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Message from the President
Live United by Supporting BLL
November 11, 2009
If your office is like mine, it's United Way season. I want to encourage every member of the BLL community to support the collective efforts of the United Way of Delaware and also request that you consider directing a portion of your contribution to Brandywine Little League. There are many, many worthy organizations that are funded by the United Way, but by specifying Code #9359, you can ensure that your pledge (or that portion you specify) will be directed to BLL, an organization that directly benefits your child and family.
On behalf of the entire Board of Brandywine Little League, I thank all of our families for their support this past season and assure you that we look forward to welcoming players, coaches, umpires, team moms and families back next spring.
John Faulkner
BLL Awards Ceremony and Banquet
October 16, 2009
Tonight we gather to celebrate the successes of the past season and begin to consider the promise of the season ahead.
First and foremost, our annual banquet marks a significant transition for many in the room. Our 12 year olds have completed their little Little League experience. They are now done with 60-foot base paths and a 46-foot distance from pitcher to catcher. Next year, 52 boys move up to the same size field that Big Leaguers play on. Initially, that extra 30 feet from home to first base can feel like an extra mile for a 13 year old. But quickly, it is the Majors field that looks small and the big field feels just right. I hope to see you all continue with our Junior program next season.
We celebrate our champions and our all stars tonight. Ken Biddle and Foulk Road Exxon in Triple A, Dick Moore and Pickles and Chips in Majors and Micky Pellegrino and Haldas Meats in Juniors. Each of these ball clubs developed the very special chemistry it requires to be a championship caliber team.
Tonight we acknowledge our All Stars and their coaches. Each of these teams competed with great determination and purpose in their respective divisions. The opportunity to get experience playing against the best talent in this area is an invaluable experience. I thank the managers of each team: Mike Horgan and Steve Blewitt of the 8’s, John McGarvey of the 9’s, Frank Mathews of the 10’s; our Invitational managers, John Diamanty of Brandywine Red and Dick Moore of Brandywine Blue; and our District All-Star managers, Paul Capodanno for Majors, Micky Pellegrino for Juniors, and Seth Albertus for Seniors. Each of these men, along with their coaches, put an extraordinary amount of time and emotional energy into the All Star program.
The banquet also marks a transition on our Board. I want to thank John McGarvey who is stepping down after many years on the Board, most recently as Secretary. The Board welcomes Elisa O’Day as Secretary and David Bacher as Administrator of the Junior Division. It’s important to note that your Board really works 12 months of the year to ensure that Brandywine Little League is ready to operate smoothly each spring.
Looking back over the past year, I believe we have accomplished much that will help to ensure our future. When we met at this time last year we did not have a new field house standing at our New Complex. Today we have a beautiful facility that features a large concession area, three bathrooms, significant storage space and a large meeting room. We are making considerable progress on the fields and working with the county to address landscaping and drainage issues on the property. A year ago we were fearful that Brandywine Little League might lose the Dyer Fields. Today, I can report that we have a 30-year lease and we have already paid for our first ten years -- $10! While we worked through the issues with the School District, we were reluctant to invest in the Dyer Complex. This caught up to us at the beginning of last season, especially on our Junior/Senior Field, which was under water (even before we had 20 straight days of rain) and unplayable. But thanks to the help of parents and friends, we were able to raise over $7,000 to cover the cost of re-grading and installing sod in the infield. It’s an effort like that, which demonstrates to me how much we can accomplish when we pull together as a community and contribute time, talent and financial support.
Finally, I must acknowledge the loss we all have felt these past few weeks upon hearing the tragic news of the accident that took the lives of Brett, Allison and Jimmy Pierce. While the Pierces were members of Naamans Little League, an incident such as this is a reminder that we are all members of the same close-knit community. It is my hope that our league will be able to show our support in a meaningful way to Megan Pierce in honor of her brother, who clearly loved baseball, and her parents, who by all accounts represented the very best of Little League parents.
Have a safe winter and I look forward to seeing every Brandywine Little League family back on the field next spring!
