Golden Little League - BACKGROUND
The volunteer Board of Directors for the Golden Junior Baseball Association (GJBA), a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has provided youth baseball opportunities in Jefferson County for over 35 years, overwhelmingly approved an August 2023 motion by a 30-1 count to create an official chartered Little League Baseball® program. Little League International approved the creation of Golden Little League (GLL) in November 2023. Several existing neighboring leagues graciously adjusted their boundary areas to accommodate the creation of GLL. GLL was subsequently assigned as a new member of Colorado District 2 (League ID#325300).
As a result of this decision, starting in the spring 2024, players of League Age 12 and younger will be placed on teams under a new organization named Golden Little League (GLL), and players of League Age 13 and older will continue to be placed on GJBA-formed teams that compete within the independent Rocky Mountain Junior Baseball League (RMJBL). Both organizations will coexist during the spring 2024 season.
little league baseball - brief summary
Little League International is the largest youth sports organization in the world, an 85-year old congressionally chartered association with over 6,500 baseball and softball leagues located within 80 countries and all 50 US states. The standardized Little League baseball rules, regulations, and policies have a rock solid multi-generational track record of providing & teaching youth players life lessons that ensure strong individuals and communities. Little League Baseball is a world renowned brand name providing instant recognition, and most parents including the majority of current GJBA members simply assume their kids are already playing Little League Baseball. The traditional Little League baseball season is generally divided into a regular season schedule occurring during the springtime and early summer timeframe, and an All-Star post season double-elimination tournament occurring during the mid-summer timeframe. Little League also offers a distinctive fall ball schedule.
league vision
The Golden Little League Board of Directors (GLLBOD) strives to create a traditional, town-centered, competitive baseball league for boys and girls ages 12 and under based on a desired culture of back-to-basics, less-travel, and close-to-home values, wherein kids from the Golden area compete with and against each other in a healthy, friendly, and competitive environment, thereby resulting in Golden area families supporting one another and hence cooperating with future classmates, teammates, and neighbors, and thus creating a solid Golden-based community. A solid Golden-based community will serve families well, both during their time in the league and far into the future.
2024 primary focus areas
- Preseason efforts will primarily focus on recruitment and retention of existing GJBA Transition Players.
- Regular season efforts will primarily focus on creating a community environment for members.
- Post season efforts will primarily focus on creating All Star tournament teams at each applicable age level.
2024 Enrollment Authority - GLL vs. GJBA
Both organizations will coexist during the spring 2024 season. GJBA will continue to form teams at age 13U and older, but withdraw all existing teams at age 12U and younger from the RMJBL, and not continue to create new teams within RMJBL at age 12U and younger.
- If the player’s League Age is 12T or younger (reference age chart), the player shall register with Golden Little League in order to play on a GLL team.
- If the player’s League Age is 13 or older (reference age chart), the player shall register with Golden Junior Baseball Association in order to play on a GJBA team.