Horizon Little League: Welcome

The rosters for this season's Majors, Minors and Farm divisions have been released. Please see the attached document for a listing by team for these divisions. This season there five teams in Majors and Minors and six teams in the Farm division.

UPDATE Teams in the Rookie and Intro to Baseball divisions have also been announced and are in the attached document. T-ball division teams are being finalized and will be released soon. If you are interested in manging or coaching a team in this division please contact us at playball@horizonlittleleague.com.  

Remember to join HLL to kick off the 2012 spring season and “Meet your Team & Coach” at AZ Airtime on February 21st. All kids and parents are encouraged to attend. 

Kick off the 2012 spring season and “Meet your Team & Coach” at AZ Airtime on February 21st. All kids and parents are encouraged to attend! Come find out more about Horizon Little League and our exciting spring season.  HLL Board Members, Managers, Coaches and Divisional VPs on hand to answer all of your questions!

Jump Times/Divisional Meetings

Prices for two hours of jump time:
8 and Older - $12* (includes foam pit)
7 and Younger - $9* (includes foam pit)

* 20% of the proceeds go back to our league!

AZ Airtime is located at 13802 N Scottsdale Rd #145 Scottsdale, AZ 85254 (480) 427-2000

The annual Safety Clinic is required for at least one representative form each team (manager, coaches or team parent) and all team volunteers are encouraged to attend. This clinic will be conducted by the Scottsdale Fire Department and will include hands only CPR training.

• Date: Saturday, February 25, 2012
• Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
• Location: Horizon Community Center

The Volunteer Meeting is required for at least one volunteer per team (preferably the team parent, but managers, coaches and other volunteers are welcome). The volunteer meeting will cover all aspects of the season and requirements of each team in regards to sponsorships, opening and closing ceremonies and in-season events.

• Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
• Time: 6:30pm
• Location: Horizon Community Center

If you have any questions about either event please e-mail playball@horizonlittleleague.com. 

DICK’S SPORTING GOODS SPECIAL OFFERS

Dick’s Sporting Goods is offering some great deals to stock up on apparel and equipment for the upcoming season. The attached coupons (page 2) can be used at any Dick’s Sporting Goods location. Follow the link to download your coupons and league appreciation event flyer. http://bit.ly/horizonll_shopFeb4 Also, enter to win $500 in gift cards by entering Dick’s Sporting Goods MVP of the Week contest at http://www.dicksmvp.com.

BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER

Big 5 Sporting Goods is offering a special limited time offer at any of their Arizona locations. The local store for Horizon Little League is located at 14987 North Northsight Blvd in Scottsdale. This special offer is available from February 20^th through February 29^th and Big 5 will donate 5% of your purchase back to the league. Use the attached coupon to get your savings and help donate money back to the league.

As a non-profit organization Horizon Little League strives on an annual basis to deliver a quality service to our members while balancing the expenses of the league with the revenue generated. Each year the Board of Directors establishes a budget for the season (both spring and fall) based on previous year performance, known cost increases (and decreases) and the forecasted number of players and sponsors. The attached pie chart highlights the main drivers of both revenue and expense for the league.

Expenses to manage the league have been actively managed by the Board over the past two seasons with upward pressure from several major drivers of expense. As seen in the above graphs, the majority of expense is associated with:

• Field allocation from the City of Scottsdale and the City of Phoenix
• Major League Baseball licensed uniforms
• Umpires for Minor and Major divisions
• District and National Little League fees

Registration fees by age/division are set based on the cost per player in each division. For example, T-ball fees are $126 this season and the cost per player in that division is roughly $130 (from all expense lines other than umpires, all-star expenses and part of the field expense). The intent is to offer registration fees at or below the expense per player in each division and make up the rest through other revenue sources.

Revenue for the league comes from three primary sources:

• Registration fees
• Sponsorships and donations
• Fundraising events

There have been increases to registration fees in the past two seasons driven by increasing expenses and flat sponsorships and donations. In fact through cost savings the league has been able to decrease expenses by 10% per player while only realizing a 2% increase in revenue per player to achieve a breakeven financial performance.