John Faulkner
It’s A Wrap
July 21, 2009
The record will show that Brandywine Little League failed to take home a single District Championship this year. In fact, thanks to the efforts of Don Nordmeyer, our outstanding web master, the exploits of each of our Brandywine All Star squads has been closely followed and chronicled this postseason right here on our league website. As Don noted on the home page, we closed out All Star competition this past Sunday evening with a 2 - 0 loss to Canal in the Majors District Finals. In total, BLL teams were a combined 19 - 16 in All Star play.
First and foremost, I want to congratulate each of this year’s District champions (so far) on behalf our entire league family:
• 8’s: Canal
• 9’s: Canal
• 10’s Naamans
• Brandywine Invitational – Naamans
• 12’s: Canal
While the facts regarding BLL’s performance have been accurate, the true measure of how our teams performed this postseason is best captured beyond the box scores. That measure is in the memories our teams provided fans when our players displayed hustle, heart and sportsmanship. I thank our players for representing our league so well at all age levels. I had the opportunity to observe many of the games our teams played, and was personally witness to many memorable moments.
Next, I must recognize all of our All Star coaches and managers. These men give up a great deal of time to make this experience a memorable one for the players. It’s nice to hear from parents praising this special effort. They deserve get more such accolades.
Not to be overlooked in my thanks are the families of our players. A special bond is formed among families of many of our teams, especially when they progress deep into a tournament season. I saw this especially with our 10’s, Invitational teams and our District team this year. And speaking of our Invitational, this tournament is only possible with the support of every player’s family. So, thanks again!
Finally, my thanks to the other leagues in our District. First, thanks to each league that participated in our Invitational, for displaying good sportsmanship throughout the two weeks of this event. Thanks also go to New Castle, Midway and Naamans for hosting the 8, 9 and 10 year old tournaments, respectfully Our players certainly appreciated each league’s hospitality. Thanks to Capitol for hosting the District championship series for the Majors Final. I only wish the result had been different! Finally, thanks to the leagues that hosted our teams for Major, Junior or Senior games during this post-season.
With the All-Star season behind us, you can expect a bit of a lull from Brandywine Little League over the balance of summer. We will provide information regarding Fall Ball opportunities for all ages as soon as we have it. Finally, please note that plans are in the works for our First Annual Brandywine Beef and…. Event. Stay tuned for more details.
JWF
July 15, 2009
Show Your Support!
The All-Star season is winding down, but three Bradywine Little League teams still need and deserve your support
Last night, Brandywine Blue and Brandywine Black took the field against Naamans Black and Red in the semi-final games of the Brandywine Invitational Tournament. The two Naamnas squads were winners of last week’s pool play. Brandywine Blue got the better of Naamans Black, 23 - 2, while Naamans Red defeated Brandywine Red, 13 - 3. Brandywine Blue will now play Naamans Red for the Championship in the Tournament Finals.
Please take note that the Finals of the Brandywine Invitational, which were originally scheduled for this Friday have been moved to Thursday evening at 6 PM (Consolation Game) and 7 PM (Championship Game).
This Invitational schedule change resolves what would have been a conflict for many on Friday, when our undefeated 12 Year Old District team, fresh off Monday night's win over Canal Little League, plays for the District Championship against the winner of a Canal/Newark National match-up, which BLL will host this evening. I invite all BLL families to come out tonight for what promises to be an exciting match-up between two solid ball clubs. Then make plans to travel to Capitol Little League this Friday to support our District team. Game time is 7 PM. With a win, Brandywine will secure the District 2 Championship and advance to the Delaware State Championship Series.
The changes that were made to the Invitational schedule were done so our entire Brandywine Little League community would be able to support our teams on both Thursday and Friday evenings. I want to thank the managers, parents and players representing both Naamans' teams for being flexible and agreeing to this schedule change.
JWF
June 30, 2009
The Second Season
About the time baseball starts to get interesting in the big leagues, Little League has already turned the page from regular season to All-Star Tournaments.
Congratulations to our division winners: Foulk Road Exxon in Triple A, Pickles & Chips in Majors, and Haldas Meats in Juniors. It was seemingly appropriate, but Championship week games were played in and around rain and the threat of rain. In fact, the Triple A champions were crowned only after successive delays and rainouts.
