those expectations. It is always remarkable how the smaller towns pull together and make our tourna-ments “community events”. So many memories were created that will last a lifetime, and so many new friends were made that will result in long-lasting relationships. It bears repeating that the Babe Ruth Program is one big family which grows and gets better each year. Our volunteers are dedi-cated and rarely receive the recog-nition they deserve. But, they don’t do it for the recognition—they do it because they love the game of baseball and the young people who participate in it, and they believe in the Babe Ruth Baseball concept. Our District Commissioners and Assistant State Commissioners also work very hard and log in many hours during the entire year to make our program the best it can be. THANKS to all of our volun-teers for making Kansas Babe Ruth Baseball special.
YOU ARE THE GREATEST!!
Kansas Babe Ruth experienced another great year in 2016. The chief reason for our achievements is the volunteers who work tirelessly to insure that the Babe Ruth program remains the BEST youth program in the state. The purpose of this article is to recognize and thank the many volunteers who continue to make things happen in our program. Our volunteers are the BEST.
In our state, there are many areas that are untapped by Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken baseball, and it is the duty of each of us to seek contacts in those areas and show our program and its many benefits and advantages over the other programs. The northern half of the state remains the most fertile area for growth. If you know of leagues that are not affiliated or play independent programs, please provide your District Commissioner or other board members with those contacts. Then, we can approach them and inform them about Kansas Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken baseball.
All of the Tournament Directors of the 2016 tournaments worked hard
to make sure their tournaments were first class events that will be remem-bered for years to come by all who participated in them. Tournament Directors work diligently, devoting many hours before their tournament starts. Once their tournament be-gins, they meet the high standards we have come to know and experi-ence in the Kansas tournament trail. State Tournament Directors for the 2016 season were: Justin Seltzer, Hesston (16-18), Tom Robertson, Fort Scott (9), Tanner Ford, Wel-lington (10), Jason Brokar, Kinsley (11-60), Jared Rutti of Garden City (11-70), Chris Ratzlaff, Pittsburg (12-60 and 14), Junior Soeken, Lyons(12-70), Brandon Johnson, Frontenac (13) and Dottie Kell of Junction City (13-15). Jeff Blosser of Council Grove served as the Tour-nament Director for the Midwest Plains 11(70) Regional Tournament held in Council Grove
Experience has shown that if volun-teers know what the expectations are, as far as tournament events and pageantry, they generally exceed
B a b e R u t h V o l u n t e e r s a r e t h e B E S T
I ns i de t h i s i s s ue :
“Classic XVIII” rec-ognizes Kansas Tal-ent
2
2016 State Babe Ruth Tournament Results
2
‘16 State Cal Ripken Tournament Results
2
MWP Regional Tour-nament Results
2
Babe Ruth “Bullpen” publication link
2
Cal Zone 3
2017 Tournament Dates
4
Charter Early 4
Kansas Babe Ruth Baseball on the web
5
2017 Rule Changes 5
USABat Standard for 2018
5-6
Policy/Rule Clarifica-tion for 2017
7
Who is Stealing Home from Commu-nity Youth Baseball
7-8
Kansas Babe Ruth Board of Directors
9
O c t o be r 1 5 , 2 0 1 6
Vo l u me VI I , I s s ue 3
7th Inning
Official Publication of Kansas Babe Ruth Leagues, Inc.
