June 2022 - District-13-officers - list2.rodeonetworks.com

Meeting Times and Locations for District Tournament
by jarel＠jpiworldwide.com 21 Jun '22

21 Jun '22

All, We will be having 2 meetings for the District 13 Tournament in Liberty Lake coming up on the 27th of June. The brackets have already been published and you should have those. There were some typos, but the two fields we will be playing on are next to each other, so it won't be hard to sort out. If I have time, I'll clean up the typos and re-issue, but the draws are solid as are the times. We will be starting the tournament on the 27th as per the schedule. We will be having our Managers Meeting at 9:00 AM on the 27th at the following location: 2310 N. Swing Lane Liberty Lake, WA 99019 This is the DAs office (place of business), and we will be using a meeting room there for the Manager's meeting. All Managers or Coaches involved in the tournament MUST ATTEND the Managers Meeting. The Tournament Director, UIC (umpire in chief), ADA, and DA for District 13 will also be in attendance. This is the meeting where the rules, policies, practices, and details of the tournament will be relayed to the teams via the managers and or coaches. EACH team in the tournament, regardless of your start time MUST have a representative from the Tournament coaching staff for that team at this meeting. The President's meeting is at the same address at 1:00 PM on the 27th. This meeting will be approximately 45 minutes long. The meeting place is less than 5 minutes from the playing fields and affords a place to discuss and work on issues where people can concentrate and have discourse openly without interruption. See you there! I think we are going to have a great tournament. Regards JP DA WA 5/13

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Preparing your tournament books
by jarel＠jpiworldwide.com 20 Jun '22

