What you need to know about Little League and Softball registrations in Champaign-Urbana
It might be the dead of winter but in Champaign-Urbana it’s time to start thinking about baseball and softball.
This article will detail how to register for Champaign-Urbana Little League while also addressing how to sign up for local softball leagues. It is important to note the hard deadlines involved for signing up in each league. They are noted below.
How is Little League organized in our community?
Little League Baseball, for ages 4 to 13, is coordinated in the communities of Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, and Bondville through the Champaign-Urbana Little League. CULL has been sponsored in our communities by C-U Kiwanis International for the past 70+ years. In the past, that encompassed four separate leagues, in addition to the Tom Jones Challenger League. That changed in 2025, as all of those leagues were merged.
In 2024, league president Bradley Leeb said, CULL rosters numbered more than 600 kids.
“No matter what part of town you live in, no matter your demographic, we want as many kids as possible playing Little League Baseball in our town,” Leeb said.
How do I sign up my child to play baseball?
The geographical boundaries that once dictated which league a child played in have been eliminated. To register, visit the CULL website. Registration is now open.
What levels of baseball are available?
There are four divisions: 4-5 years old T-ball Division; ages 6-8 Peanut Division (machine pitch); ages 9-10 Farm Division (player pitch); and ages 11-12 Suited Division (player pitch). Age ranges are flexible and tailored to each kid’s abilities. Kids in Farm and Suited divisions typically have an early evaluation
Tee-Ball: Ages about 4-7 play Tee-Ball which involves kids hitting off a tee and learning to throw and catch with a very soft baseball. Tee-Ball has one evening practice sometime Monday-Thursday and then plays a game each Saturday. Tee-Ball focuses on teaching kids a love of baseball and which way to run around the bases. The season runs approximately from May 1 through late June. DEADLINE TO SIGN UP: March 15.
Peanut League: Ages about 6-8 play in the Peanut League. The Peanut League is played using a machine that handles the pitching duties. A slightly softer ball is used but not quite as soft as for Tee-Ball. Kids in Peanut typically play two evening games each week on Monday-Thursday and then have one practice each weekend. Kids in Peanut are learning to field all the positions, how to catch a ball thrown to them, and hit the ball thrown by the pitching machine. DEADLINE TO SIGN UP: March 8.
Farm League: Ages approximately 9-10 enter the Farm League where they start learning the skills of pitching, catching, and base stealing, and also play with a real (hard) baseball. Kids in Farm typically play two evening games each week on Monday-Thursday and then have one practice each weekend. DEADLINE TO SIGN UP: Feb. 22.
Suited League: Ages approximately 11-12 play in the Suited League which presumably got its name years ago because players on each team get a baseball uniform sponsored by a local business. Kids in Suited typically play two evening games each week on Monday-Thursday and then have one practice each weekend. The season ends with the Twin City tournament in mid-June. DEADLINE TO SIGN UP: Feb. 22.
What can I do to help once my child is signed up?
All the work of Little League baseball in our community is done by volunteers. That includes all the coaches, the league commissioners who organize the schedules, the folks running the concession stands, and the parent dragging the infield dirt after each game. So once your kid is playing, even if you can’t volunteer to coach, step up and help out the coaches by keeping the young kids organized in the dugout, or just grab the metal grate and drag the field keeping the weeds at bay after each game. One of the nice things about Little League is there are small and big volunteer opportunities and people really do step up and help so you won’t be alone in your efforts.
How do I sign up for softball leagues?
As this article details, softball in the Champaign-Urbana area takes many forms. Recreational leagues begin in the spring for ages 6-12 (age as of Jan. 1, 2026) in the Champaign Park District. It is an instructional girls fastpitch program that aims to enhance players’ skills while enjoying recreational play.
The leagues for 8U, 10U and 12U leagues run from April 6 to June 26. The season for 14-16U runs from May 18 to July 17. Register here.
Urbana Summer Softball also typically offers spring programs for girls who are not yet of high school age.