With three final four finishes this year, the Gainesville District Little League all-stars proved tough company during the playoffs despite coming up just a game or two shy of making it to the finals.

The majors National team (3-2 overall) and 10- and 11-year-olds American team (2-2) both earned third-place titles during the Virginia District 10 double-elimination tournament while the junior National team (1-2) earned fourth place.

According to GDLL president John Howell, one of the most important things the league can do to ensure success for its players in the post-season is to keep as many of the same coaches working together with the kids each year.

Generally speaking, the core of an all-star line-up remains the same as players in each group progress through the different age and skill divisions.

That's why, Howell said, "it's very important that there's continuity for the kids."

He explained that this particular set of coaches working in the post-season turned out to be "some of our most seasoned coaches" while a couple of new heads, such as Sam Newman and Jim Whitt, have still been around the league for a while.

Howell mentioned that one goal he has each year is to mitigate the number of potential age mismatches within each league. For instance, if one group consisted of players that were 6, 7 and 8 years old, there would be a physical gap between the 8 year olds and the 6 year olds severe enough that the younger kids could potentially be overly outmatched.

Such a scenario would mean the kids would have less fun and possibly acquire a bad taste for the game.

That's where admitting 4 year olds to the T-ball league this year helped, he said.

They could then be grouped in with the five year olds, which pushed up the 6 year olds to their own league.; Seven and 8 year olds shared their own spot and competitive all-star teams in the District 10 tournament began with 9 and 10 year olds. The next age bracket included 10 and 11 year olds with majors, juniors and seniors coming afterward.

"Somewhere in the middle, the forces on either end causes a log jam," said Howell, adding that the similar age groups limit the creation of "mismatches."

Those who excel either during the season or at tryouts can of course bump up a division, as is common in Little League. Snyder Baseball in Haymarket hosted try-outs this season while also working with players – something Howell called "critical" – and the traveling Haymarket Bulls once again offered a chance for players to gain more experience against some of the more competitive teams in the area.

Players who end up on travel teams, play fall-ball or just find a way to play baseball throughout the year are those Howell said are among those most likely to earn all-star status in the summer. It's something he noted is common with Little League competitors in Fairfax County.

"The Haymarket Bulls travel program has helped us develop these all-star baseball players and has made them more prepared and ready for all-star competition," said Howell. "They don't feel overwhelmed when they step out on the field whereas they may have 4 or 5 years ago."

He added, "I don't believe it's any coincidence that our teams are performing better. ... The kids who practice the most perform the best and that is just the truth. From outside the league, we need to help these kids find more ways to play more baseball."