Also delayed were our all star games for the Single, Double and Triple A divisions. Ultimately, these games were played well into the night last Wednesday. Judging by the excitement on our fields and in the stands, it was a fun filled evening for all in attendance. The fact that the lights went out on Dyer for 15 minutes only added to the suspense!
This past Saturday, all star teams representing Brandywine Little League began competing in a variety of local and national tournaments. Our 8 year old all stars are playing at New Castle Little League. As reported on our home page, this team of first time all stars lost their opening game against Canal Little League. Our 9 year old all stars are in action at Midway Little League, where they won their opening game against Stanton-Newport Little League. The 10 year old all stars now have two hard fought wins under their belt. Games are being played at the Naamans Little League complex. These “Cardiac Kids” have come from behind twice to defeat New Castle (9 – 8) and Naamans (3 – 2). The District team, made up of 11 and 12 year olds, has won its first two games, versus Newark National Little League and Stanton-Newport. Both games were extremely well played and Brandywine exhibited both timely hitting and solid pitching performances. Next week our Junior and Senior teams begin all star play.
I encourage our BLL families to follow this action and support our teams. Schedules are posted on our website.
Finally, the Brandywine Invitational Tournament opens this evening. This two week long tournament is unlike the others in that it is pool play, so all teams entered get to play at least four games (the other tournaments are double elimination). For the 12 year olds, this is a final taste of Little League baseball on the small field.
Thanks to All Star competition, more than 100 Brandywine players have the opportunity to extend their baseball season deep into the summer. I hope our Boys of Summer will all be playing for quite a few weeks!
John Faulkner
June 6, 2009
Even Though This Rain is Making Me Really Grumpy, It Has Been a Good Year.
Seriously, the last time I experienced a rainy season like this – I was living in Rochester, NY and it rained for 13 consecutive weekends. I’m not kidding.
Now that I have my rain rant off my chest, I want to take note that our regular season is approaching its final days. In a matter of days, playoffs begin for Triple A, Majors, Juniors and Seniors. Despite the weather challenges early in the season, which have been reprised over the last three days, I’ve witnessed a lot of good baseball being played this season. I hope you have all seen an improvement in the skill level of your child and their teams. Each year, around the midpoint in the season, its as if a light goes on and teams at all levels pick up their play and start doing things you never expected to see at the season’s outset.
I want to thank all the league officers, managers, coaches, team moms, concession volunteers, parents and players -- you each helped make this season a success. With nearly 60 teams, it is impossible to micromanage each team. I’ve fielded a few complaints about playing time, on the field rulings, and even a couple of confrontations. But for the most part, our program runs pretty smoothly thanks to broad support from all of our families.
As our regular season ends, a new season begins. Brandywine Little League fields All Star teams that participate in both local and national tournament play. These teams include 8, 9 and 10 year old District 2 tournament teams, two teams of 11 and 12 year olds that play in our Brandywine Invitational, our Majors District team (this is the Williamsport LL World Series tournament), as well as Junior and Senior Division teams that have the opportunity to play all the way to a national stage.
Any player between the ages of 8 and 16 that wants to be considered for an All Star team must turn in an All Star Registration form to his manager. Tryouts are held for the 8-year-old team, because players in both the Double and Triple A Divisions are eligible. All other age groups are determined by a vote among the Managers in the Division from which the players are drawn.
Selection is rigorous. Managers nominate players from their team, but cannot vote for their own players in the first round of voting. In order to be selected, a player must be unanimously selected by the managers voting in the first round. In subsequent rounds, managers are allowed to vote for their own players, but in order to make a team, a player must have the vote of all but one manager. In the case of the District team, selection requires the vote of 8 of 9 Majors managers – which forces clear consensus for the players selected.
While it is our goal to field the most competitive teams possible, it’s important to note that each of our All Stars is representing Brandywine Little League. Our players, managers, coaches and parents should understand that sportsmanship is expected at all times.
It’s exciting when our teams do well. Last year’s Junior All Star team won the District Championship and was one win away from taking the state title. The enthusiasm this team created among family and friends was really exciting to see. I hope we get to see more of the same, at all levels of play, this year.