Offic
ial
Bab
e Ruth Lea
gue
BOB WILLIS—STATE COMMISSIONER PAUL UNRAU-CAL RIPKEN STATE COMMISSIONER
HQ Hosts Combined Meeting for Midwest Plains and New England Regions
Commissioners from the Midwest Plains and New England Re-gions were treated to some great hospitality and training at Hamil-ton, NJ as Headquarters hosted a combined meeting for the two regions. Midwest Plains Commissioners arrived Thursday, Sep-tember 28 and the New England Commissioners arrived Friday. After touring the new Babe Ruth facility Friday, Commissioners met with President/CEO Steven Tellefsen, Commissioner Rob Connor and Midwest Plains Commissioner Tim Kuntz. In the evening, commissioners were bussed to Philadelphia to watch the Phillies and Mets game. Saturday was spent visiting twelve differ-ent stations set up at Headquarters with 3 commissioners in each group. Topics ranged from reviewing league contacts, the charter-ing process, insurance, social media, recruitment, SI Play and methods to boost our program and expose the Babe Ruth brand. Staff members headed each station, so it was a great way to get to know the staff which we often communicate with, but have never met in most cases. Saturday night was special in that Mike Janicki, State Commissioner for Eastern Massachussetts was inducted into the New Eng-land Hall of Fame and Marg Inteso was surprised by being inducted into the Midwest Plains Hall of Fame. This was the first time that two regions were combined for a meeting and it turned out to be a HUGE success and provided a great opportunity for the two regions of the Babe Ruth family to merge in an exchange of thoughts and ideas.
Midwest Plains Regional Commissioner Tim Kuntz presenting Hall of Fame Award to Marg Inteso, a very fitting and well deserved award.
Council Grove was the site of the 2016 Midwest Plains Regional Tournament for the 11(70) Division, where eight teams participated in the pool play event played July 28-August 1.
The tournament showcased some outstanding teams and spectacular plays as well as demonstration of good sports-manship by many teams and players alike. The tournament was won by Grand Forks, ND. The Norm and Colleen Travis
Sportsmanship Banner was presented to the Liberal, KS team. Tournament Director Jeff Blosser and his staff did an outstanding job in organiz-ing and running the tourna-ment, dealing with rain delays during parts of the tourna-ment. The tournament boast-ed live National Anthem be-fore every game as well as 1st Pitch ceremonies recognizing local dignitaries and volun-teers.
After checking in, the players,
Players, coaches and fans experienced the hospitality and friendly citizens of Council Grove when they arrived on Saturday, August 13 to partici-pate in the 18th annual Classic, showcasing outstanding 15 year-olds from all over the state. After an hour of practice, the participants and families en-joyed a barbeque picnic and swimming at the Aquatic Cen-ter. Sunday’s events began with a photo session, followed by a ceremony honoring each player and coach who received special plaques commemorating this prestigious and special event. Paul Unrau, Cal Ripken State Commissioner, managed the
Blue team with help from coaches Scott Heidebrecht of Marion and Dave Whetstone of Howard. Managing the Red team was Assistant State Com-missioner (12-60 Division), Dennis Nevin. His coaching staff included James McCarty of Cherryvale and Lance Smith of Oswego The Red Team won the first game by a score of 11-9 and the second game by a 9-3 margin. Players on both teams had a great time and were afforded the opportunity to meet players from other teams and parts of the state during the two days. Players are selected at their respective district tournaments based on their playing ability
P a g e 2 V o l u m e V I I , I s s u e 3
and sportsmanship. Coaches are nominated by their District Com-missioners, and the managers are on a rotational basis of Kansas Babe Ruth League, Inc. Board of Directors. A special thanks to Mark Brooks, our 10-year Old Assis-tant State Commissioner, for organizing this prestigious event, Justin Carlson, Council Grove Recreation Director, who served as Tournament Director and maintained the fields during the event, the Council Grove City Commissioners, the citizens of Council Grove, the Rotary Club and the community of Council Grove for all of their hard work and support in making Classic XVIII a special and memorable event for all participants.
coaches and fans enjoyed a great picnic where they en-joyed a delicious barbecue dinner. Many great memories were created at this successful event.
In 2017, Junction City will host the 16-18 Regional July 20-25 and Pittsburg will host the 11(60) Regional July 26-31. Kanas will also host the 12(60) Regional with the dates being July 18-23 and the site to be determined.
