LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL - Amazon Web Services€¦ · MLB All-Star Week 16 Spring Training in Cuba 16 Play Ball Weekend 16. Year In Review 2015-16 33 Pg. 7 Pg. 28 Pg. 14 Pg.34 MARKETING

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL®, INCORPORATED

INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS“The Board of Directors shall be the governing board of the corporation and shall be responsible for the general policies and program of the corporation.”

Public Law 88-378

88th Congress, H.R. 9234 Sec. 7(c)

Little League® was founded in 1939; incorporated January 8, 1950, and was granted Federal Incorporation July 16, 1964, by unanimous Act of the Senate and House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States of America and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson as Public Law 88-378, 88th Congress H.R. 9234, and amended December 26, 1974 Public Law 93-551, 93rd Congress, H.R. 8864.

Little League is the largest organized youth sports program in the world. In Fiscal Year 2015-16, nearly 2,400,000 youth ages 4 to 18 in more than 80 countries and territorial possessions participate in the divisions of Little League Baseball, Incorporated.

Is A Nonprofit Organization Dedicated “To promote, develop, supervise, and voluntarily assist in all lawful

ways the interests of those who will participate.”

Little League Baseball®, Incorporated2

Little League Baseball®, Incorporated 1

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FEATURES 6-17Field Directors Dwayne Tuggle, Corinne Chow Join International Board of Directors; Antonio Gonzalez, Shannon Walker, Travis Young, and John Boyd approved for nomination 6

Franklin Stivers, and Glen Lindsey join thePresident’s Advisory Board in the fall of 2015 6

New Roles and Faces Bolster Little League® Staff 7

Little League® Brings Fun, Fitness, and Fundamentals to Every Chartered Tee Ball Team 7

Little League® Expands Digital Initiatives toProvide Support and Engagement 8

Paving the Way for the Future of the Little League® Program 10

Grow the Game Grants Supports Local Leagues 11

Video Replay Expands To All Little League Baseball® Regional Tournament Games 12

Baseball Continues To Grow in Australia 12

Three New Members EnshrinedInto the Little League® Hall of Excellence 14

T o m C o u g h l i n 1 4

T o r i i H u n t e r 1 4

C at O s t e r m a n 1 4

Police officer Michael J. Buczek little league Presented2016 Carl E. Stotz Little League® Community Award 14

Little League® Honors San BernardinoAttack Victims and First Responders 14

Little League® Teams Up with Major League Baseball 15

Commissioner Visits the Little League Baseball® World Series 15

Sunday Night Baseball 15

MLB All-Star Week 16

Spring Training in Cuba 16

Play Ball Weekend 16

Year In Review 2015-16 33

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MARKETING 24-26National Sponsors: 21

Licensing 22

Merchandise Department 22

COMMUNICATIONS 23Awards Recognition 23

Little League® in the Media 26

RISK MANAGEMENT 27ASAP 27

WORLD OF LITTLE LEAGUE ® MUSEUM 28

2016 LITTLE LEAGUE®

WORLD SERIES TOURNAMENTS 30-35Little League Baseball® World Series 30

Intermediate (50/70) Baseball World Series 32

Junior League Baseball World Series 32

Senior League Baseball World Series 33

Big League Baseball World Series 33

Little League Softball® World Series 34

Junior League Softball World Series 34

Senior League Softball World Series 35

Big League Softball World Series 35

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW 36

IN MEMORIAM 37


This was another exciting year for the future of Little League® Baseball and Softball, as we put forth some major changes that will help us to continue to provide a healthy, fun experience for young boys and girls across the globe. As the world’s largest and most respected youth sports organization, it is important that we continue to remain focused on what Little League’s mission is all about, assisting children in developing the qualities of citizenship, discipline, teamwork, and physical well-being through the virtues of character, courage, and loyalty.

As we continue to improve and enhance the Little League program, one of the biggest changes this year was the restructuring of our teenage divisions of baseball and softball, which includes the decision to eliminate the Big League Baseball and Big League Softball divisions. While the decision was not an easy one, after a thorough review by the Little League International Board of Directors, with direct input from the Little League International Board of Directors Executive Committee, and Little League International Board of Directors Operating Committee, the decision was made to help shift the focus and emphasis of Little League Baseball and Softball to continue to provide great opportunities and memorable experiences for children ages four to 16.

