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An "All Inclusive Program" ... What Little League is All About ... Remember: 50 years from now (maybe even a mere moment away), it won't matter who struck out, hit a home run, or caught (or missed) a fly ball -- but the world WILL very likely be a better place because YOU took the time to make a positive difference in the life of ONE child - be they your child or someone else's ... For some ‘programs’ outside of Little League, elite teams are the teams of their "regular season" and many children are not picked for teams or cannot afford participation. For some programs, (and for some Adults), emphasis, from the start, is on creating the 'winningest team' or just plain 'winning.' For some families, the "other program(s)" may well be the program of ‘choice’ for their family and fit the needs of their child. For an overwhelming high number of youth worldwide, Little League remains the 'program of choice.' With the majority of the season being an "every-child plays" program, it does have a draw that many programs do not.
Though some erroneously tend to think of All Stars as the 'focal point' of Little League, Little League will ALWAYS emphasize that 'post season All Stars" is just 'icing on the cake' for perhaps 5% of the players participating in the local league. The focal point of a healthy Little League is where both regular season and post-season tournaments are clearly focused on developing ALL of the kids ALL of the time!. Even during Little League World Series games, the best of coaches use every opportunity as a "teachable moment" for the youth in their care.
It's been documented in study after study after study: The KIDS just want to
For some reason, some parents getting their child involved in youth sports start their list of priorities with: I want my child on a team that WINS! (Sadly enough, sometimes that starts as early as their registration for Tee-Ball!) The child, on the other hand, may not even have an interest in the sport of baseball or softball. In so many cases, the kids would be very happy to have an old wooden stick or bat, a rock or ball one of them happened to find, an old vacant lot or playground area, and be wearing their favorite old t-shirt and "maybe" a baseball cap. Though it might be 'nice,' or dreamt of because of what they see in 'The Pro's," in most cases, unless there is adult emphasis, there is no call from the children requiring manicured fields or top-of-the-line uniforms. For those children who are 'into sports,' those may become goals -something to work to achieve. And part of 'development,' is learning they will need to work to achieve those goals.Those 'extras' within the community of youth playing ball are not even a consideration in a large part of the world, and in some cases, in many areas within our own communities. For a large number of children, they just want to spend some time with their friends. For leagues, the "tool" we are set up to help them use "just happens to be" baseball or softball.
Leagues should be striving to be THE program of choice because Little League is a 'totally different program with a totally different focus' - that being "Child Development" in regular season and in tournament - with post-season tournaments being much more competitive, just by the fact they are 'tournaments.' The Adults need to continue to remember that the child-like exuberance is still very much a part of the clientele they are here to work with and help, and that THAT behavior should be strongly encouraged - even shared among the adult volunteers! They are children for such a short time! If there are two or more "youth programs" focused on baseball and/or softball in your community, what is it that sets your Little League apart from the other programs? Is your local league's board focusing on the same primary points that Little League does? Is your board maintaining their charter contract-agreement with Little League?
Is Everyone 'here' for Every Child from every background, every level of ability, every national origin, every gender, every financial arena ... using their imagination to help find every means possible to inform every family that Little League is "Here 4 U!" and to provide for them so each child feels equal - yet each very special and important - on your ball fields and in your lives?
Little Leagues cannot require fees in any amount be paid for a child to participate at any level - in fact any "donation" requested from families should be as minimal as possible - making best use of Little League's historical and continuing intent that local league recruit sponsors to cover all costs specific to each team's uniform, and obtaining donations and/or grants to help with improving and building on fields, providing equipment, and other expenses. The ever-important adult and player fundraisers should be community-involved events. Involving the 'community' and its businesses and organizations draws the local community into taking on 'their local Little League' as a community program, a "community project!" If a league has 30 teams and 30 different sponsors, there are 30 businesses or organizations - AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE -who now feel they are part of the program and are more interested in helping out, in promoting every opportunity focused on the development of the program and fulfilling its needs. A larger pool of potential Volunteers is built! Creating the closeness of "Smalltown, Hometown Little League" can be of major importance in the future of any League.
