Dear Lakeshore Baseball and Softball Families,

I am excited to share an important update that will help shape the future of Lakeshore Baseball and Softball for years to come.

At our most recent board meeting, and after careful consideration and years of discussion, the Lakeshore Board of Directors voted to officially move our softball program under the Little League International umbrella beginning with the 2026 season and beyond.

This is a change we have explored for a long time. Historically, the primary reason we were not previously affiliated with Little League was travel. Without Auburn Little League or other nearby District 5 programs fielding softball teams, joining Little League would have required our families to make weeknight trips to places like Geneva or Cato, which simply was not reasonable.

That landscape has now changed.

For the 2026 season, Auburn will be fielding softball teams, and with the continued inclusion of South Cayuga Little League, we now have a geographically reasonable and sustainable local alignment. We expect teams from Auburn, Moravia and Union Springs to play, which we know is an important question for many families. We will still have home games at Austin Park or Falls Field, and, for context, our games in Camillus were about 12-15 miles from downtown Skaneateles (depending on exact field locations). Games in Moravia and Union Springs are expected to be approximately 20 miles from downtown Skaneateles. 

This move brings several significant benefits to our softball players and families:

• All-Star Opportunities: Most importantly, this allows our Minors and Majors softball players the same opportunity to participate in Little League All-Star tournaments that our baseball players already enjoy. Since I took over the league, this has been one of the most consistent pieces of feedback from our membership. While travel constraints previously made this very challenging, the board always felt it was important to continue working toward parity of opportunity. We believe this move finally allows us to do that.
  
  
• Improved Player Development & Structure: Being under Little League International provides consistent rules, clearer league administration, and a renewed focus on development and communication. Rather than managing rules and structure independently, we will now benefit from the oversight and guidance of Little League’s established framework. However, we will be able to develop our own local rules to modify the Little League rules as needed to provide the blend of development and competitiveness that we strive for at the team, division and league level. 
  
  
• Stronger Alignment with the School Program: When Tyler Stever joined the Skaneateles School District last year as Varsity Softball Coach, he was asked to evaluate our youth softball program and help create a stronger connection between youth and school softball. We strongly believe this move supports that goal, and Tyler asked that I personally convey how supportive he is of this transition.
  
  
• More Consistent Scheduling for Families: In the past, we had limited control over game days and even field locations. This change allows us to work toward having Minors and Majors games on more consistent, set nights (e.g. Mon/Wed/Sat or Tues/Thurs/Sat), reducing uncertainty and making it easier for families to plan around other commitments.
  

Beginning in 2026, our softball teams will compete against Auburn and South Cayuga, rather than Marcellus and Camillus, under the rules and structure of Little League International.

We are aware there have been some rumors circulating about the direction of the softball program, and we wanted to make sure you heard this directly from us. The board firmly believes Lakeshore is in an excellent position to make this move, and that it will provide our softball players with more opportunities to grow, develop, and compete in a way that aligns with the values of Lakeshore Baseball and Softball.

More details will be shared as we continue planning for 2026. We understand that this is a change, but our leadership is committed to working with District 5, Auburn and South Cayuga to manage change and make the transition as smooth as possible.

We could not be more excited to announce that Lakeshore Softball is heading in a positive and exciting new direction, that we are able to give the softball players the same post-season experience as the baseball players, and that our league leadership and financial status is as strong as it has ever been. 

As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions.

Justin Reeves
President of Lakeshore Baseball and Softball