The new structure of the Little League program is going to help us create resources, enhance opportunities, and provide greater support for children at these levels of play. One of the ways this can be seen in 2017 is with the ability to gather chartering information for the Coach Pitch division, allowing Little League to provide expanded support for players, families, and volunteers of players at that level.

In 2017, we will also be looking to expand our efforts surrounding the Tee Ball Program with a stronger focus on fun, fitness, and fundamentals, enhance the Coach Pitch Program, and continue to bolster the free coaching and administration resources for our volunteers through Little League University.

The future of Little League Baseball and Softball is bright, and I am excited to see what these new changes will bring for the growth and development of the youth of our world. As Chairman, I am extremely proud to see the dedication, support, and pride that each of our volunteers has toward Little League, and on behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I thank everyone in the Little League family for their hard work and tireless efforts to continue to make this such an incredible organization.

Sincerely,

Davie Jane Gilmour, PH.DChairman | Little League Baseball and SoftballInternational Board of Directors

FROM THE CHAIRMAN


FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO

As Little League® Baseball and Softball continues its work as the world’s largest youth sports organization, I am proud to see the hard work and dedication that our Board of Directors, staff members, and more than one million devoted volunteers commit to ensuring that we provide a positive experience, both on and off the field, for millions of children around the world.

This year has been an exciting year for the future of Little League Baseball and Softball as we announced the restructuring of our teenage divisions, created a stronger push toward the Tee Ball and Coach Pitch divisions of our youth programs, and worked hard to continue to offer the best possible experience for not only our players, but for all those families and volunteers that are involved with the Little League program.

Along with the growth of our digital efforts with features such as video replay expansion and video highlights at each of our World Series Tournaments, we have also continued to develop our resources offered to the dedicated individuals around the world through Little League University and have helped share our story as we continue to try and further enhance the Little League experience for communities around the world.

Throughout this report, you will find documentation of our efforts to help develop the Little League experience around the world and the strides we have taken in order to put each of our members in a place where they can not only succeed, but continue to grow. We are proud of the work we have done over the past year and are looking forward to the exciting opportunity that the future holds. On behalf of the staff at Little League International, both here in Williamsport and across each of our regions, I thank you, and all of those you work with, for your time, dedication, and commitment to the Little League program, and for your timeless efforts to provide young boys and girls with the best possible experience day in and day out.

Provided is a review of the organization’s financial performance from October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016, which illustrates that Little League Baseball®, Incorporated remains financially strong. Reserve Funds in its Capital portfolio have a market value of $32,967,965 as of September 30, 2016. The corporation’s assets totaled $82,957,012 representing a decrease of $759,012 through September 30, 2016. Total operating revenue, including interest and dividend income, was $28,157,707. Total operating expenses were $26,586,906. Excess revenue over expenses before depreciation was $1,570,801.

This report was prepared with the assistance of David Houseknecht, Senior Vice President of Administration and Chief Financial Officer; Patrick Wilson, Senior Vice President of Operations and Program Development; Liz DiLullo Brown, Vice President of Marketing and Communications; Daniel Kirby, Vice President of Risk Management; Melissa Singer, Vice President; Treasurer; Lance Van Auken, Vice President and Director of the World of Little League Museum; and Joseph Losch, Corporate Secretary.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephen D. KeenerPresident and Chief Executive OfficerLittle League® Baseball and Softball


FEATURE STORIES

Field Directors Dwayne Tuggle, Corinne Chow Join International Board of Directors; Antonio Gonzalez, Shannon Walker, Travis Young, and John Boyd approved for nomination

At the 2015 fall meeting of the Little League® International Board of Directors, Dwayne Tuggle of Amherst, Va., and Corinne G.L. Chow of Vancouver, British Columbia, were elected to the Little League International Board of Directors.

