High Park Little League
As one of the first Little League programs in Canada, the club has provided baseball to the children in the Parkdale and High Park area since 1953. Originally known as the Parkdale Lions Little League, the club was renamed High Park Little League in 1985 and continues to operate as a volunteer-based house league program.
Clubhouse phone: 416-762-0521
Address: 300 Colborne Lodge, Toronto Ontario M6S 2T9
Questions: [email protected]
Instagram: @HighParkLittleLeague
Facebook: /HighParkLittleLeague
Twitter: @HighParkBasebal
Access Ernie Keith Field & T-Ball diamond in High Park
Location: The major intersection for High Park is Bloor St. W. & Keele St. The park is located south of Bloor St. W., west of Parkside Dr., and east of Ellis Ave.
By Car: Enter via Parkside Drive on the east side of High Park. Vehicles do not have access to the park during weekends.
By TTC: Take the Bloor-Danforth subway line and get off at High Park station.
Walk south on High Park Ave., past Bloor St. W., and continue down Colborne Lodge Dr.
Vehicle Restrictions: There is parking within the park near Grenadier Café and along Colborne Drive. Throughout the year, the City of Toronto restricts vehicles from entering the park on weekends.
President’s Message from Dave Clark
Welcome to High Park Little League. Every season, we are proud to give almost 500 kids the opportunity to develop their baseball skills, build friendships and have some fun. We are the only Little League affiliated organization operating in the City of Toronto. High Park Little League offers the opportunity for players & parents to build some of their most fondest memories together. Come by the diamonds and catch a game!
Baseball Divisions & Programs
High Park Little League offers the following house league programs (learn about age eligibility):
- Instructional T-Ball (6 years old)
- T-Ball (7-8 years old)
- Minors (9-10 years old)
- Majors (11-12 years old)
- All-Star rep teams for T-Ball, Minors (2 teams), and Majors (2 teams)
- Girls All-Star rep teams for T-Ball, Minors, and Majors
Rules & Regulations
A player’s playing age is determined by the Little League age eligibility requirements. Find out more details on the official Little League website. You can also find updated Little League rules and regulations on the website. These rulebooks provide the structure and support for local leagues and districts to provide a meaningful Little League experience for all children in their community.
All players must be registered and actively playing on a house league team to qualify to try out for an All-Star rep team, with rep workouts held late Spring.
Players must reside or attend school within the High Park Little League club boundaries: Lawrence Avenue in the north to Lake Ontario in the south, and from Etobicoke Creek in the west to Bayview Avenue in the east.
High Park & the Little League World
High Park Little League is 1 of 8 leagues in District 1, Golden Horseshoe: Ancaster Little League, Dundas Little League, Erindale Little League, High Park Little League, Oakville Little League, Stoney Creek Optimist Little League, Grand River Little League, Niagara Little League , Kitchener Little League
District 1 is 1 of 8 Districts in the Ontario division: District #1 Golden Horseshoe, District #2 Ottawa West, District #3 Thunder Bay, District #4 Timmins, District #5 Windsor, District #6 Ottawa East, District #7 Seaway, District #8 Ottawa Valley
Ontario is 1 of 6 Divisions in Little League Canada: Atlantic, British Columbia, Prairies, Alberta, Québec, Ontario
Canada is 1 of 4 international countries admitted into the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and is 1 of 8 official international regions: Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico,, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Africa, Latin America, Caribbean
Little League Pledge & Code of Conduct
The Little League Pledge was written in 1954 by Peter J. McGovern, the first president of Little League Baseball. It has remained unchanged since it was first published. High Park has also developed a Parent Code of Conduct.
History of Baseball in High Park
Baseball has been a vibrant part of High Park history since the park first opened to the public in 1876. The game was already popular in Toronto by the end of the 1850s, when the Globe first wrote about a local team practising every Monday afternoon on the University of Toronto grounds. By the 1950s, clubs were flourishing across Toronto, including at High Park. Find out more about High Park’s baseball history.
Keith Family Legacy
The remarkable Keith family baseball legacy at High Park extends back three generations — Ernie, Matt, and Daniel — and the club has honoured their impact by naming the HPLL diamond the Ernie Keith Field and wearing the intials DK on house leagues hats in memory of Daniel. Read this feature with Matt Keith, a long-time coach with the Athletics franchise and rep teams, on how the Keith family story has become so inextricably linked with High Park baseball over the past half century.
Sponsorships
Thank you to all of our sponsors! We are grateful for the support of community businesses and organizations that help us run the best possible baseball and T-Ball programs for our players while keeping our registration fees as low as possible.
If you are interested in supporting our league through sponsorship, please get in touch by email us at [email protected].
Umpiring at High Park
High Park Little League welcomes player and adult umpires, veterans or beginners, each season at both the T-Ball and Little League divisions. Umpiring provides for a chance to “give back” to the organization and earn some spending money. The league provides competitive games rates and regularly provides two back-to-back game shifts in the baseball division. An umpire orientation clinic for new umpires is held each Spring before the start of regular season. Best part-time job in the park!
Board of Directors
Every year in November a volunteer Board of Directors is elected at the Annual General Meeting to help guide all baseball activities including registration, player evaluations, and coach selection. Once the season begins, the Executive sets the rules of league play, organizes volunteers for field maintenance and coordinates Opening Day. Any member of the public living within the High Park boundaries can stand for election to the Executive.
Statement of Inclusion
High Park Little League is committed to inclusion. As an organization, we’re dedicated to providing all members of our baseball and T-Ball community with an inclusive environment that is safe, affordable and fun. We value and respect the diversity of our players, families, coaches, umpires, volunteers and board of directors.