John Faulkner
May 4, 2009
Random Acts of Respect and Disrespect
If we teach our kids nothing else this season, let's encourage them to show respect for each other, for our property, and for their community.
I love it when I see a player acknowledge the fine play of an opponent. That's sportsmanship. That's what our kids should take away from their Brandywine Little League experience. And it beats pouting about having your fly ball caught. The game is fun when the competition is intense, but the effort is also celebrated.
I like seeing our parents helping to maintain safe and civil behavior. This includes asking kids to stay off the large rocks that ring our New Complex or telling kids to stop throwing dirt clods (or playing wall ball) against our new Field House. Would this behavior be allowed if those same kids were throwing dirt clods at your house? Yet, it doesn't always happen.
I dislike (it's harsher than this, but I'll stop at this emotion) being the person who gets to upright the tipped over Porta Potties at our fields. I doubt our kids are doing it, but they see the result of other's actions. We pay everytime we have to call for an emergency clean up.
I appreciate the time families get to spend together at our fields. As a Board, we have agreed that being family-friendly also includes man's best friend -- your dog. However, we will be posting specific rules for dog behavior and owner responsibility. In short, every owner is responsible for his (or her) dog. Dogs must be under control at all times. Owners must clean up after their pet. If a dog appears to be out of control or a threat to anyone on our sites, the dog must be removed from the premises.
Finally, I love Little League's No Tobacco Policy. Brandywine Little League will be posting No Smoking and No Tobacco Products signs at all of our field locations. We will be instituting a zero tolerance policy for the use of any tobacco products anywhere on our property.
John Faulkner
May 1, 2009
Be Safe and Be Smart
The news this week about the outbreak of Swine Flu has Americans justifiably worried. In Texas, all school activities have been cancelled for the next ten days and some schools have closed completely. Little League has not gone so far as to recommend cancellation of games, but rather has issued recommendations consistent with those being provided by Federal officials. These include, stay home if you are sick, wash hands frequently, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. A link to the full statement can be found at the top of this websites Home Plate page. Brandywine Little League will continue play over the next few days, however, we will monitor government recommendations. Should the status of this situation change, we will reevaluate our plans. Please monitor the health of your child. Let your coach know if he or she is under the weather -- and then stay home and get some rest.
John Faulkner
April 21, 2009
Opening Day Reflections
Could we have asked for a nicer day to hold our Opening Day festivities than what we had last Satuday? Sunny and 75. It almost made me forget our long, wet, cold spring.
I want to take a moment and thank everyone associated with Brandywine Little League for making the day such a success. It was a regular three ring circus, but as I roamed both the Dyer and our yet to be named New Complex, I witnessed nothing but good family fun and lots of action on the playing fields.
I do want to thank all of our guests that joined us for our Opening Day ceremonies this past Saturday.
Dickie Noles was gracious to drive down on the same morning as Harry Kalas’ ceremony at Citizens Bank Ballpark to participate and throw out our first pitch. He delivered a strike and was wonderful with all the kids and parents that came up for autographs.
Bishop Wayne Wright delivered a beautiful invocation. I’ve known Bishop Wright for many years and will vouch that he is a dedicated baseball fan. A native of Virginia by way of New Orleans, Bishop Wright is now a die-hard Phillies Fanatic.
I also want to thank our local State Representatives, Bryon H. Short and Dennis E. Williams. I certainly appreciate their ongoing interest and support of our program.
I want to also thank the entire Brandywine Little League board, which really stepped up to take care of tasks, large and small, in order to make sure that Opening Day ran smoothly. Extra big thanks to all of our Auxiliary Leaders that were on hand to take care of the continuous traffic at the Concession Stand.
Thank you to everyone who came out the day before Opening Day to prep the fields so that our New Complex would be ready for its first games. After all the rain earlier in the week, we were only able to play on two fields, but Field #1 was in great shape for its first game. Congratulations to Eric Moore for getting the first hit on Moore Field and to Michael White for hitting the first home run.
