LINCOLN SQUARE — Girls are getting a league of their own when softball debuts this summer at Welles Park.
Though still welcome to play youth baseball, girls ages 8-10 now have the option of playing softball.
Online registration runs from Wednesday until 5 p.m. on Jan. 8 for returning players (Those who played youth baseball in 2013) and their siblings. All returning players and their siblings are guaranteed a spot in the league.
New players will be chosen via lottery after pre-registering online between Jan. 9 and 5 p.m. on Jan. 16.
The lottery is Jan. 17, and will be conducted by the Welles Park Parents Association. Notification is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 18 at the Welles Park Field House, 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave., where parents will be told whether their child has received a spot in the league or been placed on a waiting list.
Parents must bring a copy of the child's birth certificate on the Jan. 18 in order to register their youngster for the league.
The softball league will include a maximum of eight teams in its inaugural season.
To qualify for the league, girls must be 8, 9 or 10 years old on Aug. 31, 2014. Girls who choose to play softball are ineligible to compete on a Welles Park baseball team.
Cost is $148. Practice begins in April; games will be scheduled for May through July.
Registration for youth baseball, which enrolls children ages 5-18, will follow the same dates listed above.