduled for January 10, 2026 (10-12 year olds) and January 11, 2026 (7-9 year olds).
Buddy Requests: We do NOT honor buddy requests for baseball (ages 7+). Buddy requests can be made for wiffle and t-ball, but are NOT guaranteed. Please have the parents of both buddies complete the buddy request.
Season: Team practices start in early February and last until late May. Games start in early March and last until around the end of May. Playoffs are typically late May and/or early June.
Times/Dates/Locations: Games are determined by the league. Practice Time/Date/Location are selected by the team manager. The best way to influence the specific Time/Date/Location for your team's practices is to become a team manager. Please refer to your applicable Divisions page for information on the general frequency of games and practices for your player’s division.
Disclosures
If you are registering more than one player in your family this season, you will receive a $50 discount on the second (and third, if applicable) child's registration fee. In order for the registration system to recognize that your family is registering multiple players, please register all of your players at this time. On the My Account Page, there is a link at the bottom of the Players section to "Add Another Player" - please click on this link to ensure that all of your family's players are registered within the same order. Failure to do so may result in a forfeiture of your family's discounted rates.
SMLLA adheres to a Privacy Policy.
Contact Us
To get in touch with us via email, you can reach out to the following addresses based on your specific inquiry:
Registration - If you have questions about player sign-ups, please email us at [email protected].
Financial Assistance - For questions regarding financial assistance, please email [email protected].
Sponsorships - For inquiries regarding sponsorships or donations, kindly contact us at [email protected].
Player Agent - If you need information about rules, eligibility, or age groups, feel free to email us at [email protected].
Inquiries About SMLLA - For news inquiries or information about other leagues, you can reach us at [email protected].
General - For all other questions, our team is here to help at [email protected].