We want Brandywine Little League to be as fan and family friendly as possible. Please note that the league has instituted a NO SMOKING policy on our grounds this season. We will be posting signage to this effect. At this time we have a policy that allows pets to be on our grounds, but they must be leashed and under control at all times. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their animals. As a new dog owner, I now appreciate how nice it is to bring your dog to the field for fresh air and socialization. I would ask that all dog owners seriously consider whether their animal can handle an environment where many small children and other animals are present. If you are unsure, please do not bring your dog to the field. The Board will be evaluating this policy at our next meeting.
Finally, if you are a Volunteer in any capacity (Manager, Coach, Team Mom, Umpire, Auxiliary Leader) – and we do not have a Volunteer Form on file from you – please turn one in to Janice Steffin or any other Board member as soon as possible. The form can be found under Handouts on this website. This is a requirement of Little League and is done to protect all of the children that play in our league.
As I said on Saturday – Be Safe, Have Fun and Play Ball!
JWF
April 12, 2009
Opening Week Thoughts
While watching a few innings of the Cubs – Brewers game the other night I noticed that the Brewers had inscribed Opening Week behind home plate. At first I thought, just another way to exploit and needlessly extend a perfectly acceptable tradition: Opening Day. But on second thought, this new Opening Week tradition is what we have this season at Brandywine Little League.
Next Saturday we will celebrate Opening Day, with pomp and ceremony and team pictures. However, over the next few days, many teams in our Triple A, Majors, Junior and Senior divisions will be playing their opening games. Good luck to all of these players as they take the field for the first official time this season. I hope they all have a wonderful Opening Week.
Recent Developments – we have been busy this spring on many, many fronts:
The New Complex Field House is almost complete. Drywall went up this week. The electrical work is largely complete. A concrete apron will be poured over the next few days to match the grade to the elevation of the building and make the bathrooms and concession area handicap accessible. While we come up to speed, we will only have concession service on Saturdays at the New Complex. We need additional Auxiliary Leaders before we can provide concessions throughout the week. Please contact Janice Steffn (jkdstef@comcast.net) if you can assist. There’s more information about this position on the Home Plate page of this website.
We have made huge progress in the renovation of our Junior and Senior Field at the Dyer Complex. I’m happy to report that we successfully installed a beautiful new infield surface on Good Friday. We should be playing on this field in about two weeks. You can see photos in the Photo Album location of the website. A huge thank-you to all who donated to financially and/or provided the necessary labor to complete this effort. I especially want to thank the many Junior and Senior division players who came out on Field Day and assisted in the project.
Field Day #1 – our first weekend Field Day at Dyer was a success. Dyer 1, 2,3 and 4 were groomed and are ready for play. Dyer 5 was not completed and work is needed this week to rake and drag the infield and generally clean up the dugout and perimeter areas. Double A affiliated families are needed to provide the labor to make this happen. Talk to your manager to see how you can help.
Field Day #2 – was a wash out. The New Complex Fields will need to be prepped this week. Parents are asked to talk to your managers to see how you can help. If you are on site for a practice, please help pick up the area for trash and debris, work with your managers to maintain the infield surface. We’ll be cutting grass and tilling and dragging, but the infield areas need some TLC.
Remember, we are all the field crew at Brandywine Little League. There’s no New Castle County maintenance team grooming our fields. It’s our job. The results on the Junior/Senior Field demonstrate what can be accomplished when a group of individuals are committed to making a difference. I am not asking for nearly that kind of effort on the other fields, but we do need able bodied members of our BLL community to pitch in and help – without your help, our kids will be playing on a sandlot, rather than a baseball field.
See you on Opening Day!
JWF
March 28, 2009
Open Letter to Parents and Friends of BLL Junior & Senior Program:
This spring when our Managers returned to the Junior/Senior Field at Dyer, it was clear that much more needed to be done to get the field into playing shape than had been anticipated. In past years, the infield surface was raked, the grass cut, and dirt was refreshed. Some years, the mound was rebuilt or home plate was raised. That’s not good enough this year.