2016 S ta t e Babe Ruth Tournamen t Resu l t s Age Division Location Champion Sportsmanship Award
13’s Frontenac Frontenac Southwest
14’s Pittsburg Liberal SPIAA
13-15’s Junction City Liberal Chanute
16-18’s Hesston Wellington Lindsborg
Age Division Location Champion Sportsmanship Award
9’s Fort Scott Pittsburg Wellington
10’s Wellington Pittsburg Newton
11(60) Kinsley Columbus
11(70) Garden City Liberal Mulvane
12(60’) Pittsburg Pittsburg Wellington
12(70’) Lyons Quivira Winfield
Midwes t P l a ins Reg iona l Tournament
“Just as baseball is the sport of families there is one baseball family. We ardently believe that the baseball family includes the fans, coaches, admin-istrators and youth play-
ers of the Babe Ruth League and at all levels in the many communities where our game is played
and enjoyed. Major League Baseball com-mends all of the Babe
Ruth Baseball’s partici-pants.”
Rob Manfred, Commis-
sioner of Baseball
If you have a smartphone, you can download a free barcode reader app. and scan the QR code below to access the Bull-pen archives.
2016 S ta t e Ca l R ipken Tournamen t Resu l t s
Use the link below to access Bull-Pen, instructive publication of Babe Ruth League. http://www.baberuthleague.org/league-resources/bullpen-archive/mar-apr-2016.aspx
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b y C a l R i p k e n C o m m i s s i o n e r P a u l U n r a u
The Kansas Cal Ripken baseball program has just completed another successful season. We have heard many positive comments about players and volunteer successes on and off the field. A big thanks to all our volunteers for another year of providing great experiences for our youth. A big thanks to the leagues who hosted district, state, and regional tourna-ments this summer. Without your help in this matter, we would not have the great level of success that we have experi-enced.
* * * * * * Coaching baseball can become a truly awesome task if you think seriously about the responsibility of coaching our young athletes. As a coach you are investing in the future of the game of baseball and building character in each in-dividual as you teach/coach. It may seem trite to say you get out of it what you put into it, but it is, nonetheless, true. To take on the job of coaching, your dedication has to go beyond your love of the game. So now during the off-season, we can evaluate our coaching methods and successes and determine what we can do to make for better builders of character in our players in the future and keep baseball FUN. So with that in mind here are three great ideas for building success-ful team chemistry and enhancing great character in your players:
BE AN ENCOURAGER If one of your players does a good job, let him know! We tend to point out that he missed a pop fly or over threw a base, but are we telling him “good job” when he makes a good play? Make it a practice to let the players know that you ap-prove of the way they did something positive. But don’t neglect pointing out how he could have made a bad situation better, giving him a chance to succeed the next time around. But if he is giving it his best, give him credit. Keep in mind that the average player needs encouragement when he does something positive and be sure to apply this standard to the whole team, not just the “star” players. Praise will build confidence and improved results.
REWARD Great Team Play and Team Leadership We all love to get rewards. Why wouldn’t your players love to get a reward? Of course, they are there to play baseball, and although we sometimes think that baseball in and of itself should be a reward, how about maybe a “bribe” or two? Be creative. You can come up with many ideas. I will offer a couple here. How about helmet stickers? We see many football programs hand out helmet stickers for meeting specific goals, why not baseball? Many sporting goods stores sell these stickers for a small token. Set some standards at the beginning of the year and then when the players meet these standards, give them a sticker for the back of their helmet. Ideas could be: hitting safely in a game, making a good stop in a game, throwing out a runner, etc. Set your standards based on your team’s physical skills for their age group. Don’t be afraid to make a special sticker presentation if and when an excep-tion play was made. Be creative. What about giving out a “game” ball? Give out a game ball after each game to a player who has done a great job during the game. This could be for success on the field or on the bench. Be sure to take a Sharpie and write the player’s name, the game date, the teams who played, and “Player of the Game” or “MVP” on the ball. By doing this, you have turned a baseball into a real keepsake; a memory of a special game. This is a great way to make sure that everyone gets some recognition over the course of the season. Keep track of who has and who hasn’t received a baseball, and make sure that everyone gets at least one.
