T4 = TEAM MARKOWITZ

Dear Parents,

Spring is nearly upon us, which means it is almost time to play some baseball. Over the winter, the Litchfield Baseball Association (LBA) has been working on ways to improve the program.

Rich Rochford (Fields/Facilities) has worked diligently on improving the fields at Jeff Lane and Griffin Memorial School (GMS). The dilapidated concrete dugouts at GMS were replaced with fences, and bullpen fencing on the side was removed, creating a more open look to the field, and providing easier access to the infield. The dugouts only need a roof and benches, and we can then mark this project as complete. The Jeff Lane infields have been reworked into an all dirt infield, and one field has been upgraded to 60’ base paths.

Dan Jorgensen (Equipment) has been working on creating a standardized uniform for the league. This is a departure from previous years, where the league used MLB uniforms, which differed from year to year. The difficulty with this is that the league could not order in bulk, and players were often left to the whims of the sizes given out to each team. Now, all players will have the same uniforms, but different team colors. This change will really aid in management of uniform purchasing and distribution. The new logo designs have been approved by the board, and they really look fantastic.

In 2012, we want to begin practice for the summer tournament (All-Star) teams much earlier in the season. Tryouts will be held after the first week of the season. Anyone interested in managing a tournament team (U9, U10, U11, and U12) should notify the appropriate division coordinator. By starting earlier, team managers will have more time to find and enter tournaments, and team players will have more time to develop and bond with each other before tournament time.

As with all youth sports leagues, community support is vital to provide a safe, clean, supportive, and competitive atmosphere. The league has removed the volunteer opt out fee; however, we expect all families to help out where needed. The work involved is not a lot. If everyone pitches in, all should go well. Please support our league, team managers, and players by participating in this responsibility.

The league is also in need of people to serve on the board. This past fall, I had a conversation with a fellow parent, who stated, sincerely, that they just didn’t know enough about the sport to serve as a board member. My reply was that detailed knowledge about a sport or its rules is not needed to serve as a board member. I explained that it’s all really about being able to manage yourself and others to get a few tasks done. We have the necessary duties documented, but we need more participation at the board level. I especially appeal to and encourage people with younger players in the league to consider stepping up. After all, you’re probably going to be involved for a few years with the league. Unfamiliarity with the board and/or league does not matter! Some people are moving on, and we need your help to fill those roles. Why not be a part of deciding what paths the organization will follow in the future?

Lastly, registration for the 2012 season begins February 7 and will end on March 24. Skills assessments are done for Rookie divisions on up; dates are:

To accommodate parents who cannot register on-line, you can register on skills assessment day. It is imperative that all players register by the skills assessment day so that the formation of teams is efficient, and player hats/shirts are ordered timely. An additional $20 fee will be applied to registrations that occur after registration closes.

Sincerely,

Pete Moore. LBA President