Little League Central Region: Region News

The 2012 Central Region Umpire School was held the week of April 14th through the 19th.  16 students representing 5 states were in attendance--Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  Throughout the week, the students participated in sessions on field mechanics, rules and plate work.  They also were able to network with the other students, as well as the staff of volunteer umpires who conducted the clinic. 

Thanks especially to the instructors who volunteered their time to conduct the school:   Jason Kelley, WI-4; Terry Coburn, MI-2; Jerry Millage, IA-2; Diane Wagner, IN-2; Tim Ward, IL-17; Greg Ramos, IN-1, Jamie Hinojosa, MI-5 and Central Region Umpire in Chief, Jeff Knoebel, IN-5. 

Central Region volunteers and Staff gathered on Sunday, September 11th to wish former Central Region Director, Mike Legge, a happy retirement.  A small gathering was held at Mike and wife Sandy's favorite Indianapolis area restaurant, Bellavita Ristorante on Geist Reservoir.  One of the view Indianapolis restuarants situated near water, Bellavita had become one of the Legges' favoriate restaurants during their 6-year-stint in the heart of Indiana. 

Mike and Sandy headed south on Friday, September 16th and arrived home on Tuesday, September 20th.  They are enjoying being back in their house and looking forward to not shoveling any snow this winter.

The Central Region will most certainly miss Mike and Sandy.  We are grateful for the time they spent with us and looking forward to building on the solid foundation they left us with.

By Communications Division
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.
November 15, 2011

Sean Farawell has been named the Assistant Director of Little League’s Central Region, it was announced by Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League Baseball and Softball. The Central Region office, the Reuben F. Glick Little League Center, is located in Indianapolis, Ind.

“During the interview process, Sean exhibited the skills needed to be successful in his position working with our volunteers in the Central Region,” Mr. Keener said. “The addition of his leadership and communication skills to the regional office should help us expand and improve programs while they look to grow participation in both the baseball and softball programs.”

Mr. Farawell, a West Long Branch, N.J., native, is a 2011 graduate of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., where he earned his undergraduate degree in Recreation and Sport Management. As part of his academic requirements, Mr. Farawell was required to complete an internship, which he did with the NBA’s New Jersey Nets. During his six months with the Nets, he worked in ticket sales in a number of different capacities, including working with special events and projects within the department.

A graduate of Shore Regional High School, Mr. Farawell, 22, also worked for seven months with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Single A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.

In his new position with Little League, Mr. Farawell will assist Region Director Nina Johnson with the operation of the region headquarters. Some of those duties will include working with leagues throughout the region to enhance operations, developing and implementing training programs and the operation of tournaments, including the annual Central Region Little League Softball Tournament and the Midwest and Great Lakes Little League Baseball Tournaments.

“I am truly honored to have been appointed to this position by such a tremendous organization,” Mr. Farawell said. “Being partnered with a great staff in the Central Region and relying on my past experience and desire to learn, I plan to be a productive and successful member of the Little League family.”

The Reuben F. Glick Little League Center includes five Little League Division baseball fields, including Alfred Stokely Field and Shirley Ferguson Field, a regulation size baseball field and batting cages. The Center also includes a swimming pool, dormitories, cafeteria and other recreational activity areas. The Central Region Headquarters serves 13 states (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin) and 413,805 Little League players who comprised 27,587 teams in 2011.

“Sean’s educational background and understanding of the sports industry will allow him to quickly become familiar with the Little League program,” Ms. Johnson said. “I look forward to working with him to strengthen Little League in the Central Region.”

By
Communications Division
February 17, 2011

Little League's Central Region, and the Reuben F. Glick Little League Center in Indianapolis, Ind., will have a new, but familiar, director. Mike Legge, who has been the director of one of Little League's five U.S. regional centers since 2006, will retire later this year. His assistant, Nina Johnson, has been named to replace him.

The announcement was made today by Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League Baseball and Softball.

"Mike has served Little League in several different positions during his career and always provided strong leadership while maintaining a professional approach in working with all Little League volunteers," Mr. Keener said. "He also has been an invaluable member of our staff at the Little League Baseball World Series. We wish Mike and his family all the best as he begins another phase of his life."

Ms. Johnson, a 2003 graduate of Ball State University with a bachelor's degree in sport administration, joined the Central Region staff as the Assistant Director in 2006, just eight months after Mr. Legge became the region director. Since then, they have worked together to provide service and support for more than 1,000 local Little League affiliates in the 13 states of the Central Region. They are also responsible for conducting the annual Little League Baseball Midwest and Great Lakes Region Tournaments at the Reuben F. Glick Little League Center.

"Nina has been a strong communicator as Mike's assistant and has exhibited all the necessary skills to earn the promotion to Region Director," Mr. Keener said. "We know she will enhance the strong, and necessary, ties to the volunteers in the Central Region, which will enable Nina and her staff to provide the best service to everyone in the 13 states they direct."

Mr. Legge began his association with Little League as many people do – helping in a local program in which their child participates. In 1983, he volunteered to help coach his son Matthew's first Tee Ball team in the San Carlos/South Fort Myers Little League in Florida.

From that beginning, he served in a variety of capacities including umpire, coach, president, assistant district administrator, district administrator and Southern Region staff umpire. He was one of 12 umpires chosen from around the world who made up the umpiring crew for the 1996 Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

In November of 1996, he was named the Assistant Region Director for the Southern Region office in St. Petersburg, Fla. Then, in 1999, he was selected to lead the Western Region in San Bernardino, Calif., where he served as the Western Region Director until October 2004. Mr. Legge then returned to St. Petersburg serving as League Development Manager for Little League International until January 2006 when his tenure as the Central Region Director began.

Mr. Legge and his wife, Sandy, have four daughters (Jodi, Jami, Angela and Robin), two sons (Matthew and Skip) and 10 grandchildren. Upon his retirement, Mr. Legge and his wife intend to reside in St. Petersburg.

"My employment with Little League has been a wonderful journey for me and my wife," Mr. Legge said. "We have been blessed with many opportunities to meet and befriend dedicated Little League volunteers throughout the United States and several other countries. We are deeply appreciative of the encouragement and support we have received throughout these years from Little League and the amazing family of Little League volunteers.

"I'm very proud of the status of the Central Region," Mr. Legge said. "I am equally proud of my assistant, Nina Johnson, who has worked diligently to prepare herself for the role of Central Region Director. I have every confidence that Nina will be a capable and effective leader."

Ms. Johnson, native of St. Anthony, Ind., and graduate of Forest Park High School in Ferdinand, Ind., spent one year working for the YMCA in Indianapolis and two years as the sports leagues director for the Summit YMCA of Summit, N.J., before joining the Little League organization.

Ms. Johnson resides in Greenfield, Ind., with her daughter, Adalyn.

"Under Mike's exemplary leadership, my understanding of the Little League program has grown tremendously over the last five years," Ms. Johnson said. "I am committed to my continued work with the great volunteers in the Central Region and look forward to the challenges presented by this new role."

Ms. Johnson will take over as the Central Region Director on June 1. Mr. Legge will remain with the regional office in an advisory capacity to aid in the transition until his retirement on Sept. 16.