SURPRISE Extra Activities Sometimes we get caught up in thinking that every minute, every hour needs to be spent working on baseball skills. Lighten up the mood by relaxing and surprising the players with a post-game or practice with some other fun activities. Go to the local dollar store and buy enough water guns for the whole team. Have them filled and ready for use after a practice or game and pull them out unannounced! Or try the same with water balloons. Bring a football to the field and play a little two-hand touch football or a Frisbee to play some Frisbee football. And be sure to do an end of the year special, like an ice cream party, swim party, or a team trip to a local professional baseball game. In most cases the parents of your players will buy in to any and all of your ideas for making the baseball season a fun and successful experience. Financially these ideas can be handled very well with parent involvement. In most cases the parents of your players will buy in to any and all of your ideas for making the baseball season a fun and successful experience. Financially these ide-as can be handled successfully with parent involvement. Be positive, be upbeat, and demonstrate to your players that you enjoy working with them, that you believe in them, and that you appreciate them and their efforts. You will be enriching their lives; not only will they play harder for you and work harder to improve their skills, but YOU might just get a little bit more out of it yourself! “Leadership isn’t about simply being in charge and treating your people like soldiers and barking orders. Leadership is sharing your knowledge and your direction so that others grow and reach their potential.” --Cal Ripken, Jr. So let’s … “Make each day your masterpiece.” --MaryLou Retton
The Help Desk at
Babe Ruth online is
designed to help with
any problems you
may encounter when
chartering your
league, purchasing
insurance or enter-
ing roster infor-
mation. HQ has ad-
ditional staff to help
leagues get their da-
ta on-line.
V o l u m e V I I , I s s u e 3 P a g e 4
District Ending Date
State Tournament MWP Region Tournament
World Series (includes travel)
9 Year-Olds July 17 Garden City July 20-23
Gering, NE July 26-31
NONE
10 Year-Olds July 10 Harper July 13-17
Sterling, CO July 20-25
Hammond, IN Aug. 5-12
11(60’) July 9 Galena July 12-15
Pittsburg, KS July 26-31
NONE
11(70’) July 9 Garden City July 12-15
Bismarck, ND July 26-31
NONE
12(60’) July 9 Galena July 12-15
? July 18-23
Clemmons, ND Aug. 3-10
12(70’) July 9 Garden City July 12-15
IA July 18-23
TBA
13 Year-Olds July 10 Frontenac July 13-17
Roseau, MN July 25-30
Mountain Home, AR
Aug. 10-17
14 Year-Olds July 10 Larned July 13-17
North Platte, NE July 25-30
Glen Allen, VA Aug. 10-17
13-15 Year-Olds July 10 Humboldt July 13-17
CO July 25-31
Lawrenceburg, TN Aug. 10-17
16-18 Year-Olds July 10 Wellington July 13-17
Junction City, KS July 20-25
Ephrata, WA Aug. 5-12
8U TBA
TBA Jensen Beach/
Stuart, FL
10U TBA TBA July 9 Jensen Beach/Stuart, FL
12U TBA TBA July 9 Jensen Beach/Stuart, FL
14U TBA TBA July 9 Jensen Beach/Stuart, FL
16U TBA TBA Dodge City, KS July 9
Jensen Beach/Stuart, FL
but you can charter based on last year’s numbers and adjust those numbers when your league has their sign-ups. Also, if you have insurance through Babe Ruth, the coverage ex-pires January 31, so you will want to charter before then to continue your coverage. If you have any problems getting online or entering your data, contact the Help Desk at head-quarters. They are trained to help you or walk you through
Leagues may charter online beginning January 3, 2017. League officers should have received previous correspond-ence about the chartering pro-cess for the upcoming year, and the Chartering and Insurance Brochures will be emailed to League Presidents this month. The chartering process sets into action many activities to pre-pare you for the new season. Obviously, most leagues do not know their numbers by then,
Charter Early-Avoid the Rush the process. The goal at head-quarters is to help league offi-cials as much as possible to get their charters and rosters com-pleted online as early as possi-ble. Then each league can con-centrate on administering their program, playing their games and doing everything else that is required to run their program. Waiting until the last minute often causes undue confusion and headaches for all parties.
Use the following link to access the Babe Ruth Chartering resource page: https://www.baberuthleague.org/getting-started.aspx
P a g e 5 V o l u m e V I I , I s s u e 3
We are on facebook.
