Annual Meeting

1. Annual Meeting

2. AGENDA • Little League Baseball, Inc. • Wilton Little League • Annual Activities • League Structure • Managers, Coaches, Directors • Team Selection • League Operations

3. Little League Baseball and Softball, Inc. - Williamsport, PA Little League Structure East Region - Bristol, CT Connecticut District 1 - Fairfield County Wilton Little league - Wilton • Little League International, Inc. • Over 7,000 leagues • Over 2.6 million participants • Over 50 countries

4. Wilton Little League • ~800 players – baseball & softball • 75+ teams • Established in 1954

5. President VP – Baseball VP - Softball Umpires Player Agent Sponsors Treasurer Secretary Equipment Fields Boosters Tournaments Player Development Safety League Information Legal Evaluation Summer Sandlot / Fall Ball Opening Day Administration Scott Vollmer Matt Zeyher Dom Rauccio Karin Hyzy Kevin Dooley Michael Schneidman Chris Soltis Dave Johnson Kevin Tietjen Michael Cyr Sharon Burke Dave Lipsky Jeff Mastrianna Pete Vogric Dave Liston Paul Kilmartin Tim Clark Chris Soltis Heather Tietjen Lisa Bogan Board

6. WLL Objective • Provide opportunities to play baseball & softball, emphasizing: • Fun • Safety • Sportsmanship • Skill Development

7. Annual Activities • Winter • Spring • Summer • Fall

8. Annual Activities • Winter / Preseason • Free clinics • Pay clinics • Umpire clinic

9. Annual Activities • Spring • Regular season games & practices • Develop skills and have fun • Participation is paramount • Playing time • Variety of positions • Infield and Outfield • All Kid Pitch teams have playoffs • All Kid Pitch team make playoffs • Regular season record doesn’t count • Random seedings

10. Annual Activities Spring Season • Spring • Playoffs (Kid Pitch Leagues ONLY) • Opportunity to experience competitive play • Increased emphasis on winning • Participation still a priority

11. Annual Activities • Summer: • District Tournaments • Little League sanctioned events – ages 10 - 12 • Little League World Series • District Players selected by Balloting • District Managers selected by Board • Must have managed or coached in league that season

12. Annual Activities • Summer • Tournament Teams • Qualified, committed and available players • Minimal absence • Input from spring managers • Competitive environment • Two teams at each age from ages 8–12 • ~150 players

13. Annual Activities • Fall Ball • Informal season • Fun • Participation • No practices • No playoffs • Prepare for spring

14. League Structure

15. League Structure – Softball Shared resources. Dedicated committee. • Juniors (13 year-olds) – 100% Travel • Majors (ages 11 – 12) – 100% Travel • AAA (ages 9 - 10) – 30% Travel • AA (ages 7 – 8) - All games at Middlebrook • A (5/6) - All games at Middlebrook

16. League Structure - Baseball Kid Pitch Leagues • Majors (ages 11/12) • AAA (ages 9/10/11) • AA (ages 9/10/11) Note: Depending on enrollment and talent, it is conceivable 9s could play AAA and 10s could play Majors • A (3rd grade) Developmental Leagues • Machine Pitch (2nd grade) • Coach pitch (1st grade) • T-Ball (K) • Playoffs • Random Seeding • No Standings • Regular season record does not matter • No playoffs • No standings

17. Developmental League Structure • Tee-ball (kindergarten): • Fundamentals of hitting, fielding throwing, base running, names and locations of positions • Coach Pitch (First Grade): • Fundamentals of hitting, fielding throwing, base running, names and locations of positions • Introduce the challenge of hitting a slow moving ball • Encouraging defensive plays by adding up then number of outs • Machine Pitch (Second Grade): • Fundamentals of hitting, fielding throwing, base running, names and locations of positions • Introduce the challenge of hitting a quickly moving ball (~35mph) • Introduce outs: Strike outs, defensive/ fielding outs • Introduce the catcher position

18. Kid Pitch League Structure • A-League (3rd Grade): LASTyear of grade based league structure • Fundamentals of hitting, fielding, throwing, base running, names and locations of positions • Reinforce the use of catchers • Introduce kid pitchers – Develop pitchers • Challenge of hitting a kid pitched ball • Introduce pitched balls and reinforce strikes • AA-League: AGE and ABILITY based, NOT GRADE • 4th and 5th Graders AGES 9 and 10 • Continuing the progression of all basic skills • Introduce base stealing • Pitcher and Catchers very important

