Hi All, I am sending this message to get some feedback as we start finalizing things for the State Tournament for the Majors. I need your input ASAP. Here is my thinking: We have a league in District 13 that is interested in hosting the tournament. It's in Deer Park Washington. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Deer+Park,+WA+99006/@47.921436,-117.388698 2,9.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x5361ff6fffabe849:0x280f94f497c48a1a!8m2!3d47.95433 75!4d-117.476891 to see where it is. I have also attached a Google Earth file so you can see where the fields are. right across from the High School in Deer Park. They host a big wooden bat tournament each year, so they have the understanding of how to put on a good tournament. I am gonna ask Jim Wheat for some of his helpers name and phones numbers so they can help teach the folks in Deer Park about putting on a good Little League Tournament. My reasoning for leaving the tournament in District 13 instead of sending it down to District 5 is that for years District 13 kind of "languished". There is little interest in doing any more than what is absolutely necessary for Little League here and the attitudes of the presidents is poor. they seem VERY defeated. So a good state tournament where they can all pitch-in and get reconnected to all things Little League may help Little League in the Spokane area in general (otherwise I have three leagues in District 5 chomping at the bit to host the 12 year olds). I think holding the 12u Tournament in Spokane/surrounding area would help LL here tremendously. I have two areas that are talking to me about starting new leagues in the Spokane area and this may be the thing that moves them to get on board.. Deer Park is a small town. It's about 15-20 minutes North of Spokane. Finding hotel rooms would have to be a "Spokane" thing.they have a couple of "lake resorts" , but no major hotel chains in the area. but the wooden bat folks that come their tournament each year house/stay in Spokane and play in Deer Park. Deer Park also doesn't come to Districts at all because they turn their league into a bunch of travel teams after regular season. As part of the "approval" process of letting Deer Park host the tournament, I required that they send at least three teams to Districts this year. Normally there are 2-3 leagues at Districts in Spokane, when their should be 7-8. So they agreed to that. and IF I can get them to come to Districts, I can also get Liberty Lake or Pend Oreille to commit as well I think. Besides the hotel situation, they only have two fields to play on. (They have plenty of practice fields, but two playing fields). They are properly lit so night games could pick up the slack from only having two fields. They have plenty of parking. Concessions shouldn't be a problem. Seating is an issue as they only have small bleachers behind home plate. People would need to bring their own camp chairs after about the first 25 folks or so on each field. The fields are in an acceptable municipal complex.The High School and AD has agreed to let the league use the school building, practice fields, batting cages and everything else necessary as they want to support the league in anyway possible. The league president is doing a good job of getting volunteers to help out and commit to different things to operate the tournament. I don't think manpower is an issue at this point. The president of the league also has contacted the mayor and a couple of city councilors to discuss what needs to be done, and I am supposed to have a conference call with the mayor to see what they can do to help facilitate the tournament. I have a list for him. That call is supposed to happen this week. I told the league president though - "If everything isn't cool by everyone (including the DA group), by mid Feb, we will probably move the tournament down to District 5. Logistically, I think it is going to be "OK", but we may have to do things like put up temporary fencing for the outfield, or bring in porta-potties to meet the demands of those level of crowds. and so forth. Downtown merchants are on-board, newspaper folks, and they are beginning to talk to local radio and tv to see what the possibilities there are. The league is already starting to figure out fun things for the kids and families to do in the area when not playing, and we are borrowing a couple of ideas from other tournaments I have been to in the state. I am asking you all for your opinion, or insight on trying to host a tournament in a smaller location, and if you think I am not thinking of everything that may be overlooked. I have better fields, and more experienced people down in District 5, but I think the need is in District 13. PLEASE COMMENT! Regards JP http://www.jpiworldwide.com +1-509-210-3023 OFC