Simply put, years of play has degraded the playing surface and made it a challenge to hold games following any sort of rain or inclement weather. As result, water pools along the first base line and our turf has rotted away in many areas. The drainage problem is only magnified due to a build-up of “lips” along the baselines, in front of home plate, at the mound and along the infield arc. This is not uncommon for fields that receive as much use as a field like ours. Nevertheless, each of these issues ensures that our infield turns into a bathtub at the fist sign of rain.
To correct these problems, our Senior and Junior division VP’s (Jacob Morente and Micky Pellegrino) and their Managers have proposed a plan to replace the infield surface with new sod prior to the start of this season. This will be done after the subsurface has been re-graded to ensure sufficient drainage from the mound (the highest point in the infield) to the baselines and infield surface. As part of this process, we will break apart the compacted material that is currently under our infield surface. This includes a three-inch layer of infield material that is three inches below the covering topsoil – a legacy of when this field was a skin surface used for softball.
We will use premium four-foot width rolls of sod that will provide a stable surface and enable play this season. Sod is still partially dormant at this time of year, and we have been told that if it is put in place over the next week to ten days, we will be able to play a full schedule of games on this field this season.
I want to assure you that numerous, less comprehensive options to solving our field problems were explored, but in the end, it was determined that if we do not address the grade of the entire infield, we will simply be moving the problem rather than solving the problem.
So, how much will it cost? If we were to use a contactor that specializes in these types of projects, it could cost upwards of $25,000. With the help of volunteers, using the equipment the league owns or can rent, we estimate a project of this magnitude will cost about one-third of that total. These are funds we currently do not have in our annual operating budget. However, the league has received a generous lead donation of $2,500 from a former BLL player, Mike Johnson, to be put towards this effort, thus the initial seed has been sown. We have also received enough additional pledges of support from Board members and parents of our Junior and Senior players that we will commence with this project this week. We are confident that the additional funds that are needed to fully fund this project will be forthcoming, which is why I am asking all families affiliated with BLL to join (Be Like!) Mike and make a donation to help ensure that our older players have a first class field to play on this season and in the years to come. This field represents our only full-sized baseball diamond at a time when our Junior and Senior program is experiencing solid interest and growth. This season we will field six Junior and two Senior teams with 100 players representing Brandywine Little League.
What can you do to help?
1) Grand Slam: Match Mike. Two additional gifts of $2,500 will ensure that this project can be accomplished.
2) Home Run: Pledge at least one-tenth of Mike’s donation -- $250
3) Double: Make a donation of between $100 and $250 and feel good about supporting this important effort toward revitalizing this critical field.
4) Sacrifice Fly: Donate in any amount. We would appreciate full support.
In closing, I want everyone to understand what we will be doing over the next few weeks and why it is so important. The Dyer Junior/Senior Field is a marvelous asset to Brandywine Little League and youth baseball in North Wilmington. If we are going to continue to safely use this field for years to come, we must make some long, overdue renovations. Whether your child is in Seniors or Tee Ball, you have my promise that any financial support you provide will be both appreciated and used wisely. I hope we can count on your support.
Please contact me, Jacob Morente (ardenman13@aol.com) or Micky Pellegrino (pellegrino512@comcast.net) to indicate your interest in assisting in this effort.
With gratitude,
John Faulkner
President, Brandywine Little League
sixfaulks@mac.com
March 16, 2009
Tryout Reflections
Over the last two Saturdays more than 200 boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 12 attended try-outs for Brandywine Little Leagues’ Majors and Triple A Divisions. Only three players that registered to tryout failed to appear, which is an unheard of level of participation.
I want to thank all of our young players for their stellar behavior and effort. Cooperation is critical if we are going to be able to give every player a fair opportunity to impress our coaches. BLL parents can be very proud with how your child both cooperated and performed to the best of their ability.
Brandywine Little League now progresses players from Tee (Rookie) ball, to Single A (primarily 6 and 7 year olds) in an instructional setting, to Double A (which is instructional, but progresses throughout the season from coach pitch to kid pitch), to Triple A and then to Majors. By the time a player is 12, he or she will be given the opportunity to play in the Majors. Until that time, its important to understand that we take seriously the challenge to appropriately place each player at a level that matches their baseball skill set.
