First-Timer Family Guide

What your child needs before the season

Most divisions don't include personal gear in the registration fee. Plan to have the following on hand by Opening Day so your player isn't borrowing from teammates.

• Glove — sized for your child. Most stores can recommend by age.
• Bat with the USA Baseball stamp (required for all baseball divisions). Softball uses ASA-stamped bats.
• Helmet — batting helmet, plus a face guard for younger divisions if your league requires it.
• Cleats — molded plastic only (no metal at any ULL level).
• Pants and belt — uniform color is provided by the team. Pants and belts are NOT included in the registration fee.
• Cup / protective gear for boys playing kid-pitch divisions.
• Water bottle — labeled with your child name.

Tickets vs snacks — what they mean

ULL has two distinct things parents often confuse in their first season:

• Concession-stand tickets — each player gets a small set of complimentary tickets, usually distributed by the team parent on game day. They redeem for snacks/drinks at the concession stand.
• Team snack rotation — at younger divisions, parents take turns bringing a post-game snack for the whole team. Your team parent runs a sign-up (often via SignUpGenius or the team group chat).

What to expect at games

• Arrive 20-30 minutes early. Players warm up before first pitch.
• Field address: 5901 Old Hemphill Road, Fort Worth, TX 76134. Five fields on one complex.
• Game length: about 90 minutes for younger divisions, up to 2 hours for Majors.
• Snacks and drinks are sold at the concession stand. Cash and most apps accepted.
• Team parents staff the concession stand on a rotating schedule — your team will sign up for shifts during the season.
• Weather: rain-out announcements are made no earlier than 2 PM on game day. Lightning policy pauses play for 30 minutes when within 5 miles.

Parking

• Visitor lots are first-come, first-served — arrive early on weekend tournament days.
• ADA-accessible spots are marked at each lot entrance.
• A parking map is published on the website with the layout of all five fields and where to enter.
• Reserved spaces follow league policy — see the parking map page for details.

How to help your child at home

• Catch and throw 10 minutes a day — even just in the yard. It’s the single biggest improvement most kids make in their first year.
• Soft toss with a bat — toss a ball lightly underhand, your child swings. Builds hand-eye coordination fast.
• Watch a game together — Rangers / TCU / college softball. Talk through what’s happening. Helps the rules stick.
• Don’t over-coach during games. Cheer, then debrief calmly afterward. Coaches handle in-game instruction.

How playoffs work

After the regular season ends, every team is seeded into a single-elimination playoff bracket within their division.

• Seeding is based on regular-season record.
• Bracket games are added to the team schedule once the regular season closes.
• Watch your team bracket on the Season Hub — game scores update as they’re played and the winner advances automatically.
• Championship games are usually played in the second weekend of May (spring) or early November (fall).

How to volunteer for your team

ULL runs entirely on volunteers. Even an hour or two helps the season go smoothly. Common roles:

• Score keeper / GameChanger — runs the team GameChanger book during games. Coaches will train you.
• Scoreboard / video board operator — runs the press-box equipment.
• Livestream operator — starts and ends the team GameChanger stream from the press-box tablet.
• Concession-stand shifts — staff the snack bar in 2-hour blocks. Your team parent runs the team sign-up.
• Snack rotation — bring post-game snacks once or twice during the season.
• Team parent — organize team comms, sign-ups, and uniform handoffs. New volunteers welcome each season.

Who to ask if you have questions

• Team-specific stuff (game time, snacks, sign-ups, uniform sizing) — your team parent.
• Coaching, lineup, playing time — your head coach.
• Division-wide stuff (rules, schedule, all-stars) — the division commissioner. Listed on the Board of Directors page.
• Anything else — info@fwull.com gets to the right person.