Frequently Asked Questions

No. Woodstock Youth Baseball and Sports is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. That said, we work closely with the Rec Dept on shared initiatives—supporting coaches, upgrading equipment, and improving facilities. For more information about who are as an organization - visit our About page.

Cal Ripken is a national youth baseball league that provides structure through age divisions, coaching/umpire certification, and specific rules of play. Participation allows players the opportunity to be selected for All-Star teams and compete at district, regional, and even national levels, including the Cal Ripken World Series. Woodstock is part of the Twin River District League within Cal Ripken. (See below for more on Twin River.) Note: Cal Ripken is different from Little League, which hosts the Little League World Series. Most local teams around Woodstock (e.g., Hartford, Norwich, Hanover, Bethel) play in Cal Ripken. Little League is more common further north (Burlington, Montpelier, etc.).

These are Cal Ripken’s age-based divisions: Minors (8–10 years old) Typically 2nd–4th grade Full kid-pitch (no coach pitch) 46’ pitching distance, 60’ base paths Real baseball rules: stealing allowed, umpires call balls/strikes Majors (10–12 years old) Typically 5th–6th grade Woodstock plays Majors/70: 50’ pitching distance, 70’ base paths Players can lead off bases Prepares kids for the next level: 60’ mound / 90’ bases Both Minors & Majors play 6-inning games.

All bats must have the USA Baseball stamp (not USSSA or T-Ball).

All coaches must undergo a mandatory background screening, and also complete a training course from Cal Ripken every year. All umpires are certified by the National Umpire Association. Umpires are typically compensated for their time, but for the most part it is a volunteer position and we ask for families/players to be respectful/cognizant of that. If interested in being a coach or umpire for one of our Woodstock teams please reach out to Joel Carey at the Woodstock Rec Dept: jcarey@woodstockrec.com.

Twin River is our local Cal Ripken district league, which includes teams from: Woodstock Killington Windsor Hartland Weathersfield Lyme, NH Each year, players from these towns can try out for Twin River All-Star teams (Minors & Majors), which compete in weekend tournaments. Winners advance to the Vermont State Championship and potentially regionals and the World Series. While Woodstock Youth Baseball is separate from Twin River, we work closely together. More info: twinriverbaseball.org