20 Jun '22

All, After a couple of phone calls with a couple of presidents, it dawned on me that we have a few Board of Directors between the two districts where they have NOT sent anyone to Districts before. I am very excited about this as it means we have more leagues stepping up and operating as they should in the Little League universe! This is very good and I am VERY proud of the work that you all are doing! It is the right thing to do to send teams to Districts. Let me take a second here to outline what and why of the books. More than one president was unaware of the documentation necessary to send a team to Districts, and why there is documentation to do this. Most folks think a tournament is just sending in money and a team to play. not the case with Little League. Little League has some pretty strict rules on prepping a team for tournament play in what is called the "International Tournament". There is a lot of work by the tournament host, the leagues, and the players and coaches that to play the District, and International Tournament. The "District" level of tournament is the first level of the "International Tournament". It's where the road to Williamsport starts. All Divisions of play above Farm Division (6-8 year olds) have a tournament cycle. Minors, or sometimes call AAA, 10-11, Majors, Intermediate, Juniors, and Seniors all have tournaments that are part of the "International Tournament" cycle. Majors and above go beyond State to Regional and World Series tournaments. Ages below majors stop at "State". The most infamous tournament is the Majors tournament which is aired each year on ESPN, but both Softball and Baseball Majors Division and above actually play to a World Series. and the World Series in Little League is the ONLY TRUE World Series in Baseball. It is the most competitive tournament in all of baseball as it spans the world and thousands of teams. When you enter a team into the District tournament, you are attempting to play as far into the tournament cycle as you can. The younger divisions stop at "State". however the Majors and above go beyond State. Many other baseball programs begin to fail when they try to approach the level of competition and skill as is demonstrated in this cycle. The Little League teams soon surface to be some of the best baseball teams in all of youth sports. It's not easy to be part of this cycle, yet each year more than 7700 leagues begin the "Road to Williamsport" at Districts. By using this tournament cycle as part of your hometown league heritage you can build excitement, drive, and grit into your players, coaches, volunteers, and parents. by ignoring this cycle, you have a tougher time attracting parents and volunteers. It's a big deal to compete well in this cycle and many players yearn to be selected to an "All-Star" team once the reputation of the league attending this tournament develops positively. So to keep integrity in this cycle, there is documentation required of each league, manager, coach, and player. This documentation is put into 3-Ring Binders each tournament season and the "Book" travels with the team. Each team participating in the tournament is required to have this documentation book It contains all the necessary documentation for the team, league, and players to verify their eligibility in the division they are competing in. This book is delivered to the tournament director, and District staff ahead of the tournament level you wish to participate in. It's best to deliver the book early to tournament officials so in case something is incorrect, the League's player agent will have time to get the correct information prior to their scheduled start time. If the documentation is missing or incorrect, the player, coach, manager or league may be disqualified from tournament play and all the preparation and anticipation by the players is wasted. so getting the documentation correct is important. So what is a "Tournament Book"? It is the collection of information required to determine the eligibility of each player and team entered into the International Tournament. This book will follow the teams as they go through the tournament cycle. What does it contain? The Book should contain several components: 1. A Map showing the league boundary, and a marker identifying the address within the boundary for each player. This is automatically produced if your league is using Sports Connect (it's free!) to manage players, coaches, and schedules. It has an automatic interface to Little League. 2. Affidavits for each player, including any medical release forms 3. Team affidavits or documentation as required by Little League (see links below) 4. Address verification for each player (see links below for details on how to fill out these verifications, what qualifies as verification and so forth) 5. Waivers for the team, players, managers or coaches as applicable (as an example, school waivers can be used as address verification - again - see the links below). There are several waivers that can be applied for. As another example, "Out of Boundary" Waivers for players that participate in a league where the player does not live in any incorporated Little League boundary, but does play in a league that does have a boundary nearby. There are many waivers that can be applied for. 6. Any other documentation (such as pitch counts that are transferred to the next level of tournament play - as an example if your team wins District they are then required to play at State. The pitch counts for District are carried to State so the appropriate time of rest etc is required before the pitcher can pitch in the State tournament). Any disqualifications for coaches, managers, or players are also transferred with the book to State or higher levels of the tournament. 