July 25, 2016
DEER PARK, H AMPTON -W YTHE, NOR TH AMPTON, PHOEBUS, POQUOSON, W ARW ICK, YORK, CHALLENGER
July 25, 2016 Let’s host a Little League State Tournament VA District 7 Little League Parents, Coaches, Volunteers and League/District Administrators, Recently, a parent/coach from one of our seven leagues sent an email to several VA District Administrators (DAs), LL Southeastern Region, and posted the same email on social media (D7 FB). The complaint was about a 2016 State tournament his/her son/daughter participated in, that, well let’s say, did not live up to his/her expectations. After discussion with the author, maybe much of it stems from an overall lack of understanding (from many people) of how tournament locations, hosts, organization (pool/elimination), schedules are decided. Therefore, here’s a quite lengthy explanation of this process in an effort to at least help with folks understanding why it is the way it is. We continue to examine and improve each and every day, positive alternatives are always welcomed. Background: It’s important to note right off the bat that everyone involved in this process is a VOLUNTEER, there are no paid personnel until you get to the Regional level, and even then, you can count them on two hands. This includes umpires (I will address Umpires later). The 16 districts in Virginia host 13 divisions of baseball/softball tournaments each year. Keep in mind, prior to the State tournaments, ALL of these districts just completed their own District tournaments, some a day or two before. Tournament Hosting Selection Process: The 16 VA District DAs get together quarterly in Lynchburg, and at least two of these meetings, tournament hosting is addressed. A state tournament rotating schedule (for each division) has been established for 10 years at least whereas each section (sections consist of 4 of the districts, D7 is in section 4 with D6, D8, and D15) are scheduled to host a particular division(s) each year. If none of the districts in the section accept a tournament, it is sent back to all the districts to see if they want to take on the tournament. Eventually, all tournaments get picked up by one of the districts, because otherwise, there would not be a State tournament for that division. Luckily, that has not happened in VA for many years, however it has happened in other states. Tournament Host Leagues: When a District/League agrees to host a tournament it’s a HUGE deal at every division. The District/League has to provide: a venue to play (usually more than one field depending on number of teams); arrange hotels; opening ceremonies; picnic; concessions/facilities; scorekeepers/announcers; field workers; and of utmost importance volunteer umpires. As an example, we were honored to host the 9/10 BB State tournament at Stoney Run last year. Although it was a D7 tournament, Warwick LL was essentially the host league and we were quite lucky to secure the Stoney Run complex and rec center (at no charge mind you) and were able to play four games at one time. We were able to provide at least 3 volunteer umpires on each field throughout the tournament (we had 4 umpires from other nearby districts help out that we didn’t need to put in a hotel at our expense). I’m Virginia District 7 7 Rivergate Dr. Poquoson, V A 23662 757-272-3928 Fax: 757-868-3352 E-Mail: [email protected] www.V ADis trict7. org
DEER PARK, H AMPTON -W YTHE, NOR TH AMPTON, PHOEBUS, POQUOSON, W ARW ICK, YORK, CHALLENGER
still flabbergasted at the effort from our umpires. State tournaments are held during the day, to include weekdays (there’s reasons for that that I won’t go in to). What this means is that the volunteers have to take off of work to fill the necessary positions; without the volunteers, there will be no games. For the 2015 9/10 BB State tournament, 3 of our 7 leagues did not provide even one volunteer for the week’s events. Just to close out this example, we were lucky to secure such an awesome venue, however it takes a huge effort from the local leagues (not all district’s leagues are so close to each other, some travel hours just to play regular season games). For a major tournament like the 9/10 BB State Tournament, we struggled to get volunteers to help, and actually ended costing us (District 7) $1000 when said and done just for the honor to host. Venues/Schedules: I put this topic together because I think they go hand-in-hand. Once a District/League has agreed to host a particular tournament, they have to decide how they are going to try and complete the tournament in minimum time (to help the out of town teams), and in time to give the champion enough time to prepare/travel to the next level. This is usually gaged by the number of fields available and number of teams in the tournament, additionally whether pool or double elimination formats will be used (only two choices authorized by LL). Both methods have their advantages/disadvantages, but based on the number of teams involved could matter on how long the tournament goes on. One issue brought up is the scheduling of this particular tournament whereas there was some “gap” time. Although I didn’t examine the schedule, there are things that