You can access the
data center, help
desk and Babe Ruth
League through face-
book.
You can also access
Kansas Babe Ruth
Leagues on facebook.
Here you will be able
to learn about hap-
penings in Kansas
and tournament
scores will be posted
during the tourna-
ment trail.
If you know of any new
leagues that are interested
in Babe Ruth Softball,
please have them contact
Mark Donley, Kansas
Softball Commissioner at
(316)655-8113 or by e-mail
at
Babe Ruth League, Inc.
Latest Rule Changes for 2017 Updated 1/13/2016
During the recent Board of Directors Meeting, the Rules and Regulations Committee has rec-ommended the following:
Cal Ripken Baseball – If a pitcher pitches six (6) innings in a tournament game, the
pitcher must have one calendar day rest, or if a pitcher pitches a total of six (6) innings in two successive days or tournament games, the pitcher must have one calendar day rest.
Babe Ruth Baseball - If a pitcher pitches seven (7) innings in a tournament game, the
pitcher must have one calendar day rest, or if a pitcher pitches a total of seven (7) innings in two successive days or tournament games, the pitcher must have one calendar day rest.
See update and clarification of this rule on page 7
Implementation of USA Bat Standard Begins on January 1, 2018
USA Baseball, the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the U.S., in conjunction with participating national member organizations (NMOs) announced the decision to adopt a new method for measuring bat performance in the testing of youth bats. Informed by the re-search of leading scientists on the USA Baseball Bat Study Committee, and supported by its NMOs, -- including the American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC), Amateur Athletic Un-ion (AAU), Babe Ruth Baseball/Cal Ripken Baseball, Dixie Youth Baseball, Little League Baseball and PONY Baseball -- USA Baseball has concluded that recent advancements in science, engineering, technology, and the materials available to fabricate non-wood bats, now allow the manufacturers to construct youth bats that can perform at a wood-like level through the entire range of lengths and weights of youth bats.
The new USA Baseball bat standard (USABat), which will apply to bats that are classified below the NCAA and NFHS level of play, will be implemented on January 1, 2018, allowing the bat manufacturers sufficient time to bring these bats to the marketplace.
The Cal Ripken Division of Babe Ruth League, Inc. have approved the use of the 2 5/8 inch barrel bats for local league play and tournament play beginning in January 2018 and coinciding with the new USA Bat standard.
Similar to the NCAA and NFHS BBCOR standard, which helped to eliminate discrepancies with different length bats and thus provide a more direct measure of bat performance, the new USA Baseball bat standard will allow youth baseball organizations in the United States to reach their goal of establishing a wood-like standard, a standard that will provide for the long-term integrity of the game.
It is important to note there will be no immediate change to youth baseball organizations’ bat rules. All bats, currently accepted for the respective leagues, remain permissible through December 31, 2017. Each participating national member organization will incorporate the new standard into their rules for the 2018 season and will begin, with this announcement, to inform their membership of the USABat standard.
Frequently Asked Questions about the USABat standard:
Which national member organizations are implementing this new standard?
To date, the following organizations are participating (in alphabetical order): American Ama-teur Baseball Congress (AABC), Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), Babe Ruth Baseball/Cal Ripken Baseball, Dixie Youth Baseball, Little League Baseball and PONY Baseball.
Continued on page 6
Why the change to a wood-like standard?
USA Baseball’s national member organizations believe that a wood-like performance standard will best provide for the long-term in-tegrity of the game. The new standard will not have a drop-weight limit, so young players can use bats made with light-weight materi-als.
Why not just use wood bats?
Wood is a scarce resource. The new bats will be designed to perform much like wood, where its performance will be limited to the highest performing wood.
How is the USABat standard different from the BBCOR standard used by the NCAA and NFHS?
Both the USA Baseball and NCAA bat performance tests are based on the coefficient of restitution from a bat-ball impact. The scale of results is different, however, since they use different test balls and test speeds. The testing difference is necessary to address the various levels of play in the respective age groups.