7. Birth Certificates (originals, not copies) must be in the book. Don't worry, the books are kept safe, and the Birth Certificates returned to the teams once the team has been eliminated from the tournament. But copies do not suffice. There is other documentation for proof of player age that is acceptable. Please see the links below. The birth certificate is usually the best form however, and some of the other documents are less easy to obtain. They tournament is required to have the appropriate aged individuals playing in each bracket. As an example you don't want a 14 year old playing with 10 year olds. not fair at all. So to prove it, you need the appropriate authentic documentation. This is especially important as the teams advance past districts as managers and leagues are pouring over any perceived rule infraction they can find. More than once an opposing manager has requested the Tournament Director to review proof of age when a 12 year old with a moustache took the mound in a managers State game. What is the best way to organize my book? The documentation is best organized in a 3 ring binder with plastic insert sleeves. One sleeve for all the league documentation (maps, roster, etc), and one sleeve for each player that contains all their documentation. So if you have 12 players, you would have 13 or 14 sleeves in your binder. Make sure your book is appropriately labelled on the spine and cover. It should say something like "Piney Creek Little League Majors All-Stars 2022" as an example. When should I turn in my book? You should get your book to your ADA or DA as soon as possible before the tournament. This year, we are accepting books starting TODAY (6-20-22). The tournament(s) start in one week from today. The last day you can turn in your book is Sunday June 26th at noon. If you turn your book in at noon on the 26th, only gives you a matter of hours to do any corrections before the first games start. What happens to all the documentation and my book? The tournament officials review each piece of documentation in the book when you turn it in to them. They verify each piece. The tournament director then keeps the book in a safe place at or near the playing fields in case there is any protest about any player and their eligibility. IF a team is eliminated, the book is returned to the manager for delivery back to the team, parents, or league official. If the team prevails and wins the tournament, additional documentation is added by the Tournament Director, ADA, or DA, and the book is given to the manager of the winning team for the tournament. The book then travels up to the next level of play (state tournament, regional, or World Series), and the book is turned over to the tournament director there. The process is repeated until the team is eliminated or they have become champion at the highest level of play their division has (state for some, world series for others). For preparing the book, here are some details and links: https://www.littleleague.org/tournament-resources/tournament-affidavit-faq/ https://www.littleleague.org/university/articles/steps-for-completing-the-li ttle-league-international-tournament-affidavit/ (video) https://www.littleleague.org/tournament-resources/ https://llwadistrict9.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019_Affidavit_Process_ D9.pdf (VERY HELPFUL!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlsYfYMlbk4 (Another Video) https://www.littleleague.org/forms-publications/#new-and-updated (lots of different forms) https://www.littleleague.org/help-center/international-tournament-faqs/ https://www.txdistrict13littleleague.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2738481 How one league does it Please have your presidents and league player agents review this information - it contains all that is needed to accurately prepare the "book". How can I turn in my book now? In District 5 and 13 there are ways to get your book turned in early. The DAs and ADAs (District Administrator and Assistant District Administrator) can take books starting today. Their contact numbers and emails are below to get in touch with them to turn your book in. The Tournament Directors will be able to accept books starting on Friday, June 24th at noon, but that's starting to cut it close. To turn your books in any time this week: DA - JP - 509-288-0141, jarel(a)jpiworldwide.com <mailto:jarel@jpiworldwide.com> , or drop them off at 2310 N. Swing Lane, Liberty Lake Wa. 99019 (between the hours of 8:30 and 4:30 Mon-Fri). ADA Dist 13 - Stacy Ashcroft , stacyashcroft09(a)gmail.com <mailto:stacyashcroft09@gmail.com> , 509-294-5341 (Cheney) ADA Dist 5 - Brennan Moore, br3nnan.moore(a)gmail.com <mailto:br3nnan.moore@gmail.com> , 509-499-7827 (Dayton) You can also call the DA or ADAs ANY TIME for questions, help, etc. You can also turn the materials in on Friday the 24th to the Tournament Directors Liberty Lake - Steve Raab, Steve Raab president(a)riverviewlittleleague.com <mailto:president@riverviewlittleleague.com> Asotin County - Rachel Rinard or Craig Stein Rachel Rinard rachel(a)sylvanfurniture.net <mailto:rachel@sylvanfurniture.net> , Craig Stein 'Craig Stein' cjstein66(a)yahoo.com <mailto:cjstein66@yahoo.com> Again, reaching out early is the key to a smooth tournament experience! This is probably the best cycle of tournament in all of youth sports. Teams spend all season preparing to enter this cycle. It showcases how well leagues operate and how they train their coaches, managers, and players to be competitive, sportsmanlike, and good baseball players. In both districts we are striving to improve the District level of playing experience each year. This year is a big year for both districts and lets all work together to make it a great experience for the players and families! Regards, JP DA W5/13

