My son Joe has been on the Pirates (American Division) since the fall season of 2006. As the seasons pass, it has been a delight to watch him and his teammates grow more skillful, grow up as people and grow together as a team. Clearly, the credit goes to Seth Rosenthal for being a great coach, and to CCLL for its leadership and providing a positive environment for the kids to enjoy playing this great game.

      My support for the team and league to this point has been an informal role helping coach third, assisting at practices and being the unofficial team photographer. But now it is time for me get off the sideline and do my best to ensure everyone from the kids to the coaches to the parents continue to have what they need to enjoy baseball and softball to the fullest.

       I think that we should always strive for improvement. One area where I can make an impact is creating a greater sense of community for everyone involved in CCLL. The CCLL car magnets were a great place to start. And now if we ensure the data on CCLL website is kept up-to-date, and maybe more importantly, commit to an expanded presence on existing social networks that people already use like Facebook, we can boost feelings of community.

      Timely posting of scores, updates, photos and video will generate even greater excitement and increase parent investment in the league without spending a lot of time and money.

      Another area where I want to spend energy is exploring how our kids might get exposure to programs like Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), which exists in DC, and Buddy Ball, where physically and cognitively challenged kids are assigned a non-disabled "buddy" to help them field, throw, bat and run the bases. The latter program is available in cities around the country but not here. I am interested in  creating opportunities through the league for our kids to reach out and learn about others through baseball.

Thank you for your consideration.