Baseball for 5 & 6 Year Olds
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Baseball league for five year old
Feb 2014
Hello: I have a five year old who loves baseball and is pretty good at it. We were able to get into NOLL/SOLL, but when I tried to register, I realized he could not join because although he is 5, he has a fall birthday and is not yet in kindergarten. One thing I really liked about NOLL/SOLL was that the kids could either use a T or the coach would pitch to kids who were at that level; we did T-Ball last year and loved it, but he now hits the ball on his own. I'm trying to figure out other options. We need a league with practices after hours (5-6 pm), so cannot do the Berkeley program either, which has practices during the day. I've looked and looked, but can't seem to find anything that matches his age level/grade level, that kids can hit at their own level (T or pitch), and that has evening or w/e hours. ...any recs? Thanks
My older son played in Little League and now my younger son is playing in Babe Ruth, so my comparison is based on experiences which aren't league-wide.
You might want to look into Babe Ruth. It can be a little hard to make initial contact as it's not very obvious on their website. Kids' baseball in Oakland appears to be divided between privileged, predominantly white kids in NOLL/SOLL and working class and lower income black and latino kids in Babe Ruth.
Babe Ruth practices seem to be after work more than NOLL/SOLL and the same thing that's frustrating about Babe Ruth -- that it can be hard to get questions answered, figure out who to contact, etc. -- also makes it easier to deal with and more flexible. If they have age requirements, I bet that they would let a coach decide whether your kid is ready to play. I think they're currently registering for the 2014 season, but the website isn't updated.
Games are often out by the airport, but often in Little League we ended up going all over the place so it wasn't very different distance-wise.
If you were interested in Babe Ruth, I'd ask about a team based on where it practices, so the weekday practices are convenient.
It's a totally different vibe and in later years, more competitive (I've been told). Don't expect organic snacks -- more likely cheetos and bug juice. (And my son begged me to bring something comparable when it was our turn.)
I've really liked the Babe Ruth coaches I've seen. They seem experienced, committed, and smart at coaching the kids. Babe Ruth Fan
Looking for league play for 5yr. old
March 2003
Looking for league play for 5yr. old in Oakland or Berkeley. League can be either on-going or for summer. Thanks! aaron
I highly recommend the City of Berkeley's Summer Baseball program. The instructional league is for 5-6 year olds. They learn all the basics and the coaches emphasize FUN. Sign ups are happening now, but the season doesn't start until may or June. Contact the rec office at (510) 981-5153. More information is available on the City of Berkeley website under Recreation, City Wide Sports Program. Bennett
I know the Redwood Heights Rec Center has a t-ball class for that age group. I've seen them practicing on the lawn there. They look like they are having a very good time, and the coach seems gentle and kind. You can call the rec center for more information:482-7827 Redwood Heights Resident.
My son, currently 4 yrs old has just joined an under six little league in Rodeo. He loves the practice sessions and the Saturday games. It's a bit of a trek twice a week from Berkeley, but worth every minute to see how involved and excited he is by it all. If you want more info contact Blue Sky Sports Store in Pinole and they will be able to give you details for the Rodeo Baseball Little League. They may have closed the league for this season, I'm not sure? steph
League for 5-6 year olds
Does anyone know of a Little-League like organization, or maybe Little League itself, that takes kids in the 5 1/2 - 6 year old range, not wildly competetive, that teaches good skills without too much emphasis on competition. Someone recommended Albany Little League but a) kids must be 7 to begin and 2) must live in Albany, Kensington, North Berkeley. We'd be looking in the Rockridge/Piedmont/South Berkeley Area, as we live in North Oakland. Thanks for any tips and/or recommendations
There are two leagues in the area you are looking for, North Oakland Little League and Piedmont Little League. I think that North Oakland is a little less competitive. Check with either to find out about the age requirements. Sorry, but I don't have updated contact information for either group.
Disclaimer: this answer is based on pre-COVID experience. Maybe everything has changed though it seems unlikely.
Youth baseball in Oakland is segregated. Black and Brown less privileged kids play on Babe Ruth teams. White and privileged kids play in the NollSoll league. I was blown away when I discovered this. I recall that initially signing my son up for Babe Ruth was less bureacratic and more about connecting with the right person (at some point I went to a park during certain hours - although I read that that person has retired). Babe Ruth teams don't do email parent communication - they texted and now may use what's app or the equivalent. NOLL/SOLL was a torrent of emails. NOLL/SOLL assigned you to a team and you couldn't change if the practice schedule was unworkable for you.
I think everything is less competitive for 6-year-olds - they're all pretty much first-time players even if they've played before. Culturally, Babe Ruth is more honest - kids get yelled at sometimes for goofing off (by their parent, maybe the coach depending on style). NOLL/SOLL was so supportive that I used to joke that a blind man wouldn't be able to tell what the play was based on the parental cheering.