All,

 

I have received this from the Director of Little League Western Region concerning operations in District 13. As most of you know, D13 had a pretty weak showing last year compared to other districts in the state. See the email sent by Western Region at the bottom of this email by me.

 

So, I would like to be involved in the Board selection process this year. I’d also like to map out a direction for District 13 and get all the leagues on board. My goal is to get league operations more “in-line” with Little League standards and goals. To that end we will have a district wide meeting at a meeting room in Spokane the later part of October. ALL Presidents will need to attend, and ALL Board members that want to attend are invited. I just need an RSVP so I know what to plan for in terms of lunch, refreshments, materials etc. If you as president cannot attend, then please send a proxy from the Board that can carry a vote. I will outline some of the things we need to work on below… I am looking at the last Saturday in October for District 13. The venue has not been selected yet, but most likely in a hotel meeting/conference room in Spokane.

 

In short, the performance of the league operations in District 13 have been substandard – some of it can be attributed to pandemic issues, but all other districts in the state faced the same issues and were able to meet LL standards and goals. I want to reinforce some of those standards for 2022. It starts with the board selections and the by-laws operation of the leagues. As you all prepare for Board elections (which should be held in October at the latest), please let me know the date as I would like to attend the general meetings where the boards are elected, and I would like to address the attendees for the meeting.

 

Here are some standards that need to be enforced during the election process:

 

  1. Board members cannot have an interest in ANY OTHER baseball program other than Little League (they cannot be part of a travel team, be part of the Spokane Indians youth baseball program, etc). The reason for this is that in legal terms it creates a “conflict of interest”. You cannot sit on the board of one organization that competes with a different organization in the same or similar field. A Board member must be dedicated to the operation of Little League, and to the programs and by-laws approved by Williamsport, subject to the state of Washington law.
  2. Boards need to be comprised of at least 7 members, and 11-13 is preferred. To that end, there are descriptions of what those positions can and should  do on the Little League website.
  3. Board operations have to comply with both Washington State guidelines and Little League guidelines. There are legal ramifications to sitting on a board, and if you as a board operate outside those boundaries, then you remove any legal protections that a board may have from liabilities that are incurred during operations of a league. To that end Board members need to understand what the boundaries are for operations.
  4. I am keenly interested in the treasury. Most of you did not file a financial report for 2019, 2020, and now, 2021. I want to be very clear on this, financial accountability in a league is paramount to good operations. Transparency and accuracy are of prime importance. It is also a requirement of Little League International to report finances each year and treasury operations. We will start by getting the finances apparent, and correct.

 

There are other goals I would like to see accomplished in District 13 in 2022.

 

First, we need better board participation. It can’t be “us four and no more” thinking. Smaller towns are notorious for building “dynasties” on Boards, and by process of “selection” it’s the same people all the time, and the participation in the Board usually dwindles because of poor management and poor motivation. People don’t think they contribute because it’s the same 4 people running things. The same four people always say “No one else does anything and its up to us to get things done”. That’s because you don’t let people do things, OR you select the wrong people to the board. People get selected to a Board correctly when they understand the work load, the expectations, and they can legitimately commit to that level of work, and their input is valued by the entire board. A poor board also has problems getting volunteers, umpires, managers, coaches,

 

Next, if you don’t feel you can do any better than what you did last year, or in the last five years… think about stepping aside. We need leaders on Boards that are committed to excellence, and not “average” or “just OK”. We need excellent, great, “better and better”. If you truly think you are doing this for “the kids” – then average is not ok. If you don’t think your program can be better, step aside. If you don’t have time to do it right, step aside. If you think the Little League program is not good… step aside. I have communicated with Little League and some folks within District 13 about all of this and have considered everything from disbanding leagues to re-drawing league boundaries. I want excellent. There is no reason we can’t triple our league participation, and have programs that truly serves our kids and our communities. We just need boards that want to make that happen.

 

I don’t want to see the focus of the end of the season to be some other tournament than districts. This does not serve Little League. This is also a conflict of interest. I don’t want to see leagues turn kids away (this has happened in 13). I want to see leagues sprouting new divisions, softball, Challengers, and sending teams to state that have battled through a tough district tournament.

 

I also don’t give much credence to “competition” or other leagues. Little League is the best youth baseball program going. I have talked to dozens of parents in the last 2 years about Spokane Indians Youth Baseball. They hated it once they got into it. Why? Their kid didn’t play. I have converted Cal Ripken leagues to Little League in the last 3 years. Why? Because Little League is better structured and there is more post-season exposure for Little league players. And I believe competition is good and that if Little League is operated properly, the leagues are very attractive to parents and players alike.

 

So what I would like to see in 2022:

 

  1. Better Boards
  2. A fully functional District Staff (Volunteers to help with District Treasury, Coaching Clinics, ADAs, Umpire-in-Chief, Safety Officer and more)
  3. Intermediate Teams
  4. Softball Programs in every league
  5. Juniors Teams
  6. District participation at tournament time by EVERY LEAGUE.
  7. Coaching Clinics
  8. Board Clinics

 

I’ll do my part, you all need to focus on yours. I will set the venue shortly, once I start getting RSVPs for who and how many are attending the last Saturday in October. Lets focus on building better in 2022.

 

JP

DA District 13

Washington Little League

 

From: April Meehleder <ameehleder@littleleague.org>
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2021 4:02 PM
To: jarel@jpiworldwide.com; jarel@rodeotv.net
Subject: District 13 Annual Elections

 

Hi JP,

 

I hope you are well and had a great tournament season! How are your Fall Ball programs doing?

 

I have a favor to ask, I would really like the District’s help overseeing the local elections in District 13. I know we have some great opportunities to grow these leagues. I would like to make sure all leagues have the following:

 

  1. Updated Constitution, approved by the membership and sent to Region for approval: https://www.littleleague.org/downloads/constitution-sample/
  2. Local League Bylaws/Rules: Preparing Local Little League Bylaws - Little League
  3. Hold annual meeting and local elections per their constitution and Little League guidelines. Local League Election Procedures - Little League
  4. Following elections, updated their board information in Data Center.

 

Do you think you can help us with this? I really hope we can grow these programs and maximize playing opportunities in D13 this year. Please feel free to share with your leagues as well. I am happy to answer any questions and look forward to a great 2022 season.

 

Best Regards,

 

 

April Meehleder

West Region Operations Managing Director

Little League International

 

p. 909-887-6444 x4110

a. 6707 Little League Drive, San Bernardino, CA 92407

w. LittleLeague.org