With that goal in mind, I want to assure every parent that our coaches do the very best to fairly evaluate each player that goes through tryouts. With 18 sets of coaches observing, it is amazing how the evaluation process yields a very consistent consensus regarding the skill level of each player.
This weekend we begin tryouts for Juniors and Seniors. These Divisions offer our players a very meaningful opportunity to extend their baseball experience. Certainly, at this age (13 to 16), we hope our players are taking advantage of school baseball offerings, but baseball season extends beyond the final day of school. It has been very encouraging to see increased participation at these two levels in recent years. Our players are enjoying playing baseball at this level and competing against their peers in this region.
For the third consecutive year our league is showing growth in the number of kids who are participating. This is both gratifying and a continued challenge on our league to meet the diverse needs of all of our players. The tryout process is just the first step toward meeting these needs – which start with properly placing every child at the most appropriate level where they can both achieve and be challenged to develop as a player.
JWF
March 2, 2009
Baby, it’s cold outside!
Is it my imagination, or did spring use to come earlier in the Delaware Valley? I know there’s lots of talk about global warming, but I’m not feeling it lately.
In all seriousness, baseball season is really right around the corner here in Delaware. Tryouts start this weekend and I know lots of coaches are miffed that tryouts are taking place “so late.” Next year, we’ll do our best to move tryouts up a few weeks, but this will require greater cooperation and coordination from the folks that manage the facilities in the Brandywine School District.
It seems that each year it gets more difficult to schedule a gymnasium that can accommodate two Saturdays of tryouts for our kids. It doesn’t help that Springer is under construction. Or that Hanby would not return our calls. And that none of the three high schools are available. This year, we will be using Mt. Pleasant Elementary. I would ask that all parents be patient if they are forced into a hallway while we attempt to execute tryouts in what is a relatively small space.
Tryouts take place on March 7 and 14 and all prospects are welcome to tryout both days. If your child believes he did not perform at his best on that first weekend, then please come back again. We want every player to have the opportunity to make their best impression on the coaches who are evaluating.
The weather this week does not look like it is going to cooperate, but if possible, take your son (or daughter) to a parking lot and throw grounders and pop flies until he becomes comfortable making a catch and throwing the ball back accurately. If possible, go to a batting cage prior to tryouts. Many kids show up to tryouts and have not picked up a bat, ball or glove in at least six months. Just imagine trying to do your best, in front of your parents, friends and prospective coaches under such circumstances!
The good news is that soon the weather will warm up. Tryouts will be behind us. Coaches will reach out to their new teams and begin to practice. Opening Day will arrive. However, before Opening Day, you will likely hear from your manager or a Board member asking for your assistance at our upcoming Field Days. These are critical. In short, this is the only way we can, as a community, get our playing fields into decent shape before the season begins. The task is greater than ever this season, as we must prepare both Dyer and our New Complex. Please check out our calendar regarding details for these important events.
Finally, I hope your travels in recent weeks have taken you down Naamans Road. If so, you may have seen our new Clubhouse rising on the grounds of BLL’s baseball complex. This building will house a concession stand, three bathrooms, a large ground floor storage area, and a second floor meeting room. We can all be proud of this new facility. A lot of work and expense has gone into the New Complex over the past six months. Field 1 (a 220 foot Majors field) and the Challenger/Tee Ball field were both regraded and seeded last fall. The perimeter of the complex has been cleared of overgrowth. Over the next few weeks, we will be working to ensure that all four fields can be used this season. But there is much more to do to truly make this complex state of the art. A partial list includes building a picnic pavilion, installing scoreboards, bleachers, adding dugout roofs, and generally landscaping the grounds.
If you are interested in helping out with a financial or material contribution, please contact me. This is a project we should and can all be proud of.
JWF
February 20, 2009
Season Priorities
During the Parent’s Meeting on February 9th, I shared three key priorities for our league this season.