come into play that are unrecognized by most. When using the double elimination format (or in finals), games can’t always be moved around very easily. Sometimes you have to wait for the conclusion of one game to know the teams of another game. Also there are rules/restrictions to playing doubleheaders (not to mention fairness to teams) when not part of the original schedule. Those changes require LLB approval. Field Requirements: Maybe it’s not widely known, but there are some differences between field dimensions authorized for regular season and tournament play. In other words, there are fields you can play regular season games on that are not approved for tournament play, we have several in D7. So think about it, even in the 7 leagues in D7, we have some leagues that cannot host a DISTRICT tournament because they don’t have a legal tournament field (let alone two fields). Umpires: Although we have an awesome volunteer Umpire Association here in District 7, not all do. Keep in mind, these umpires cannot be paid umpires, but even if allowed, the cost would be immense. Additionally, at least two umpires are required for each game and on the big diamond at least three are really necessary. Typically Umpires above the 9/10 Baseball and Softball levels, require help from outside the Hosting districts, each district nominates these umpires to the host district. Remember these are experienced volunteer umpires who probably have a real job and have to take off of work to fill this position, and if not within a reasonable travel distance, the host league has to put them up some place. Available experienced umpires at the upper levels and softball are limited as well. Without umpires, there will not be a game played. Virginia District 7 7 Rivergate Dr. Poquoson, V A 23662 757-272-3928 Fax: 757-868-3352 E-Mail: [email protected] www.V ADis trict7. org
DEER PARK, H AMPTON -W YTHE, NOR TH AMPTON, PHOEBUS, POQUOSON, W ARW ICK, YORK, CHALLENGER
50/70, Junior, Senior, and Big League BB Divisions: These divisions have more problematic situations for hosting tournaments. I saw one post explaining that District/Leagues probably have problems with damage to hotels, conduct, etc. of these divisions, so elect not to host them. Although there are typical problems with this age group, in my 16 years of being part of the district/state, I have never heard that being the rationale for not hosting these levels. The issue here is usually field availability, and sometimes lack of volunteers at these levels. These levels require at least two fields to host a tournament involving more than 8 teams (including umpires/volunteers). Typically, these are High School fields. To get two HS fields nearby each other is quite difficult, not to mention setting up concessions, restrooms, scorekeeping/announcing, etc. And would usually need to be using two different league’s volunteers and school systems. Field dimensions are also problematic. Just think about us in D7, our leagues are only 20 minutes apart from each other and at this time I can’t even fathom taking on a Junior, Senior, Big League Baseball State tournament. One Last Topic: The concerned parent in the post questions why a particular district always gets a particular tournament each year as it’s not convenient to anyone else in the state of VA, particularly because the population concentrations are in the East. His/her rationale is extremely flawed. The number of teams (and players) submitted to the tournaments has nothing to do with population. Either a team (usually 12-13 players) is entered or not. The recommendation is to host the tournament(s) in the center of the state whereas all the districts travel similar distances to compete. What the parent/coach recommends would be a Utopia, it would be awesome to have a complex in the middle of the state to host all 13 division state tournaments, but that’s not what we have. Additionally, since the central location is not feasible, just keep this in mind… no matter where the tournament(s) are held, some districts/leagues will have to travel, some 100 miles, some 400 miles. Some have a lot of hotels at cheap rates, some don’t. And some have state of the art venues, others don’t. I appreciate the opportunity to inform/educate you all on this topic. I hope that this lengthy letter gives you a little insight on what goes on behind the scenes putting on a State tournament (and to be honest, much of what happens preparing for District tournaments). We’re not by any means perfect, and will never meet everyone’s expectations, but we’ll continue to try. I ask that as parents and volunteers for an awesome organization (sure there’s flaws), that we take a look at our local organization and see how we fit into what I went over in the previous paragraphs. As always, feel free to call, text or email me with your concerns/ideas, my contact info is readily available. Thank you for your interest in District 7 Little League, and Little League International, and most importantly the players. Bob Sherrill VA District 7 Administrator
It's always for the kids!... Right?!!! Virginia District 7 7 Rivergate Dr. Poquoson, V A 23662 757-272-3928 Fax: 757-868-3352 E-Mail: [email protected] www.V ADis trict7. org
