Team formation is always an important and robust discussion topic amongst our Board, coaches, and families. In 2024, we made the decision to form AAA teams via a draft. This was the process that led to that decision, why it was made, and the benefits we believe will make NCLL even stronger.

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First, we looked at our own history. Prior to COVID, AAA formed teams via draft just like we do in Majors. However, our re-emergence into social situations brought with it many challenges for us to think over. We also wanted to be close to those we hadn't seen in a while. Team formation reflected those priorities.

Second, we talked with other leagues in the area. We found we were the lone league not forming AAA teams via a draft. Some leagues even use a draft for AA, with admittedly more social engineering built in. Next we looked at the benefits of a draft:

• Competitive balance: A draft evens out talent across teams, leading to more competitive games and a better experience for all players.
• Different experiences: Kids experience the diverse styles, communication approaches, and philosophies of our many coaching staffs to better understand the environment that fits them best.
• Social: As a community driven league, we think the community benefits from getting to know one another — not remaining in our school, work, or neighborhood silos.
• Transparency: Finally, a draft provides transparency for coaches to feel a sense of fairness and most importantly, parents are able to see our process and better understand the outcomes.

Following these evaluations, we voted to move forward with a draft for AAA, adopting many of the same rules from Majors:

• Draft order drawn from a hat
• First stage: returning Majors players and new 12-year-olds
• Second stage: under-12 players new to Majors
• Coaching pairings allowed (capped per team)
• Players linked to coaches selected early in each stage
• Post-draft trades allowed to align socially without changing team balance

So what exactly do we do with the information we collect from Assessments?

First, we match the bib number used at Assessments to a name in the tool generated through registration. We compile the data, and before draft day, coaches receive the 5-Tool Assessment sheet, which logs every assessment score and other metrics that go into producing a 1-5 rating for each player.

On draft day, we run two linked drafts using the board: the top section is for returning AAA players and the bottom section is for players new to AAA. Coaches complete the returning-player draft first, then restart at the bottom for new-to-AAA players.

If a coach has a player in the division, that player is assigned a round based on their 1-5 rating. The coach is skipped in that round and the player is taken automatically. The same applies to an assistant coach's child. (Assistant coach limits are confirmed each year.)

Coaches draft together in a room until every player is selected. Many players have been around a few years and if you don't know them, someone will and can answer any questions for you. After the draft, there is a brief trade window meant for roster fit, sponsor alignment, or assistant coaching matchup. This is more a time for social engineering, not talent acquisition — teams can align schoolmates or close friends within the same rating band.

After the draft

Post-draft, we take that data and start to create teams, matchups, and schedules. We also use it to help inform our player development plans for the season ahead.

For reference, here's a link to the 5-Tool Assessment sheet: assessments.xls.

That link reminds us that we keep things to ourselves during this process. It's an area that can cause big emotions and create vulnerable kids, so we want to make sure everyone finds out the same thing at the same time. Not to mention the time and care that's gone into that tool by Cole and those before him.

Finally, no one wins when we have a bad team in any NCLL division. Just like assessments are about fit, drafting is about talent distribution and creating a competitive balance — not "winning" the draft. Nothing is better than a division of teams all hovering around .500, where every game is a battle and every win is earned. We think NCLL has found a sweet spot between competitiveness and social, and we will be a better division and league because of it. Check out the pics above from the actual draft!