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JP's Report from Little League Congress and District Tournament
by jarel＠jpiworldwide.com 17 Jun '22

17 Jun '22

All, I wanted to toss my 2 cents in after attending Congress in Williamsport this past week. Yep, I was there representing both District 5 and District 13. It's a big "change" year for Little League, and given the issues in Ukraine - there were some interesting conversations around Congress. (I bought a T-Shirt that supports Ukraine Little League, I can get you in contact with the ADA there if you want to support them - the T-Shirts are $25 each. their DA is fighting on the front lines and the ADA (Assistant District Administrator) was there reporting to Congress about what is going on in Ukraine with Little League). But I bought the shirt, and it's cool. Let me know if you want one -- -I'll send you the ADA's name - he'll mail one out to you. Also we held a moment of silence for the shooting victims in Uvalde. Of the 17 kids that were killed, 10 of them were Little Leaguers. What happened there, and in all school shootings is just wrong. the horrible nature of the tragedy was driven home when the DA of that District came forward to accept a gift from LL International ($5000) and prayers from the attendees. The other thing Little League did was send down mental health specialists to work with the kids and parents of the school to help them cope with the loss. Tough. Just plain tough. As a country we need to figure out how to stop anyone who thinks it's a good idea to shoot up a school. It's inconceivable we have let our society get to that point. But here we are. The bulk of the sessions were about how Little League is adapting to changing culture around the world, and in the US. We forget the immensity of the Little League organization and that Little League, while distinctly American and founded in Williamsport, has grown to be the largest youth sports organization in the WORLD. There are immense considerations that the executive management of Little League have to wrap their heads around to keep kids playing and volunteers involved. There were several items of discussion in panels, meetings, and presentations. No vote was held this Congress, as they wanted the DAs to go back to their Districts and ponder the recommended changes to the rules, policies, and operations of Little League. The voting will be held in about 2 weeks. In general, the focus of Little League has not changed. Their goal is to get kids playing, guided in the ways of being responsible citizens, good team members, and generally better people. For the most part, Little League has been more about that, with just a little focus on playing baseball. Baseball has been the vehicle to carry kids to a better adulthood. I don't think that part has changed, how we are going to get there may be changing. Items that were discussed - in brief: 1. DA Selection - Williamsport is tired of DAs in underperforming Districts that are not serving their leagues. They want DAs that develop the Districts, and the leagues within those Districts, or they want the DA gone. They figure the kids, families, and communities are not being served if the DA is lazy. So they suggested some plans for us to vote on regarding appointment/assignment, and evaluation of DAs in a District. I think it's necessary to have the DAs held to a standard, and to enforce that standard. when Little League operates as it should, the players, families, and communities. Williamsport wants to be able to come in, remove a DA, and replace them with someone (the leagues may not have voted in). The difference between now and what they are proposing is that the leagues would not necessarily vote on the DA for their District. it would be an assignment from Williamsport. I'm good either way, so long as the DA builds the District and holds leagues to a standard, and brings the resources to the table to get the Leagues improving. how we get there, I don't care. 2. Rules Changes - There were several rules changes discussed. Most significant were the "tournament" philosophy for teenage divisions, DH rule, coaches in the dugout during tournament time. In general most DAs liked the idea of going back to 3 adults in the dugout regardless of the roster size. DH rule was split down the middle some liked it, some did not. The majority of the DAs liked the idea of a "tournament" travel team style schedule for the teenage divisions (in other words, let the regular season be comprised of a series of tournaments on weekends like travel ball, with the occasional league game). This competes more with travel ball. And finally, leaving the base early in Majors. again split down the middle, with many DAs liking the penalty for leaving the base early being an OUT. Seems tough, but certainly changes the type of game being played. Also, they discussed the intentional walk rule. some amendments were suggested to all of these so we are anxiously awaiting the amendments, and the ballot on the rules. 3. Boundary Rules - The concept here is to do away with boundaries. They identified a few more rules to keep the "recruiting" down, but this is a definite departure from the "standard" Little League line. The idea is to have NO boundaries. When a player registers in T-Ball, or whatever division they first enter a team in that becomes their "home league". To transfer out of that league, they would have to do 2 things. first get permission from the President and Board to transfer to another league, and second, they would have to sit out a year on the transfer. They could "red shirt" which means they could play and practice regular season games, but would not be tournament eligible. After listening to the discussions around this, it seems as if it trips over the "soul" of Little League being the home town community league vs. being essentially better organized travel ball. We'll see how this one turns out. IT definitely opens the door to more "travel ball" style play. but goes against the grain of Little League's long held community first mantra. These are the "big" categories. most of which seemed to make a lot of people mad on one side or the other. Even the CEO Steven Keener asked us to open up our minds and come up with suggestions on how to implement a more flexible Little League structure. We saw the new logo for Little League unveiled (again), and talked about how to push the LL Brand out to more people. We also attended sessions on conflict resolution in your leagues, techniques and resources for coaches development (OUR DISTRICTS need this), players mental health, how to develop GRIT in your players, coaching staff, and volunteers, and more. Now to our District Tournament - as a District I look at the District tournament as a way to show off the leagues to the communities and reward kids for their hard work all season. Most parents look at it like a hassle. We need to work to change our culture and focus on District tournament from the very first board meeting of the year. Why ? Because it is a prize to be attained that helps the leagues grow, find volunteers, and develop a better environment for the player. When the goals are clearly defined, agreed upon, and the path there is open to all, then everyone benefits. How do they benefit? The kids have fun, they learn stuff, and the community coaleseces around something they can all work with - Little League Baseball. The boards have to be functioning and thinking correctly, the players have to be able to develop, and the parents need to be involved. That takes effort, planning, and commitment. If it is done right, the Leagues prosper and more people enjoy the season. I am training up 2 new DAs that will be involved with the District Tournaments this year. Stacy Ashcroft in District 13, and Brennan Moore in District 5. I am going to be pressed to execute the District effort at tournament time and I am relying heavily on these two to carry some of the weight. They can review affidavits, help settle protests, and administer the tournaments with the Tournament Directors. They have met many of the "big wigs" in Williamsport and Western Region and are learning the DA "ropes". Please lean on them for information and details about the tournament. Remember the President's meeting and Manager's meeting on Sunday the 26th.. The schedules have been published. We hope to grow the Districts and tournament each year! See you all at Districts! Regards JP DA WA5/13