There continues to be great value at Horizon Little League compared to other youth sports in the area including:

• MLB licensed premium uniforms for the comfort and enjoyment of the players
• Minimum $23 value Arizona Diamondbacks ticket included in registration fees, league partnership with Lil D’backs program and participation in Little League Day ay Chase Field.
• High quality local fields for players to play and practice on
• Minimum of 3-4 days of practices and games each week
• High quality trained managers and coaches (clinics conducted by Coach Eric Kibler from Horizon High School each year and a newly added Positive Coaches Alliance training program)
• All volunteers are background checked to ensure safety of players. Coaches and managers required to certify completion of concussion training.
• Safety Plan in place with mandatory safety training.
• Admission to Opening Day and Closing Ceremony community events.

The Board of Directors seeks transparency of the league’s financial performance to our membership. If you have any questions or comments related to the league’s revenues or expenses please contact us at playball@horizonlittleleague.com.

Arizona District 5 Coaching Clinic on Sunday, March 4^th in Tucson, AZ! Al Price (Big Al) is an international trainer, teacher, author and coach and has presented hands on training sessions to over 180,000 coaches and managers and over 50,000 players.  His son Scott has recently graduated with a teaching degree after playing college baseball in Texas, and together will team up to provide the instruction again in 2012!!

All volunteer coaches, managers and parents in Horizon Little League are invited to participate in the Arizona District 5 Coaching Clinic on Sunday, March 4^th in Tucson, AZ!

The hands on training sessions are designed to help coaches, managers and parents teach the skills, correct common mistakes, plan and run active practices, leverage effective drills and fun competitions, and organize proper warms and pre-game activities.  Whether the participants are first time volunteers or veteran coaches they will come away with more confidence, proven approaches to developing every player on their team plus a set of practice and game plans they will be able to implement immediately.

For complete details on the 2 Coaching Clinic Sessions, please go to www.bigalbaseball.com/clinics.    (If you are from outside of Arizona District 5 coaches, parents and individuals can register at the door of the clinic for $25.00/person or register your League for $200.00 and send ALL of your coaches, managers and parents to the Big Al Clinic!)

Scott and Al have also authored a complete set of training resources that match the curriculum and instruction at the clinic.  If you are not able to attend but would like to order your own set of the Little League approved training resources please go to www.bigalbaseball.com/store. 

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national nonprofit organization committed to providing all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience. Horizon Little League is proud to partner with PCA to deliver enhanced training and development to coaches and managers in all divisions. Our partnership will provide on-line training for managers and coaches in addition to the baseball specific training they receive from Coach Eric Kibler in his coaching clinics. We believe that this additional investment in the development of our coaching staff will add to the experience that parents and players receive while participating in HLL. The PCA training includes:

• Professionally produced online courses of approximately 60-90 minutes featuring videos from top athletes and coaches including Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers, Julie Foudy and Dusty Baker
• Solutions that feature proven, research-based tools that can be easily and immediately implemented.
• Access to a specially designed website that provides tools and resources
• Informative and topical e-mails that provide ongoing reinforcement opportunities and continuing education
• Support for specific issues that may arise
• Tips on best practices from other partners

PCA courses are mandated by numerous national groups and endorsed by Little League International, US Lacrosse, USA Rugby and American Youth Soccer Organization. These courses receive rave reviews for their effectiveness and ease of use.

More information will be communicated to managers, coaches and parents as the season begins. Watch the website for updates and materials. For additional information about PCA and their success stories, please visit http://www.positivecoach.org/.