July 25, 2016 Let’s host a Little League State Tournament VA District 7 Little League Parents, Coaches, Volunteers and League/District Administrators, Recently, a parent/coach from one of our seven leagues sent an email to several VA District Administrators (DAs), LL Southeastern Region, and posted the same email on social media (D7 FB). The complaint was about a 2016 State tournament his/her son/daughter participated in, that, well let’s say, did not live up to his/her expectations. After discussion with the author, maybe much of it stems from an overall lack of understanding (from many people) of how tournament locations, hosts, organization (pool/elimination), schedules are decided. Therefore, here’s a quite lengthy explanation of this process in an effort to at least help with folks understanding why it is the way it is. We continue to examine and improve each and every day, positive alternatives are always welcomed. Background: It’s important to note right off the bat that everyone involved in this process is a VOLUNTEER, there are no paid personnel until you get to the Regional level, and even then, you can count them on two hands. This includes umpires (I will address Umpires later). The 16 districts in Virginia host 13 divisions of baseball/softball tournaments each year. Keep in mind, prior to the State tournaments, ALL of these districts just completed their own District tournaments, some a day or two before. Tournament Hosting Selection Process: The 16 VA District DAs get together quarterly in Lynchburg, and at least two of these meetings, tournament hosting is addressed. A state tournament rotating schedule (for each division) has been established for 10 years at least whereas each section (sections consist of 4 of the districts, D7 is in section 4 with D6, D8, and D15) are scheduled to host a particular division(s) each year. If none of the districts in the section accept a tournament, it is sent back to all the districts to see if they want to take on the tournament. Eventually, all tournaments get picked up by one of the districts, because otherwise, there would not be a State tournament for that division. Luckily, that has not happened in VA for many years, however it has happened in other states. Tournament Host Leagues: When a District/League agrees to host a tournament it’s a HUGE deal at every division. The District/League has to provide: a venue to play (usually more than one field depending on number of teams); arrange hotels; opening ceremonies; picnic; concessions/facilities; scorekeepers/announcers; field workers; and of utmost importance volunteer umpires. As an example, we were honored to host the 9/10 BB State tournament at Stoney Run last year. Although it was a D7 tournament, Warwick LL was essentially the host league and we were quite lucky to secure the Stoney Run complex and rec center (at no charge mind you) and were able to play four games at one time. We were able to provide at least 3 volunteer umpires on each field throughout the tournament (we had 4 umpires from other nearby districts help out that we didn’t need to put in a hotel at our expense). I’m Virginia District 7 7 Rivergate Dr. Poquoson, V A 23662 757-272-3928 Fax: 757-868-3352 E-Mail: [email protected] www.V ADis trict7. org
DEER PARK, H AMPTON -W YTHE, NOR TH AMPTON, PHOEBUS, POQUOSON, W ARW ICK, YORK, CHALLENGER
still flabbergasted at the effort from our umpires. State tournaments are held during the day, to include weekdays (there’s reasons for that that I won’t go in to). What this means is that the volunteers have to take off of work to fill the necessary positions; without the volunteers, there will be no games. For the 2015 9/10 BB State tournament, 3 of our 7 leagues did not provide even one volunteer for the week’s events. Just to close out this example, we were lucky to secure such an awesome venue, however it takes a huge effort from the local leagues (not all district’s leagues are so close to each other, some travel hours just to play regular season games). For a major tournament like the 9/10 BB State Tournament, we struggled to get volunteers to help, and actually ended costing us (District 7) $1000 when said and done just for the honor to host. Venues/Schedules: I put this topic together because I think they go hand-in-hand. Once a District/League has agreed to host a particular tournament, they have to decide how they are going to try and complete the tournament in minimum time (to help the out of town teams), and in time to give the champion enough time to prepare/travel to the next level. This is usually gaged by the number of fields available and number of teams in the tournament, additionally whether pool or double elimination formats will be used (only two choices authorized by LL). Both methods have their advantages/disadvantages, but based on the number of teams involved could matter on how long the tournament goes on. One issue brought up is the scheduling of this particular tournament whereas there was some “gap” time. Although I didn’t examine the schedule, there are things that come into play that are unrecognized by most. When