Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about playing baseball at National! If you're just looking to register, you can skip directly to our Sports Connect portal.
Where is National Little League of Albany located?
Our ballpark is located at the corner of Providence and Partridge streets in the heart of the great city of Albany, NEW YORK.
When does National play baseball?
National plays baseball in the spring and fall – generally from April to late June, and again from Labor Day to mid-October. These are separate seasons with separate registrations. The spring season is longer and focused on game play. It will end before the last day of school in the City School District of Albany. The Little League District 14 All Star tournament may continue through July for some players. The fall season is shorter and more focused on development and instruction.
Who is eligible to play at National?
National is a co-ed league for players of all skill and experience levels!
As much as we would like to accept every kid who wants to play at National, Little League International's eligibility rules determine who is eligible to play with us. There are three main ways a player can establish eligibility to play at National.
-
They must be Little League Age 4-12, AND
-
They must live or attend a school located within National’s boundary, as established by Little League International, OR
-
They must be 7 years old or younger, or have a sibling 7 or younger playing at National – regardless of where they live or attend school. (This means players LL Age 7 or younger can play in any league they choose.)
Check your player's LL Age with this calculator (note: it may be older than their calendar age).
Confirm that your address or school is within National's boundary using this League Finder tool.
While we cannot change Little League's eligibility requirements at the local level, some rare exceptions do apply with approval of Little League.
If you have any questions about your player’s eligibility, contact our Player Agent at via email.
How much does it cost to play at National?
The league’s board establishes the year’s registration rates each spring. For the most recent spring 2026 season, the cost was $55 per player in our T-Ball and Rookie divisions (generally ages 4-6), and $105 per player in our Farm, AAA and Majors divisions (generally ages 7-12). Family discounts and scholarships are available.
What if my player has never played before?
No baseball experience is necessary to play at National! All players are welcome, regardless of skill or experience. As a recreational league, we prioritize skill development, instruction and community building. Our teams are constructed with an eye on parity, and all players will have opportunities to play.
Which division is right for my player?
More detail on each division is available here. Assignments are generally made based on age, though there is some flexibility at the league's discretion based on experience and safety. Final decisions on division assignments will be made by the league. If you have any questions, email our Player Agent.
What is the game schedule?
The schedule varies from year to year depending on the number of players and teams. The league will not have a final schedule until a week or two prior to Opening Day in April. Generally speaking, however, games are played on Saturdays from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, with the start-times rotating from week to week. During the spring season, our older divisions (Farm, AAA and Majors) will also play weeknight games as the weather warms and the days get longer. Our youngest players (T-Ball and Rookie) may also play one or two weeknight games in May and June. During the fall season, games are generally limited to Saturdays to ensure additional practice time during the week at coaches’ discretion.
Where are games played?
Our youngest players in the T-Ball and Rookie divisions (ages 4-6), will play all their games at National's ballpark in Albany.
Players in the Farm, AAA and Majors divisions (ages 7-12) will play at National and at neighboring Little Leagues in District 14 (American, Rensselaer, Watervliet, etc.). How much interleague play we schedule in any given year, and which leagues we play, will depend on registration numbers and the number of teams in each division.
Our goals is to give the kids as many games as we can, and playing neighboring leagues is a great part of the fun in Little League.
What equipment does my player need?
Your registration fee includes a team shirt and hat.
Each player is expected to bring their own fielding glove. While many players choose to bring their own helmets and bats, that is not required. The league has a supply of those to share.
All alloy and composite bats must comply with USA Baseball bat standards and have the USA Baseball seal. Bats without the USA Baseball seal, even those permitted in other leagues, will be removed from play for safety reasons
At the T-Ball and Rookie levels (ages 4-6), players are expected to wear closed-toe shoes and long pants for safety, but they do not need to wear cleats or baseball pants.
At the Farm, AAA and Majors levels (ages 7-12), players should wear cleats and baseball pants for safety while running the bases and sliding. Players should also wear protective cups and are required to do so when catching.
Can my player be on a team with their friends?
At the younger levels (ages 4-6), we have some flexibility to accommodate teammate and coaching requests among players who register early enough to do so. But we cannot guarantee placements. At the older levels (Farm and above), we cannot accommodate teammate or coaching requests because the teams are created to be as equally matched as possible, which requires distributing skill and experience across all the teams. While we will attempt to group players from the same schools together if we can without hurting parity, it's a secondary consideration when building the rosters.
How do I register to play?
For the 2027 spring season, National will continue to use Sports Connect for registration. Follow this link to sign in or create an account once registration opens. Registration for the spring season typically opens the last week in January.