Medford Little Leagues Move Closer to Merging; Meeting August 8
Representatives from Medford’s Little League baseball teams and parents got together on Thursday, August 1 to discuss the possibility of merging. Bill O’Keefe submitted the following summary of the meeting and additional details:
1. That Medford Little League become one City Charter with Three (3) Divisions instead of Three (3) City Charters as currently operating. Baseline numbers for enrollment and attrition need to be analyzed to gauge enrollment by age, retention, growth, and or retraction with each new Baseball year citywide.
2. There was much discussion ensuring that the T-Ball, Farm, and Instructional programs be kept at the current local baseball fields consistent with their neighborhoods for participation.
3. That the cost for this age group and the overall little league programs should be the same across the city.
4. That T-Ball, Farm, and Instructional Baseball should be the same at each field so that there is a “universal” or “best practice” standards for youth baseball development for the City Youth.
Boundaries for Little League is still a fluid topic of discussion as is many other issues relating to Medford Baseball. The purpose and intent of this Town Hall symposium is in the “Spirit of Cooperation” amongst parents and volunteers involved in Youth Baseball for the children of Medford. It should be noted that these discussion have been ongoing between Board members from each Chartered Medford Little League for well over a year and this has been an evolving discussion since 1996.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 8, 2012 from 6-8pm at the Medford Firefighters Club, 340 Salem Street, Medford.
The topics that are still being vetted
1. Boundaries
2. League and Divisions
3. Hierarchy of Board and Charter
Also, Fall Baseball registration for the West Medford Little League has been extended to August 15th. Register at https://active.leagueone.com/Olr/Pages/Welcome.aspx?ClubId=12614
The Fall Baseball season will begin the weekend of September 8th and run through end of October (8 weeks) with games on Saturdays and Sundays. Any questions please feel free to email wmhllmedford@yahoo.com.