Why is USA Baseball involved?
The national member organizations asked USA Baseball as the national governing body to take the lead in this process to establish a new standard. Many other national governing bodies set and enforce standards for the equipment in their respective sports. To that end, USA Baseball established a Bat Study Committee of leading scientists and conducted theoretical modeling, field testing and lab testing. The committee shared its findings with the national member organizations, who then endorsed the new USABat standard.
Who were the scientists on the USA Baseball Bat Study Committee?
Alan Nathan, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Illinois Dan Russell, Ph.D. Professor of Acoustics at Penn State University Glenn Fleisig, Ph.D. Research Director of American Sports Medicine Institute Why wait until 2018?
The implementation date of 2018 will allow bat manufacturers sufficient time to conduct the appropriate research, design, testing, manufacturing and shipping needed to get new bats into retail outlets. This date also allows the participating national member organi-zations adequate time to educate their memberships of the USABat standard.
Is my current bat good for league play?
Yes. Current league-approved bats can be used through December 31, 2017.
Is safety the reason for the change?
No. Youth baseball continues to be one of the safest of all sports for youth participants.
How will I know which bat to buy?
All new bats that bear the USABat licensing mark will be permissible for play in the leagues and tournaments of the participating youth baseball organizations.
When can I buy the new bat?
It is the intention of the bat manufacturers to make the new bats available in the fall of 2017, in sufficient time for the 2018 season.
V o l u m e V I I , I s s u e 3 7 t h I n n i n g S t r e t c h P a g e 6
You may hear that some national youth baseball programs are opting to eliminate players by changing their age determi-
nation date and doing away with certain age divisions. Please be advised that there will be no change to Babe Ruth League’s age determination date for Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth Baseball for 2017 and beyond.
Babe Ruth League will not have any changes to its current bat requirements for the 2017 season. However, please be ad-vised that new bat standards and testing will be put into place beginning with the 2018 season. Inventory for the 2018 season is anticipated to be in stores as of September 1, 2017. If you are approached by any families, parents or players, we ask that you tell them to be cautious with their purchases for 2017. With the exception of BBCOR bats, no other bats will be grandfathered for the 2018 season. Please visit www.baberuthleague.org for the latest updates.
Babe Ruth League is working on new pitching limitations for tournament play for Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth Baseball. As
soon as this information is finalized, we will advise you accordingly.
Listed below are a few items that we will be sharing with our leagues via the Babe Ruth League website, for which we would like to provide clarification for the 2017 season and beyond.
A policy/rule clarification was sent out in a memo to Babe Ruth Commissioners on October 13, 2016 by Robert Faherty, Jr., Vice President/Commissioner of Babe Ruth League. Following the memo is an article “Who is Stealing Home from Commu-nity Youth Baseball?” which appeared in the October issue of Commissioner’s Corner, a publication by Steven Tellefsen, President/CEO of Babe Ruth League and was sent out to commissioners by email. For the most part it is “preaching to the choir” for most commissioners, but bears repeating to your local league officers and parents. Please make every effort to get this publication out to them.
Who is Stealing Home from Community Youth Baseball?
If you’re good, you’ll be found, regardless the path your baseball career follows. This was the recurring theme repeated by Major Leaguers, Coaches and Scouts.
Your kid is good, really good. You don’t want to brag, but he can do some things on the field that other kids his age won’t even try. You played a little ball yourself, and you know the difference. And there is someone out there for you. He’s putting together a team, and he’s got a pipeline to the best tournaments. He knows people. He’ll have tryouts and he’ll tell you what you want to hear. It’s expensive, but who can put a price on your kid’s future? If he’s got a chance to be the best, he needs to play with and against the best, right?
There are buzzwords in the business, sure to coax today’s parents. The big three terms are “elite,” “select,” and “travel ball.” Travel ball, in this world, is meant as a synonym for “better ball.” Travel ball is not new; it has been around for a couple of decades. But par-ticipation in full-time travel baseball has exploded in recent years. (Something to think about – if there are countless elite and select teams, how elite and select can they be?)