Horizon Little League is proud to announce a formal partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks and their Lil’ DBacks program with the 2012 Spring Season. Our league membership provides great benefits for the league and all members including:

• One ticket for every player to the Little League Day game on 4/22 at Chase Field between the Diamondbacks and the Atlanta Braves (included in registration fee)
• Free seat upgrade option for players with family purchased tickets to this game.
• Parade on field prior to the game.
• Discounts to DBacks Academy camps and clinics.
• Membership for players to No Chew Crew and APS Renewables Kids Club (free Sunday tickets available for players through these clubs, see booth at Chase Field for details).
• Autographed Diamondbacks memorabilia, Diamondbacks suites, View Batting Practice Experience and premium seats available for purchase at the Opening Day auction.

The sale of tickets to the Little League Day game also generates funds for the league through our arrangement with the Diamondbacks. More information about tickets sales will be available after the start of the season.

Major League Baseball and the Arizona Diamondbacks have been long standing sponsors of Little League Baseball and we are pleased to deepen the relationship and the value it provides to our membership.

In an effort to provide timely information on bat rules, Little League International today announced the bat specifications and standards for the 2012 season. Here are the highlights (the actual text of the 2012 baseball bat rules can be found here):

• For the Little League Major Baseball Division and below: The moratorium on composite-barreled baseball bats remains in effect. However, some composite-barreled baseball bats that have been proven in laboratory testing to meet the BPF (Bat Performance Factor) standard throughout the life of the bat, through the Accelerated Break-In (ABI) process, have received waivers. That list is here: Licensed/Approved Composite 2 1/4 Bats.

Note that in the Little League Majors Baseball Division and below, there is no limit on the “drop” weight of any bat.

• For Junior League Baseball: The rule was updated to reflect the changes that were anticipated and published two years ago regarding bats with 2 5/8 inch barrels. As a result, composite-barreled baseball bats in this division, regardless of barrel size, must meet BBCOR (Batted Ball Co-Efficient of Restitution) standards, and must be so labeled. Note that all composite-barreled baseball bats that meet the BBCOR standard have a “drop” of no more than “minus-3.” However, in the Junior League Baseball division, bats that do not have composite materials in the barrel (i.e., all metal, all alloy, all wood), and meet all other applicable standards, can have ANY drop weight. Bats with a barrel of less than 2 5/8 inches also can be used in the Junior League Baseball Division, but must still comply with all other specifications noted.

• For Senior League Baseball and Big League Baseball: The rule was updated to reflect the changes that were anticipated and published two years ago regarding bats with 2 5/8 inch barrels. As a result, all bats with non-wood barrels must meet BBCOR (Batted Ball Co-Efficient of Restitution) standards, and must be so labeled. Because all BBCOR bats have a “drop” of no more than “minus-3,” this means all non-wood bats in these divisions must have a drop of no more than minus-3.

• Tamper-Evident Bats: Because the technology to create bats that show evidence of tampering is not yet available, this aspect of the rules that was anticipated and published two years ago, and again last year, will not apply in 2012.

• Penalty for Use of an Illegal Bat: Previously, the penalty for the use of an illegal bat was simply to remove the bat from the game. In 2012, the penalty has been increased as noted in the rules below.

• Definition of an Illegal Bat: To narrow the definition of an illegal bat, a new entry was added to Rule 2.00, specifically describing an illegal bat for the purposes of imposing the penalty. As a result, the definition includes altered bats, but excludes a bat that: is no longer smooth because of normal use; is cracked or dented because of normal use; has a handle that has a smaller diameter than the measurement noted in the specifications; or, has material on the grip (or no material) that does not meet the specifications.

• Softball: All rules regarding bats in all softball divisions remain the same as in 2011. The moratorium on composite-barreled bats does not apply to softball.

• Licensed Bats: As it has for decades, Little League is publishing a list of licensed bats, all of which have a barrel diameter of 2 1/4 inches. This is not a list of all bats that can be used. As long as the bat meets all the specifications and standards for the specific division of play in question, it need not carry the Little League trademark. (Note that Little League does not license any bats with a diameter of 2 5/8 inches.) The list of licensed 2 1/4 bats can be downloaded as a PDF here: All Licensed 2 1/4 Bats.