ABOUT OUR LEAGUE
The Eastern Lehigh Valley Softball League was established in 1989. Twelve of our member organizations have been with the league for 20 or more years. Eight of the organizations have been with the league right from the beginning.
The league's philosophy is teaching the game of softball whereas the rules and size of the playing fields are designed to accommodate the skills of the age level.
Last year, our league provided 7 different playing levels that consisted of a total of 109 teams from 16 different organizations which resulted in 1700 girls playing softball during the regular season. This year we will have 6 different playing levels.
The All-Star tournaments featured 6 teams at the 2/3 Division, 8 teams at the 4/5 Division, 7 Teams at the 6/7 Division and 4 teams at the 8/9 Division with a total of 381 girls participating.
Our Fall Softball Program had 20 teams at 3 age levels with 330 girls participating. All Fall games were played at the same fields every Sunday for each age level, eliminating the need for travel.
The Eastern Lehigh Valley Softball League was established in 1989. Twelve of our member organizations have been with the league for 20 or more years. Eight of the organizations have been with the league right from the beginning.
The league's philosophy is teaching the game of softball whereas the rules and size of the playing fields are designed to accommodate the skills of the age level.
Last year, our league provided 7 different playing levels that consisted of a total of 109 teams from 16 different organizations which resulted in 1700 girls playing softball during the regular season. This year we will have 6 different playing levels.
The All-Star tournaments featured 6 teams at the 2/3 Division, 8 teams at the 4/5 Division, 7 Teams at the 6/7 Division and 4 teams at the 8/9 Division with a total of 381 girls participating.
Our Fall Softball Program had 20 teams at 3 age levels with 330 girls participating. All Fall games were played at the same fields every Sunday for each age level, eliminating the need for travel.
2019 SEASON - BIG CHANGES
With the increase in traveling softball teams as well as the addition of more sports available to the girls, the ELV has drastic changes planned for the 2019 season. We are starting younger and moving our age levels younger to increase the caliber of play at a lower level. We also added the 7th graders to our upper level, since they are playing together in school.
Following are our new levels and you can see the various rules under the age levels:
PK/K – t-ball 4-6 years old
1st/2nd grades – coach pitch – 11” optic yellow softee ball
3rd/4th grades – 11” optic yellow ball, pitch 35’, bases set at 55’
5th/6th grades – 12” optic yellow ball – pitch 40’, bases set at 60’
7th/8th/9th grades– 12” optic yellow ball – pitch 43’, bases set at 60’
10th - 21yrs Players not to be 21 prior to July 1st
The ELV has strict guidelines on territories and this impacts where your daughter has to register to play. The best way to determine which organization you should register with is to use where you pay your taxes.
With the increase in traveling softball teams as well as the addition of more sports available to the girls, the ELV has drastic changes planned for the 2019 season. We are starting younger and moving our age levels younger to increase the caliber of play at a lower level. We also added the 7th graders to our upper level, since they are playing together in school.
Following are our new levels and you can see the various rules under the age levels:
PK/K – t-ball 4-6 years old
1st/2nd grades – coach pitch – 11” optic yellow softee ball
3rd/4th grades – 11” optic yellow ball, pitch 35’, bases set at 55’
5th/6th grades – 12” optic yellow ball – pitch 40’, bases set at 60’
7th/8th/9th grades– 12” optic yellow ball – pitch 43’, bases set at 60’
10th - 21yrs Players not to be 21 prior to July 1st
The ELV has strict guidelines on territories and this impacts where your daughter has to register to play. The best way to determine which organization you should register with is to use where you pay your taxes.
ELV COACHES AND ORGANIZATION REP MEETINGS:
Sunday, March 17th at 6:30pm - Northeast, ELV Coordinators and Board only
Sunday, March 17th at 6:30pm - Northeast, ELV Coordinators and Board only
In Memoriam
Gary Kevin Metzger, 73, of Lower Nazareth, died Sunday August 6, 2017 following a brief illness. He was the son of Llewellyn and Pauline Metzger (née Eckert), who preceded him in death. Gary attended Hellertown-Lower Saucon High School and Bethlehem Business School. He worked in the advertising, insurance, and financial industries, but his lifelong passion was baseball. As a young man he played and, in later years, he remained active in it by umpiring, coaching youth teams, and organizing for community youth baseball and softball leagues.
He is survived by Donna (née Coates), his devoted wife of seventeen years, brother Richard, children Tricia Scott, Cheryl Streeper, Dale Metzger, Nicole Shafer, and stepdaughter Mindy Honey and their families, as well as fourteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Also remaining are Gary and Donna’s beloved dog and cat, Jeter and Scooter.