This has become the age of the special child. This is the age of the parent who believes his or her kid playing for the neighborhood Cal Ripken or Babe Ruth Baseball team is beneath them. (Despite the talent you see at the Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth League World Series.) Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth Baseball, and other like-minded community-based organizations, is suffering at the hands of folks who peddle dreams to the parents of pre-teens and young teenagers. Local independent teams who tout the supposed benefits of year-round play – skim top players out of neighborhood Babe Ruth League teams.
Studies show that participating in multiple sports leads to greater skill and muscle development. Studies also show that a young ath-lete’s time playing multiple sports does more than provide the skills needed to maximize one’s athletic potential; it allows them, when they are older, the opportunity to find the right sport for that potential and it allows them to develop character skills. Kids become more resilient facing new character challenges. Every sport presents different obstacles, each an opportunity for growth.
A lot of current and former Major Leaguers are speaking out against the dangers of year-round baseball, as travel ball can result in physical and emotional costs. There are many examples of professional athletes who played more than one sport while growing up. These individuals were able to get to the top of their game without specializing at an early age.
Babe Ruth League graduate and Hall of Famer, John Smoltz, during his Hall of Fame speech, had an important message for parents about overuse injuries. “Baseball is not a year-round sport. It is more than okay to put down the baseball at times during the year and pick up a basketball or football. It’s better for your child’s future.” Smoltz himself played baseball and basketball as a kid. Smoltz warned, “Don’t let the institutions that are out there running before you guaranteeing scholarship dollars and signing bonuses tell you this is the way. It is not normal to have surgery at 14 and 15 years old. Allow your kids the opportunity to be athletic and play other sports.”
Many high school and college coaches believe that it is absolutely a good idea for young athletes to participate in multiple sports. Player development is a process that takes time and patience. Even though specialized players may improve their specific skills more rapidly than those who participate in a wide range of activities, those who develop deeper and broader athletic skills
Continued on Page 8
V o l u m e V I I , I s s u e 3 7 t h I n n i n g S t r e t c h P a g e 7
through cross training have a better foundation when they ultimately specialize at an older age. Those who specialize early tend to hit a plateau, those who diversify their athletic involvement typically improve on a continuous curve as they dedicate more time to honing their skills and to understanding how movements in one sport can inform and enhance performance in another
Many high school and college coaches believe that it is absolutely a good idea for young athletes to participate in multiple sports. Player development is a process that takes time and patience. Even though specialized players may improve their specific skills more rapidly than those who participate in a wide range of activities, those who develop deeper and broader athletic skills through cross training have a better foundation when they ultimately specialize at an older age. Those who specialize early tend to hit a plateau, those who diversify their athletic involvement typically improve on a continuous curve as they dedicate more time to honing their skills and to understanding how movements in one sport can inform and enhance performance in another.
High school and college coaches will tell you that the physical maturation of the whole body will provide your child with a better chance of playing sports in college. College recruiters don’t want someone with only one set of skills. Skills can be taught, but athleti-cism is earned through years of acceleration, deceleration, rotational power, read and react, and all the other things an athlete learns by participating in multiple sports.
Playing baseball year-round should not be done at all. One of the benefits of being a kid is the ability to try everything, but now there are people who are doing a good job of taking that away, too. It is not uncommon these days for fourth to seventh-graders to play more games in a year than a major leaguer does in the same time span.
Yes, travel ball teams are stealing home from youth baseball. All in the name of what? Trophies? Exposure? A leg up on a college scholarship? The egos of the parents?
Babe Ruth League is not against healthy competition or playing extra games in weekend tournaments during the season. We are against participating year-long in one sport. Babe Ruth League’s position is that kids should play baseball/softball, soccer, basketball, a musical instrument and specialize later on. Organized youth baseball/softball programs like Babe Ruth League should be a very prominent part of the growth process for kids. Babe Ruth League believes in the importance of connecting with all children in a fun and healthy atmosphere, as well as in providing them with many valuable life lessons that extend beyond the field the play. These life lessons that translate from the playing field to life have always been the reason Babe Ruth League prides itself on being a youth lead-ership organization, as much as it is a competitive baseball and softball program.