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Help with tournament affidavits
by jarel＠jpiworldwide.com 16 Jun '22

16 Jun '22

All, We are getting a ton of questions about tournament affidavits - here is a handy guide: https://www.littleleague.org/university/articles/steps-for-completing-the-li ttle-league-international-tournament-affidavit/ Regards JP DA WA5/13

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Tournament Rules from Williamsport
by jarel＠jpiworldwide.com 16 Jun '22

16 Jun '22

All, Please find attached the basic tournament rules from Williamsport that we will be following during District Tournament. These may be added to or modified based on local playing conditions, constraints, or other situations as approved by Williamsport and Western Region. Please review these with your boards and managers/team parents/coaches I wanted to let you know that we now have an ADA (Assistant District Administrator) in both District 5 and 13. D13 - Stacy Ashcroft, currently president of West Plains Little League - Cheney D5 - Brennan Moore, currently president of Touchet Valley Little League - Dayton As ADA they have the authority upon my proxy to sign and review tournament documents, proctor tournaments, work through protests, and provide guidance on Little League rule, policy, and other operational efforts. For those of you needing to drop your books off early, they both are available for drop off. I will review their work to ensure they have properly adjudicated the affidavit process. You may contact either one of them at: Stacy - D13 Stacy Ashcroft stacyashcroft09(a)gmail.com <mailto:stacyashcroft09@gmail.com> , 509-294-5341 Brennan - D5 Brennan Moore br3nnan.moore(a)gmail.com <mailto:br3nnan.moore@gmail.com> , 509-499-7827 Please feel free to reach out to them if you would like your books reviewed earlier than when I plan to be at the tournament sites. Because I am DA over 2 Districts, and both tournaments are going simultaneously, and they are somewhat separated geographically, I am going to alternate which days I am at what site. During the time when I am absent the Tournament Directors (Steve Raab - LLLL D13, Rachel Rinard/Craig Stein D5) will act as tournament directors and provide oversight along with the ADA for that District. Teams In the Brackets So far we have the following brackets playing by District D5 8-10 (Minors) 10-11 Majors D13 8-10 (Minors) 10-11 Majors Teams Advancing without play: D5 Intermediate - Pullman Juniors - Touchet Valley 8-10 Softball - Othello Majors Softball - Othello D13 Intermediate - West Plains We may make a slight change in the schedule, although it's not confirmed yet. We may move the PRESIDENT'S meeting in D13 to Tuesday the 28th, although, we may not. just trying to balance between having to be at two places at the same time. We may attempt a giant "Zoom" call - Who knows - I'll figure it out. We have medals for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place finishes, pins for every participant, and banners for District Champions that play in the tournament per each division. Those Advancing Without Play will receive pins as they represent the District at State. Thanks to all of you working in the trenches to produce your local League All-Star team. the more you do this, the more you will gain volunteers, families, and players. See you all soon! Regards JP DA WA5/13

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Little League Congress Recap!
by Stacy Ashcroft 16 Jun '22