19. Kid Pitch League Structure – Baseball Skill and Age based Progression • AAA- League: AGE and ABILITY based, NOT GRADE • 4th, 5th and 6th graders ages 10 and 11 (occasionally 9s if skill and enrollment dictates) • League populated with 11 year-olds who did not get placed in the Major league (top league) for one or all of the following reasons: • Insufficient room in the Major league, i.e.: too many 12 year-olds. • All 12s must play Majors • Evaluation scores • Prior season manager rating • League selection committee knowledge of the players indicate the player would benefit from playing AAA rather than Majors • 9s are eligible based on enrollment and ability • Major League: AGE and ABILITY based, NOT GRADE • 5th, 6th and 7th graders ages 11 and 12 • All 12s must play Majors • Highest ability 11s back fill openings after 12s are placed in Majors • 11s chosen to back fill based on • Evaluation scores • Prior season manager rating • League selection committee knowledge of the players • 10s are eligible based on enrollment and ability

20. Team Selection Process

21. Step 1 - Player Evaluation Process Step 2 - League Allocation Process Work from player ranking / evaluations worksheet • Begin with “automatics” • 12s in Majors, 3rd grade in A • 11s in either Majors, AAA or AA, and 10s in either AAA or AA • Create Leagues based on rankings Wilton Little League’s goal is to have balanced teams which provide all playersthe opportunity to participate on a team which is competitive within its league Evaluation and ranking process includes • Prior season Manager evaluations • January evaluations • Overall rankings is average of Manager and January rankings • Gives equal weight to each process

22. Step 3 - Team Draft Process Wilton Little League’s goal is to have balanced teams which provide all playersthe opportunity to participate on a team which is competitive within its league Manager draft • Draft group to include • Board oversight: Player Agent & Evaluations Coordinator, President or VP • League Director • Team Managers • Draft methodology is by “pod” • Managers select from among a pod of players in each round • Managers may pick a player up to one pod below current “round” • Managers “select” their child when their child’s pod is active • League Directors and Managers are responsible for ensuring • Adequate coaching help • One sponsor per team • LD and Player Agent should help Managers with this

23. Managers, Coaches & Directors

24. Manager and Coaches • Your primary contact with WLL • Role Model • Perspective • Sportsmanship • Fun • Development • Positive • Communicate • Lessons

25. Manager Selection • Depend on volunteers • Require 75+ managers! • No manager has tenure • Manager Selection Process: • Compile list of possible manager volunteers from registrations • LLI Rules: The president selects and appoint managers. • No person may become a manager without the approval of the president. • WLL Process: • President vets interested managers • No person may become a manager without the approval of the president. • Manager list is approved by board • Managers assigned to a team by committee • Best interests of players & league

26. Baseball Majors: Michael Schneidman AAA: Chris Soltis AA: Greg King A: Matt Zeyher Developmental Baseball Leagues: Machine Pitch: Dave Cote Coach Pitch: Karin Hyzy T-Ball: Claire Carbonier Softball Juniors: Mike Amato Majors: Liz Ward AAA: April Strazza AA: Jeff Imrie A: Dave Lipsky League Directors • Your secondary contact with WLL

27. League Operations

28. Board Safety Fields Umpires Boosters Budget Information League Operations

29. Board • All volunteers • Active members • Governs activities of League • Ensures compliance with Little League standards

30. President VP – Baseball VP - Softball Umpires Player Agent Sponsors Treasurer Secretary Equipment Fields Boosters Tournaments Player Development Safety League Information Legal Evaluation Summer Sandlot / Fall Ball Opening Day Administration Scott Vollmer Matt Zeyher Dom Rauccio Karin Hyzy Kevin Dooley Michael Schneidman Chris Soltis Dave Johnson Kevin Tietjen Michael Cyr Sharon Burke Dave Lipsky Jeff Mastrianna Pete Vogric Dave Liston Paul Kilmartin Tim Clark Chris Soltis Heather Tietjen Lisa Bogan Board

31. Fields • YMCA Fields • Professionally maintained • Reduced burden on managers • Improved safety • Fewer rainouts • Town / School Fields • Maintained by town

32. Umpires • Majors: Adult “patch” • New in 2010 and requires incremental funding • AAA, AA and A kid-pitch: Junior Umpires • Intent is to have 2 umpires per game • Primarily kid umpires • Realistic expectations • Coaches / parents set example • Could be YOUR kid one day

33. Boosters • Sharon may NEED YOUR HELP! • Fundraising • Concessions • Purchasing / scheduling • Need volunteers to help! • Opening Day–raffle, bake sale • Spirit wear

34. Field maintenance Concession workers Registration Evaluations Summer tournament coaches Volunteers • Lifeblood of Little League • Needs: • 75+ Managers • 160+ Coaches • Team Moms • Newspaper articles • Pictures • Background checks conducted on all volunteers in regular contact with kids

35. Budget - Revenues

36. Budget - Expenses

37. Additional Resources • Wilton Little League: www.wiltonlittleleague.org

38. Additional Resources • Wilton Little League: www.wiltonlittleleague.org • CT District 1: www.eteamz.com/ct1 • East Region: www.eteamz.com/LLBeast • Little League: www.littleleague.org • WBSA: www.thewbsa.com

39. Thank you for listening! • Are there any questions?