Parents placing kids in specialized sports do so at a price. More doesn’t necessarily mean better. With the increased intensity comes a price – often in time, money and overuse injuries, and in some cases, the child’s interest in the sport and even their physical well being. For the sake of all kids’ development and athletic growth, we challenge parents to incorporate diversity into their child’s play. Remember that specializing at too young an age is wholly unnecessary and in some cases detrimental to an athlete’s long-term suc-cess. If the goal is to dominate other 10- year-olds, specialize early. However, if the goal is to nurture healthy children, then diversity is key. Encourage them to play in multiple sports.
7th Inning Stretch is the official newsletter of Kansas Babe Ruth Leagues, Inc. and is published three times a year (Spring, Summer and Fall), for all leagues and any party interested in Kansas Babe Ruth Baseball. Your input and comments are welcome and appreciated.
V o l u m e V I I , I s s u e 3 7 t h I n n i n g S t r e t c h P a g e 8
STATE COMMISSIONER—BOB WILLIS 620 Circle Drive, Wellington, 67152—(620)326-2711/FAX(620)326-6172/[email protected]
CAL RIPKEN COMMISSIONER—PAUL UNRAU 205 Walnut, Moundridge, 67107—(620)345-2712/[email protected]
Secretary—Jodi Weir—103 North Short Street, Wellington, 67152—(C)(620)960-0950/(W)(620)326-8906 ext. 221/ [email protected]
Treasurer—Gregg Dick—PO Box 295, North Newton, 67117—(316)772-6361/(W)(316)284-5277/[email protected]
Immediate Past State Commissioner—Gary Kuntz—2719 Bristol Ct., Augusta, 67010—(316)775-7009/[email protected]
KANSAS BABE RUTH LEAGUES, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
***DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS***
1—Amy Fleener—2007 Cactus Road, Dodge City, 67801— (620)704-7068, [email protected] 3—Pat Lemmons—224 West Maywood, Wichita, 67217—(316)554-1580/(C)(316)210-6957/[email protected] 4—Don Langford—24807 West Trails West Road, Plevna, 67568—(620)286-5534/(C)(620)200-5341/ [email protected] 5—Daryl Spear—741 SW 20th, Columbus, 66725—(620)674-3640/(C)(620)762-0143/[email protected] 6—Vacant
***ASSISTANT STATE COMMISSIONERS*** 16-18s -Gene Buie—1106 E. 6th, Hutchinson, 67501—(C)( 620)899-0397/(W)(620)669-9090/[email protected] 14s -Kerwin Spencer—1205 North Washington, Wellington, 67152— (H)(620)326-6394/(W)(620)326-6199 (C)(620)399-3340/[email protected] 13s -Larry Gerwick—718 Brent, Mulvane, 67110—(316)777-0763/(C)(316)214-7360/ [email protected] 12U (70’) -Chad Knight—4820 Leonard Circle, Garden City, 67846—W(620)275-1199/(C)(620)937-2199/ [email protected] 12U (60’) -Dennis Nevin—16270 40th Rd., Parsons, 67357—(620)763-2485/(C)(620)423-4331/[email protected] 11s and 9s -Paul Unrau—205 Walnut, Moundridge, 67107/(620)345-2712/[email protected] 10s -Mark Brooks—119 N. Belfry St., Council Grove, 66846—(C)(785)466-1460/ [email protected] STATE SOFTBALL COMMISSIONER—Mark Donley—410 W. First St., Andover, 67002—(C)(316)655-8113/ [email protected] REGIONAL COMMISSIONER—Tim Kuntz—1701 N. 26th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501—(701)220-2773 Cell/ [email protected] REGIONAL SOFTBALL COMMISSIONER—Dave Hargrove—Denver, CO—(303)755-7602/ [email protected] MWP Representative at HEADQUARTERS—Margery Inteso—(800)880-3142/[email protected] NATIONAL COMMISSIONER—Rob Connor—(800)880-3142/[email protected] HELP DESK-(800)880-3142
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