--------------------------------------------------------------- The 10U Difference  -------------------------------------------------------------------

While the top priorities of DFPLL will always be that the players learn the game and have fun doing it, we also know it’s our responsibility to keep the players safe.  We try to balance all the player’s needs the best we can.  

At all ages, but particularly starting at the 10U minors’ level there can be a vast difference in player skill and knowledge of the game.  Beginner players are still working on their ability to comfortably catch the ball thrown from a few feet away while advanced players are diving for pop flies!  Therefore, we have chosen this level to be the age where teams are split by ability versus split evenly.  We know there are a lot of opinions on this topic and it can be a controversial but below are some of the reasons why we believe this is the best choice for the players of all abilities.

• Player safety: Players with beginner skill have a greater potential to get injured.   The ball moves much faster at this level and players are honing their skills to a much greater level.   For example:
  • Pitching:  Player pitching begins at 10U and unfortunately batters get hit more often at this level because the pitcher's speed is increasing but they are still developing their accuracy.  Additionally, 10U players tend to have smaller, thinner bodies, so when they get hit by a pitch it really hurts!   Too many times we’ve seen younger players get hit by a pitch (or 2) only to request not to bat any more or be so scared that they can’t stay in the batter’s box when batting.  It can ruin a player’s ability to love the game long-term.
  • Fielding:  This is the age where 'outs' start to happen and the ball is whipped around the infield.  Having knowledge of where the play is going to be is key!  We have seen numerous players get hit with a ball whether it was because they were looking in a different direction when the ball was thrown to them, or they weren’t able to handle the speed at which it was thrown at them.
  • Hitting:  Not only do hitters need to be able to quickly move out of the way of a inside pitch, but when hitters do connect with the ball it can come off the bat hard.   The defensive players need to be paying attention (not playing with the dirt or picking flowers!) or risk getting hit.
• Player frustration: We recognize that it can be frustrating for both beginner and advanced players who play on teams with drastically mixed skills.   Beginner players feel like they are letting the team down and advanced players get frustrated because they feel they are ‘carrying’ the team.  While there are some benefits to having mixed abilities, when those abilities are at either end of the spectrum the result is less desirable.   Additionally, the more advanced players tend to be the ones that dedicate more time to skill building and take it more seriously only to get frustrated when other players do not show the same dedication.  Neither player is right or wrong, they just have differing desired outcomes for playing the sport.  
• Player Retention:  While parents enjoy watching their kids play whether they win or lose, the players are less accepting of the results.   Our coaches preach that it’s not about winning and losing - it’s about being a team and developing skills.  While that’s true, kids do not like losing all the time.  It weighs on team moral and makes playing less fun.  When losing happens too much, players look to other sports and thus our numbers start to dwindle.   Our goal is to make sure the girls have as much fun as possible and we continue to grow the sport!

Currently, 10U teams and above are inter-league teams which means they play against other towns in District 6.  If there are enough players to have multiple teams, the more advanced teams will play traditionally more competitive teams like Portland and Westbrook, while the developmental teams will play more skill-similar teams like Falmouth, Yarmouth and CNY.