All-Star Tournament Team at the 10U, 11U, 12U Levels

Purpose: To be in the best position possible as a team to win Little League games at Districts and State on behalf of Kennedy Little League.  

Tryout:

• We strongly encourage all Kennedy league players to try out for the All-Star team, even if they did not make the team the previous season. 

• Effective in 2026 for the 2027 season: In order to make the 12U team, you must have played Kennedy League at least the year preceding the 12U year. Unless you: 

• Moved into the boundary area
• Injured the previous year
• Did not play baseball
  
  Extenuating circumstances will be evaluated by the board for an exception

• Players must attend the tryout date so that all players can be evaluated evenly (no makeup dates). An exception is if you receive approval from the Kennedy Board in advance. A player not attending will register as a no-show and be added to the tryout roster for the head coach to consider as a head coach’s pick, based on their skill level demonstrated throughout the league season.

• It is strongly recommended that players try out for the team based on their age chart. If a player "tries up” for any All-Star team, they are required to be in the top 5 among that team (instead of the standard top 9) for all others in that age group.

• All players will be evaluated by multiple Kennedy league coaches and Kennedy board members.  Scored in the following categories: pitching, hitting, fielding and throwing (specifically accuracy/mechanics), and overall effort. 

• The tallied scores will result in the top 10 players automatically making the team. The head coach will choose only the remaining 2-3 players at their discretion.

• Teams will be announced approximately 2 - 4 days after the tryout date.

• Two additional coaches will be nominated and approved by the Kennedy Board, based on the final roster. All-Star coaches must have been a league coach in Majors (10U Federals coach accepted) during that season. A fourth coach may be added as an assistant coach, but cannot enter the dugout at Districts and State. The head coach(es) is required to participate in Districts and State (plus Regionals and Little League World Series for 12U).

Playing Time: Coaches will follow strict Little League guidelines, including every player batting, but there is no guarantee every player will play defensive positions. Little League pitching guidelines will be followed for all games that their All-Star team is participating in unless guidelines for additional tournaments are more strict, in which those rules will be followed. Each team will be entered into 3 weekend (2 or 3 day) tournaments throughout June to practice as a team in preparation for Districts and State, which are held in July - August. All-Star Players are expected to attend all tournaments. No tournaments will be scheduled over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Tournament locations will vary, but most likely within 90 minutes of KLL.

Districts: The Wisconsin District 4 tournament is held weeknights (Monday - Friday) for a full week, the 2nd or 3rd week in July. The championship game or weather impacted games may push the schedule to the weekend. The location will be announced a few weeks prior and may include Kennedy, West Madison, Fort Atkinson or Reedsburg. 

State: If the Kennedy All-Star team wins District 4, the team advances to State which is either the last weekend in July or the first weekend in August.  The location will be announced in June and can be anywhere in the state of Wisconsin. The hosting Little League location will determine the exact dates, which could begin as early as Wednesday and extend as late as Sunday of that weekend. The weather could impact these days. Attendance for the State tournament is mandatory. The advancement to Regionals, especially at the 12U level, continues to be the sole purpose of the All-Star team.

Cost: All players who make an All-Star team will be responsible for additional tournament and uniform costs, approximately $180 - $220 per person. This will include tournament fees, Kennedy All-Star jersey, hat, belt, Little League patch, practice jersey. Three coaches per team will receive one MK apparel shirt to wear to tournaments. 

Summary: The Goal is to win. The expectation is that players and coaches will attend as many dates within “warm-up” tournaments. Players and coaches must attend Districts / State. 

All-Star Tournament Team at the 8U & 9U Levels

Purpose: To be in the best position possible as a team to win games on behalf of Kennedy Little League.  

Tryout:

• We strongly encourage all Kennedy league players to try out for the All-Star team, even if they did not make the team the previous season. 

• Players must attend the tryout date so that all players can be evaluated evenly (no makeup dates). An exception is if you receive approval from the Kennedy Board in advance. A player not attending will register as a no-show and be added to the tryout roster for the head coach to consider as a head coach’s pick, based on their skill level demonstrated throughout the league season..

• It is strongly recommended that players try out for the team based on their age chart. If a player "tries up” for any All-Star team, they are required to be in the top 5 among that team (instead of the standard top 9 or 10) for all others in that age group.

• All players will be evaluated and scored by multiple Kennedy league coaches and Kennedy board members in the following categories: pitching (9U only), hitting, fielding and throwing (specifically accuracy/mechanics) and overall effort. 

• The tallied scores will result in the top 10 players automatically making the team. The head coach will choose the remaining 2-3 players at their discretion.

• Teams will be announced approximately 2 - 4 days after the tryout date.

• Two additional coaches will be nominated and approved by the Kennedy Board, based on the final roster. All-Star coaches must have been a league coach during that season. A fourth coach may be added as an assistant coach.

Playing Time: Coaches will follow tournament guidelines, and there is no guarantee every child will play defensive positions. The 8U team will be entered into 2 tournaments and the 9U team will be entered into 3 weekend (2 or 3 day) tournaments throughout mid June to late July. No tournaments will be scheduled over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Tournament locations will vary, but most likely within 90 minutes of KLL.

Cost: All players who make an All-Star team will be responsible for additional tournament and uniform costs, approximately $95 - $175 per person. This will include tournament fees, Kennedy All-Star jersey, hat, and belt. Three coaches per team will receive one MK apparel shirt to wear to tournaments. 

Summary: The Goal is to win. The expectation is that players and coaches will attend as many tournament dates as possible.