16 Jun '22

We have made it home safely from the trip to Williamsport - and have had some time to rest and recover from the busy week at Congress. I enjoyed sharing some of the information gained with all of you - and I hope that in the years to come, we can all work together to develop our leagues and our District. It is true that District 13 has incredible potential. We have all had to navigate having the Spokane Indians operating in our communities - but I truly believe that the Little League Program is far superior to what the Indians have to offer. Anything that is driven by the power of volunteers and love for the community has unlimited potential. We have already seen players choosing to return to their local little league programs, as they are recognizing the value of the Little League program. I know that we all are fully invested and pretty busy with the day-to-day operations of our own league. For me, it often feels like a full-time job! But after this week at Congress, my mindset has grown. I have realized that by deliberately taking time to think bigger picture, we have the potential to improve our leagues and create less work for ourselves in the long run. Investing time and energy in developing a vision that will help our leagues run more efficiently. Investing in recognition and community involvement creates a positive image of our leagues in our communities. Developing our leagues in such a way that amazing volunteers and businesses find us and want to be a part of the programs we have created. And if we can put our brains together at the district level, that organization and efficiency will benefit all of our leagues as well. Little League is about growing people - at all levels of the organization. It is about teaching kids valuable life skills through the games of baseball and softball. It is about investing in the youth of today with the hopes of building a better tomorrow! And when we begin to implement our programs with this in mind, I believe that amazing things will happen. I am looking forward to investing more of my time at the district level - with the goal of helping all of our leagues grow and improve. I hope that you will join me! Thank you all! Stacy Ashcroft ADA Disrict 13 West Plains Little League President president(a)westplainslittleleague.com 509-294-5341

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Little League Congress Update
by Stacy Ashcroft 13 Jun '22

13 Jun '22

The learning continues as we approach the end of Little League Congress! To be honest, as things are wrapping up, I find myself processing a lot of information in a wide variety of ways. Yesterday and today, we attended a variety of sessions meant to help us understand Little League as an organization, its history, and its future. I have talked with many league presidents in District 13 over the years - and I feel that we all have a good understanding of the overall mission of Little League - To build strong contributing members of our communities through the games of baseball and softball. We use youth sports as a vehicle to build our communities by positively investing in our youth. I love this mission! I love knowing that as we give of our time and talents, we are providing positive experiences for the children of our community that have the potential to be life-changing. I appreciate that Little League, as an organization, is bigger than the games of baseball and softball. As a volunteer, I know that I am much more inclined to pour my energies into an organization that shares my own values and mission as I try and give back to our communities. With that being said - there are a variety of areas that I see Little League moving in directions that give me pause. I see the organization re-structuring and adjusting to meet the demands they feel are being pressed upon them as a whole. As I ponder these things - I pause - and I think about whether my investment in the program will be impacted if the Little League Organization goes in a direction that I don't personally agree with. And after much thought - I realized that at the core, Little League is and will always be about the kids. and that is something that I can always get behind. I also recognize the value in knowing the direction that Little League is headed - so that we can each ensure that we are structuring and building our leagues in a way that honors the ultimate mission of Little League and the core values we hold as individual leagues. We have talked about the importance of building culture, branding, recognition, coach and player support, and always putting kids first. I am looking forward to processing all the information I have taken in over the last few days to hopefully contribute to the building of District 13 and better support for each of our leagues. Thank you for all you have done over the years to provide these Little League experiences for the youth in your communities. Truly, you are all making an investment into the lives of children that will last far beyond their time at the ball field. -- Stacy Ashcroft District 13 ADA stacyashcroft09(a)gmail.com 509-294-5341

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Little League Congress Day 2
by Stacy Ashcroft 12 Jun '22