Priority #1 is SAFETY. Thanks to the leadership of Jeff Forward, our league’s Safety Director,and with the full support of your Board, we intend to make Brandywine Little League a model for good safety planning and preparedness. A comprehensive Safety Plan has been developed and will be implemented before the season opens. All Managers will be issued a copy of this plan and are required to attend a 90-minute safety seminar conducted by Jacob Morente. In addition to being the VP of our Senior Division, Jay’s an EMT for the City of Wilmington. We are fortunate to be able to take advantage of Jay’s expertise and training in this area.
Safety is everyone’s responsibility. It’s as simple as making sure kids are not swinging bats, that our fields are in good condition before the game begins, and that everyone gets safely to cover when thunder is heard. It’s also being aware of who is on the field and working with your kids. Every volunteer that comes in contact with your child is required to have a Volunteer background check through ChoicePoint. This includes Board Members, Managers, Coaches, Team Moms and Umpires.
Priority #2 is Coaching Development. At our February Board meeting, Ken Biddle was named to the new position of Coaching Development Director. Ken has successfully coached and managed at all levels in our league. I’ve asked him to share best practices and tips with our coaches – particularly those coaches working with our youngest players. Each year we hear comments from parents about a lack of coaching at the Tee Ball, Single A and Double A levels. I don’t think coaching has been lacking due to effort or good intentions, but I do believe there is more we can do to become much more systematic in our approach to how practices are conducted and Ken will help us all do a better sharing and teaching successful techniques for skills development.
Priority #3 is Player Development. Taking the lead in this critical area is Skip Shackleford, who was named Player Development Director at the February Board meeting. I’ve asked Skip to track and share opportunities for individual and team development. In short, we want Brandywine players to have access to as many opportunities as possible to develop their skills and a passion for the game of baseball. It is my hope that over time we will see a dramatic increase in the fundamental skill set of our players. This starts when kids play more baseball—the right way. With Skip’s leadership, we can raise the quality of play across all ages in our league. Keep an eye on the BLL website for postings of opportunities for clinics, camps and special training sessions.
It Takes a Village. Success in these areas will not be achieved by the efforts of Jeff, Ken and Skip. They can only help facilitate, promote and champion these priorities. The safety of our kids is everyone’s responsibility. Our coaches have to be open to suggestions and new approaches. And our players have to develop the discipline and attitude required to really get better through hard work and effort. In short, I hope to be able to look back and see that a Brandywine Way of coaching and playing baseball was established this season. The outcome in future years may or may not be championships, but it will be champions in terms of the character of the young people who pass through our program.
JWF
January 1, 2009
Looking Forward to the Season Ahead
This past summer I had a chance to visit the Little League Museum in Williamsport and tour the site of the Little League World Series. It’s certainly an impressive physical facility. As a result of my visit, I better appreciate that Brandywine Little League is part of a remarkable, worldwide organization, built on the simple premise that providing a safe, fun and appropriately competitive opportunity for children to learn and play baseball can help the kids in any community grow up to be better citizens.
Little League has been doing this since its modest founding in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1939. Brandywine Little League has been doing so since our founding in 1967. It’s coincidence, or course, but that is the same year I began playing Little League baseball in Westfield, NJ. Forty-two years later I am very proud to have been asked to be our league’s President. Certainly, we live in different times than those of seven, four or even one decade ago, yet there is still much to be said regarding the life lessons that baseball teaches everyone who plays, coaches or simply observes our great game.
Over the years Brandywine Little League has touched the lives of thousands of youngsters and each season more than 500 families and 650 kids participate across all levels of play. Our league only succeeds with the support of our many volunteers. Please step forward to manage or coach. Please provide assistance when we ask for help to prepare our fields and facilities. Please spend an evening of volunteer time in our concession stand. And please support those who are doing the volunteering. Remember our umpires are parents and volunteers. Remember, your manager and coaches are hustling from jobs to make practice and games. Lend a hand and an encouraging word. It will be appreciated.
I appreciate your support, which I am confident I have. I hope you all have a great season and I look forward to seeing you at the field. Throughout the course of the season, I invite you to follow my "baseball blog" -- where I will attempt to provide an ongoing perspective about the 2009 season at Brandywine Little League.
Sincerely,
John Faulkner
President, 2009 Season
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