The focus of each league should be providing a program where every child - no matter what neighborhood they come from - can experience the reality of their dream of doing something fun with their friends. Playing in Little League provides an opportunity for them to develop to the top of their individual potential (as developing individuals, not just focused on sports) at whatever age they are, and have a very positive recreational and/or competitive experience with their peers, mentors, and role-model coaches. Tee-Ball and Minors were created by Little League specifically as fully INSTRUCTIONAL non-competitive programs. The Minor Division (whether coach pitch or player pitch) is all part of a feeder program - preparing players for potential selection to a "Little League" team - the Majors. No matter the level of play, it's still a matter of instruction and training as many of those may well want to stay with Little League for the years beyond the most 'well-known' levels of play - into Juniors and beyond! Majors, Juniors, Seniors and Big League will be, by their nature, a more competitive environment, yet still focused on instruction, education and training!
While some volunteers seem to start right off with a desire to have their coaching be affiliated with a team of kids that is "All Star quality" from the moment their name is entered on the roster, reality is the volunteer job they have with Little League puts them fully in the position of being an 'instructor' - they are part of a development process where it is their responsibility to teach, guide, direct, and cheer on each child assigned to them. The adults are in place to coordinate and instruct a game that the KIDS play ... a KIDS game ... for the KIDS. Maintaining a "Majors" program during regular season where every child gets balanced playing time (no matter their age or skill) is important to drawing and maintaining the Minor players' dreams of being on a Majors team. No child wants to be selected to "play" on a team when they don't get to 'play' very much - thus the rules within Little League of minimum playing time .. and thus the emphasis that every child be played as 'equally' as possible! Defining the differences between Minors and Majors - including giving the kids a point to look forward to with incrementally upgrading uniforms at Majors, and giving more kids something to strive for (an opportunity to play in the Major program) is a big part of the history, longevity and continuing growth of Little League around the world.
The instructional side of our program has been much appreciated by Schools where well-run leagues have become important feeder programs for their school teams - where they do not have to re-instruct ballplayers that come to their programs! It is important that we teach the skills and techniques of our games as true to the instruction manuals of Little League as is possible - from Tee-Ball through Big League, and to 100% of the participants!
If that 100% focus on 100% of the kids happens, one of the benefits will show as the league moves toward post-season tournament time! The selection possibilities for players league ages 9 and up toward "election of All Star Teams" will likely expand to where the kids not only want to be selected to an All Star team, but a higher percentage will have the ability and skill level making the potential player pool a much larger 'dream team' for the kids to vote on! The 'dream team' of All Stars should be a process of selection where the kids have 'several' to consider toward who they can see as the 'dream team pitcher,' 'dream team catcher,' 'dream team first baseman,' dream team shortstop,' 'dream team center fielder,' etc.! Best Sportsmanship would be an automatic assumption for qualifying for selection to a team - not just skills. With "Child Development," "Instruction," and "Leadership by example" being the focus of the work of adults in the program, the ripple effect will help create All Star teams that are high in quality in ways that extend far beyond who can best pitch, catch, bat, or throw.
You'll see "Class" and "Good Sportsmanship" with a solid display of "Character, Couirage, and Loyalty" - respect for their peers as well as the adults volunteering in the program - and it will feed back into the program when the kids become adults - and come back in to "pay forward" for their fun, positive experience!
Board Members, Managers and Coaches should have goals of developing each INDIVIDUAL child - "each division' - and therefore the entire League - in fact, the entire District of leagues, not just a single team. Leagues across the District should focus on moving forward together - growing a 'Child Development Program' that encompasses much more than their local league.
We're all in this together ... every volunteer, every team, every league, every district ... For The Kids! Teach them right and it will also be the KIDS working together for all the other kids ... not just for themselves! Teach them right and they will be "paying forward" for the experience we as adults gave to them in Little League!
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