12 Jun '22

Hi District 13! > > It was another jam-packed day at Little League Congress - and my brain is literally mush. However, there are some important insights that I felt compelled to share - as I embrace this idea that Little League is so much bigger than any of us have really considered. > > Historically, we have all operated pretty independently of one another. The District comes into play when we have summer All Stars and that's about it. However, sitting here in Williamsport, everything is about the District. Every discussion item revolves around how the district operates. District Administrators proudly talk about how their district operates and how many leagues they have in their district. A healthy district has healthy leagues... and I am realizing that by working together as a district, we have a great opportunity to improve each of our individual leagues. > > Many of us have worked together in new ways this year, as we have embraced interleague play at certain divisions! I know that for WPLL, being able to interleague at various levels was incredibly valuable. We would not have had Intermediate without interleague play. We would not have had majors softball. Learning more about the Little League structure and rules has really helped our league - and I hope that your leagues have benefited as well. The point is.. Interleaguing is only the tip of the iceberg. I am realizing that we have a lot of great people with great ideas across our District - and the more that we become educated and work together at the district level, the better off each of our own leagues will be! > > Today's Congress was a series of panels meant to educate attendees on the proposed rule changes that will be voted on by all DAs in a couple of weeks. We talked about changing the structure of teenage divisions, whether we allow coaches to warm up a pitcher, eliminating league boundaries, appointing a DA vs. electing them, and much more. The conversations I heard around me were varied - but what I realized is that even huge thriving districts face many of the same challenges we face. The same concerns we have are shared by leagues and districts all over the world. > > There was also a real sense that Little League feels the need to adjust and mold to compete better with travel ball. Many of the topics focused on creating flexibility in Little League in order to be more appealing to potential travel ball players. I honestly felt concerned about this. I recognize the value of having more flexibility. But I also think that in our current culture, holding tight to the values that make Little League special is really important. Volunteer lead - a focus on citizenship, sportsmanship and community - helping kids learn valuable life lessons through a sports program that promotes integrity. So, my thoughts as I listened to the discussion were that we need to be more flexible, but we need to make sure that we are carrying the values of Little League into the travel ball world... and not being consumed by the travel ball mentality. > > Honestly, my brain is spinning with information. I was sitting next to DAs from Norway, Switzerland, and Lithuania. They told me that their districts run quite different from our districts in the states - and they don't face many of the same challenges. But they make the trip over seas to be at congress, to see what information they might gain that will help their districts to be successful. My brain is being stretched - and filled with ideas - and I truly feel that we can really build some great baseball and softball in District 13 if we can recognize the value in working together! And remaining focused on what is truly important. THE KIDS!! > > I am truly grateful for the opportunity to attend Little League Congress - and I think the future is bright for our district - especially if we can work together! Stacy Ashcroft ADA District 13 Stacyashcroft09(a)gmail.com 509-294-5341

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Little League Congress - Williamsport!
by Stacy Ashcroft 11 Jun '22

11 Jun '22

Hello District 13 - This is Stacy Ashcroft - President of West Plains Little League - and ADA for District 13. I know that many of you were on the ZOOM Call when JP mentioned Little League Congress and that he hoped the ADA might attend! Well - I made it - and I wanted to share a little about the experience with you all. I am not sure how many people from District 13 have attended Little League Congresses in the past - but I do know that since the creation of WPLL in 2004, I am the first WPLL person to attend a congress. I feel incredibly humble and grateful to be in Williamsport, the home of Little League - learning more about the Little League organization as a whole. Today - we registered for Congress, toured the Little League Museum and the World Series ball fields and attended the opening convocation. While I have always held a deep respect for Little League, I will tell you that I feel quite blessed to be part of an organization with such history. Our District is really brand new, when compared to the longevity of Little League as a whole. I think that this should encourage all of us, as we take on the day to day operations of our league... We have so much room for growth! The value that Little League places on serving, volunteering, and building community are quite impressive. I have always valued service - but it has been an eye-opening experience to sit in the room with individuals who have quite literally invested 50-60 years into building community through the Little League program. We are all limited by our own individual experiences related to Little League - and my mind has been stretched to see the investments we are making in a brand new light. We each have our own struggles and issues that we are facing in our own leagues - but I truly believe that if we can band together, learn from each other - and really embrace the idea that we are leaving a lasting impact on our communities, I think that we can all contribute to building a strong District 13. I am excited and encouraged and I hope that someday, you all can have the experience of a Little League Congress. It truly is remarkable. Thank you all so much for being a part of bringing Little League to your communities. It can feel exhausting and thankless at times - but I am convinced that we are making a difference, far greater than any of us realize! Let's PLAY BALL! Here are some pictures from today! I am so thankful to get to experience this! Stacy Ashcroft District 13 ADA WPLL President

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District 13 TOurnament Notes
by jarel＠jpiworldwide.com 08 Jun '22

08 Jun '22

All, Sending the Tournament notes again Thanks JP DA WA5/13

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