Welcome to Desert Hot Springs Little League! Little League believes in the power of youth baseball and softball to teach life lessons that build stronger individuals and communities. It is the goal of the City of Desert Hot Springs, together with the support of the parents and the community, to provide a foundation of growth and development in all participants. Desert Hot Springs Little League is committed to:

1) Providing a quality instructional program that teaches fundamental skills, tactics, and strategies for the game of baseball and softball in preparation of participation in the next level of play

2) Increasing the skill knowledge with safe, healthy techniques and providing safe non-threatening environments

3) Supporting the idea that winning of games is secondary to the molding of exceptional citizens

4) Promoting and developing core values such as respect, teamwork, sportsmanship, courage, effort, and commitment that will benefit their futures and the communities in which they live

5) Establishing standards of participation for all volunteers, board members, coaches, officials, athletes, and spectators

6) Encourage a positive atmosphere by showing support and patience for all athletes and volunteers

7) Creating a culture in which volunteers, coaches, parents, officials, and athletes work together to achieve our mission

Established by volunteers in 1972, Desert Hot Springs Little League is now served by an Advisory Board made of parents, guardians, and community members that make recommendations, share ideas, and organize events to present to the Executive Board of City Staff and elected Advisory members for approval. More information on both Boards can be found here.

Below are some frequently asked questions and answers:

What is included in the fee?

We provide a full uniform including hat, jersey, pants, socks, and some divisions, a belt, a team picture package, a trophy, and end of season ceremonies. We provide the team with an equipment bag that includes, batting helmets, catcher’s gear, throw down bases, and bats.

What do I need to provide?

Items not provided by the league are cleats, individual batting helmets and bats, fielding gloves, batting gloves, or sliding mitts. Players that play the position of catcher are required to wear a cup (or a jill, for female players) and it is strongly recommended for all players to wear while playing.

How do you determine pricing?

The goal of the program is to keep sports affordable and accessible to all youth in our community. Our annual operating budget is around $100,000 for around 300 kids. This  would make the cost per player $330, and we currently offset this expense from the parents by seeking sponsorships from local businesses and hosting fundraisers. If you know any business that would like to support the league, please email DHSLL@cityofdhs.org

What is the schedule for practice and games?

Practice will start in February. Typically, practice is held for 1.5 to 2 hours, three times a week. Games will start in the beginning of March and players will play twice a week, for 10 weeks with one weeknight game, one Saturday game, and one weeknight practice. Exact days will be determined when team counts are finalized.  

How are teams created?

For Tee Ball and Machine Pitch teams, players are sorted by league age to create balanced teams with equal representation of all age ranges per team, i.e. 3 six-year-olds, 4 seven-year-olds, and 4 eight-year-olds. We try to honor teammate requests in these groups but cannot guarantee that we can accommodate all requests.

In all player pitch divisions, an evaluation must be attended by all registered players. Failure to attend will disqualify a player from playing on any tournament team, but not from participating in regular season. The evaluation scores will be averaged to determined a player’s rank for the draft.

During the draft, the team managers will select players based on their rank. Trades will only be allowed after the initial draft during draft night, must be a like for like trade, and approved by consensus of the Executive Board present at the draft. Managers are allowed to select one coach prior to the draft, and their children are their first selections for that rank round. Siblings will be drafted together to the same team unless separate teams are requested during registration, or they are in separate divisions. Please see Charter Approved Draft Method under forms for detailed information.

How can I support my player(s) and team?

The best way to support is to show up for games and practice and actively watch your player. Encourage them when they have both good and bad plays, and refrain from negative comments. If you can’t make it, try to send a friend or family member to watch and support them.

Practice at home. Simple catch is great support of basic mechanics. Use your phone’s stopwatch to time running between different targets. 60’ is the distance between bases for all divisions below JR/SR, 90’ is the distance for them. Hang an old shower curtain with a target on it to practice accuracy and throw from multiple distances.

Support the league. Donate your time by working a shift in the snack bar, announcing or scorekeeping for a game. Encourage other parents to show good sportsmanship during the games and discourage negative talk. Participate in fundraisers. We hold multiple fundraisers to offset expenses to keep registration low so everyone can participate and maintain safe equipment. We understand you may participate in many fundraisers between school and other sports. We would gladly take a cash donation or donation of a case of water or a box of chips to sell in the snack bar in lieu buying something you don’t really want or need. Know a business owner that would like a tax write-off? Give them a sponsorship form. We have multiple levels of support that benefit their business.