using the double elimination format (or in finals), games can’t always be moved around very easily. Sometimes you have to wait for the conclusion of one game to know the teams of another game. Also there are rules/restrictions to playing doubleheaders (not to mention fairness to teams) when not part of the original schedule. Those changes require LLB approval. Field Requirements: Maybe it’s not widely known, but there are some differences between field dimensions authorized for regular season and tournament play. In other words, there are fields you can play regular season games on that are not approved for tournament play, we have several in D7. So think about it, even in the 7 leagues in D7, we have some leagues that cannot host a DISTRICT tournament because they don’t have a legal tournament field (let alone two fields). Umpires: Although we have an awesome volunteer Umpire Association here in District 7, not all do. Keep in mind, these umpires cannot be paid umpires, but even if allowed, the cost would be immense. Additionally, at least two umpires are required for each game and on the big diamond at least three are really necessary. Typically Umpires above the 9/10 Baseball and Softball levels, require help from outside the Hosting districts, each district nominates these umpires to the host district. Remember these are experienced volunteer umpires who probably have a real job and have to take off of work to fill this position, and if not within a reasonable travel distance, the host league has to put them up some place. Available experienced umpires at the upper levels and softball are limited as well. Without umpires, there will not be a game played. Virginia District 7 7 Rivergate Dr. Poquoson, V A 23662 757-272-3928 Fax: 757-868-3352 E-Mail: [email protected] www.V ADis trict7. org
DEER PARK, H AMPTON -W YTHE, NOR TH AMPTON, PHOEBUS, POQUOSON, W ARW ICK, YORK, CHALLENGER
50/70, Junior, Senior, and Big League BB Divisions: These divisions have more problematic situations for hosting tournaments. I saw one post explaining that District/Leagues probably have problems with damage to hotels, conduct, etc. of these divisions, so elect not to host them. Although there are typical problems with this age group, in my 16 years of being part of the district/state, I have never heard that being the rationale for not hosting these levels. The issue here is usually field availability, and sometimes lack of volunteers at these levels. These levels require at least two fields to host a tournament involving more than 8 teams (including umpires/volunteers). Typically, these are High School fields. To get two HS fields nearby each other is quite difficult, not to mention setting up concessions, restrooms, scorekeeping/announcing, etc. And would usually need to be using two different league’s volunteers and school systems. Field dimensions are also problematic. Just think about us in D7, our leagues are only 20 minutes apart from each other and at this time I can’t even fathom taking on a Junior, Senior, Big League Baseball State tournament. One Last Topic: The concerned parent in the post questions why a particular district always gets a particular tournament each year as it’s not convenient to anyone else in the state of VA, particularly because the population concentrations are in the East. His/her rationale is extremely flawed. The number of teams (and players) submitted to the tournaments has nothing to do with population. Either a team (usually 12-13 players) is entered or not. The recommendation is to host the tournament(s) in the center of the state whereas all the districts travel similar distances to compete. What the parent/coach recommends would be a Utopia, it would be awesome to have a complex in the middle of the state to host all 13 division state tournaments, but that’s not what we have. Additionally, since the central location is not feasible, just keep this in mind… no matter where the tournament(s) are held, some districts/leagues will have to travel, some 100 miles, some 400 miles. Some have a lot of hotels at cheap rates, some don’t. And some have state of the art venues, others don’t. I appreciate the opportunity to inform/educate you all on this topic. I hope that this lengthy letter gives you a little insight on what goes on behind the scenes putting on a State tournament (and to be honest, much of what happens preparing for District tournaments). We’re not by any means perfect, and will never meet everyone’s expectations, but we’ll continue to try. I ask that as parents and volunteers for an awesome organization (sure there’s flaws), that we take a look at our local organization and see how we fit into what I went over in the previous paragraphs. As always, feel free to call, text or email me with your concerns/ideas, my contact info is readily available. Thank you for your interest in District 7 Little League, and Little League International, and most importantly the players. Bob Sherrill VA District 7 Administrator
It's always for the kids!... Right?!!! Virginia District 7 7 Rivergate Dr. Poquoson, V A 23662 757-272-3928 Fax: 757-868-3352 E-Mail: [email protected] www.V ADis trict7. org
