Morningside Little League: Player's Point

 Volume 24 - Issue No. 7
June 2007

Daily Tips Make Tournament Preparations Easier
Started a few days ago, a new tip has been posted each weekday at the Little League web site, designed to help volunteers be prepared for a great International Tournament. You can get caught up on all the tips here. Check back often for the latest advice!

Schedule Announced for Little League Baseball World Series
The schedule for the 61st Little League Baseball World Series was announced during National Little League Week at Little League International in Williamsport, Pa. For the first time, FIVE games will be televised on ABC, with all 27 of the others on the ESPN family of networks. Check out the details here.

Fourth Annual Urban Initiative Jamboree a Resounding Success
Through the generosity of The Torii Hunter Project and Major League Baseball, 14 regular season teams from urban communities made the memorable trip to the home of Little League Baseball and Softball last month for a weekend that many only dream about. Read the story and see the photos here.

Little League International Congress Results Published
The 24th Little League International Congress convened in Houston, Texas, April 13-16, and for four days more than 460 delegates from 50 states and more than 70 countries debated and decided the direction of the Little League Baseball and Softball program for the next three years. Check out the decisions made at the Congress here.

Little League Position on Non-Wood Bats
Most Little League volunteers know that Little League’s safety record is second to none. Recent news stories dealing with non-wood bats have led to Little League International receiving many inquiries on the subject, so we have put together the data you need to make an informed decision. You’ll find the facts here.

Little League Challenger World Jamboree Concludes
There were hundreds of teams and games, but not a single loser, at the second annual Little League Challenger World Jamboree in Norfolk, Va. Teams, 112 of them, came from all over the U.S., plus Canada and Puerto Rico, for games, fun and camaraderie. See the story and photos here, reprinted by permission from Exceptional Parent magazine.

Enter the NSTEP Slogan Contest!
The deadline is July 2 to enter Oral Health America’s National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP) Slogan Contest. All Little League Baseball and Softball players age 14 and under are eligible. See how to enter here.

You Can Win a Trip to the Little League World Series!
Choice Hotels is offering families, coaches, friends and fans of League Little a chance to win a trip to the Little League Baseball World Series, plus other great prizes in the Choice Hotels 2007 Little League Baseball World Series Sweepstakes. Click here to see all the details!

Detroit Tiger Sean Casey Supports Michigan Little League
Sean Casey of the Detroit Tigers, and his wife, Mandi, made a personal donation of $10,000 to Michigan’s Clinton Valley Little League to support the renovation of a facility for the league’s Challenger Division. Check out the full story here.

Western Springs (Ill.) Little League Steps Up
The board of directors for Western Springs (Ill.) Little League decided instead of giving each player an annual participation trophy, the league would make a significant donation to assist other leagues in need. The Pitch In For Baseball program can use your help, too. See the story here.

Another Dodgers Dream Field Takes Shape in Los Angeles
The Little League Urban Initiative and the Los Angeles Dodgers Dream Foundation have come together to improve recreational activities by revitalizing the home field of the Culver Marina Little League. Check out the details of this great partnership here.

Little League Photo Contest Deadline July 15
Do you have a great photo of a Little Leaguer, or any other Little League activity? We want to see it! Enter the annual Little League Photo Contest now, and your work could be hanging in the hallowed halls of the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum. Click here for all the details.

Check This List of Approved Baseballs and Softballs
The complete list of approved baseballs and softballs for use in Tournament Play is now available. You can find the entire list here.

“Find It Now” on the Little League Web Site
The Little League Internet Web Site is a great resource for anyone involved in Little League. But with thousands of pages of information, sometimes it’s hard to find just what you’re looking for. Now, there’s an alphabetical index! Check it out by visiting the Little League Web Site and clicking on “Find It Now!”

New Fundraising Program Available
This new program from the Original Gourmet Food Co.® can be successful from sales generated through your concession stands, as well as individual Little League teams. Original Gourmet® wants to make it easy for districts, coaches and teams to buy the cookies by offering them at the local Sam’s Club®. Check out the details here.

Little League Custom Banners Available On-Line
You can now order your Little League Custom Banners on-line. New for this year are custom vinyl banners, mini banners and garden flags. To order on-line go to www.littleleaguesupplies.com. Allow three-to-four weeks for delivery of custom banners.

End of Season: Time to “Pitch In For Baseball”
Now that the spring season has come to a close, keep Pitch In For Baseball™ in mind. The PIFB folks are still collecting new and “gently used” youth baseball and softball equipment, to be sent to those leagues that don’t have access to equipment. Learn more about it here.

Are your fields ready?
With tournaments around the corner, field care is probably the most overlooked item on the volunteer checklist, but its importance can’t be understated. Learn the ins and outs of field care and how your local league can make it safer for the kids by clicking here.

Free “Hometown” Publication Available On-Line
Published for each of the past 11 years, “A Year in the Life of Hometown Little League” has been helping league administrations become better prepared for what’s next in their local Little League. Anyone can download a free copy of the publication by clicking on the link below, and it can be shared with every administrator in the league. Just click here to receive your free (PDF) copy.

A Piece of Little League’s Past: Umpire Shirt
A shirt worn by the man who perhaps became the best-known amateur umpire in baseball history is on display in the Founder’s Room of the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum in South Williamsport, Pa.
See the story and photo here.