Mr. Tuggle joins the Little League International Board of Directors as the Field Director representing the Southeast Region. A long-time volunteer, Mr. Tuggle has been a District Administrator for 11 years, taking over the position from his father, and has previously held the roles of Assistant District Administrator, League President, umpire, coach, and local league Board Member. He also serves as a volunteer security officer at the Little League Baseball World Series. Mr. Tuggle, a retired law enforcement official, resides in Amherst, Va., with his wife, Roni. He replaces Linda North of Peachtree City, Ga., as the Southeastern Region Field Representative to the Board.

Ms. Chow will represent the Canada Region on the Little League International Board of Directors. Active in Little League for 31 years, Ms. Chow has been a District Administrator for 13 years and Divisional Director since 2009. She previously has also been a Little League coach and League President. Ms. Chow, a Labour Relations Advisor for the Federal Government of Canada, resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband, Michael Chang. She assumes the seat vacated by Darlene McLaughlin of Calgary, Alberta.

Mr. Tuggle and Ms. Chow are eligible to serve four, one-year terms on the Board of Directors. Other Field Representatives to the Board include members from the Eastern, Western, Asia-Pacific, Central, European and African, Latin American, and Southwestern Regions. The remainder of the Board is comprised of industry leaders who work to improve the overall operations of Little League Baseball and Softball.

Leaving the Board after the November 2016 Board meeting are Dr. Darrell Burnett (at-large); and field directors Dr. Noel Ernesto Corrales (Latin America Region), replaced by Antonio J. Gonzalez; John Edgerle (Central Region), replaced by Shannon M. Walker; Joe L. Patterson (Southwest), replaced by Travis L. Young, Sr.; and Kristian Palvia (Europe-Africa), replaced by John Boyd. These four new representatives to the Board were elected by their peers.

Franklin Stivers, and Glen Lindsey join the President’s Advisory Board in the fall of 2015

Franklin Stivers, District 14 Administrator from London, Ky., and Glen Lindsay, an Assistant Canada District 8 Administrator of Calgary, Ontario, participated in their first President’s Advisory Board meeting in October 2015.

Both Mr. Stivers and Mr. Lindsay are the first Advisory Board members to be serving four-year terms. Rotating off the Board after three-year terms were Kevin Hladik, John Berardi, Bruce Campbell and Mike Farrell.

Ed Wotjkowski, a native of Pittsburgh, was first elected as a District Administrator (D.A.) in 2007. He was re-elected to a four-year term in 2015, and was then appointed the President’s Advisory Board. Due to his illness, Mr. Wotjkowski passed away before he could begin his term.

Concluding their terms on the Advisory Board were Elmora Aventurin-Pantophlet (Latin America Region); Jeremy Haley (Southeastern Region); Michael Farrell (Southwestern Region); Francisco Guerra (Southwestern Region); Larry Burch (Western Region); and Mr. Wojtkowski (Eastern Region).

Little League considers the input of the Advisory Board as vital in providing an effective program to ensure that all participants, parents and volunteers have a rewarding and enriching Little League experience. The Advisory Board consists of current and former District Administrators and Assistant District Administrators as well as other local league volunteers whose many years of experience at the district and local levels of Little League operations is highly valued by Little League International.


FEATURE STORIES

New Roles and Faces Bolster Little League® Staff

As Little League® International headquarters and regional staffs work to provide resources and assistance to our volunteers, parents, and players, Little League had multiple changes to its staffing this fiscal year.

In November, Liz DiLullo Brown was promoted to Vice President of Marketing and Communications in an expanded role overseeing Little League’s efforts in promoting the organization through new and existing opportunities. Additionally, Dan Velte was promoted to Senior Director of League Development and Regional Operations, growing his responsibilities to leading all activities to grow the game at the local level and operations at Little League’s nine regions.

Joining our regional staffs, Amry Shelby was named Assistant Regional Director in the Eastern Region in March. In our Southwestern Region, Kylie Johnson joined the staff in June as Assistant Regional Director.

Little League International also added multiple members to its headquarters staff in Williamsport. Andy Frederick started as the Assistant Director of Information Technology in November. Tom Rawlings joined the Operations Department, being named Director of Umpire Development in August. In the Marketing Department, Kelsey Baysore, Cortney Swinehart, and Kevin Feinberg joined the team in merchandising and marketing roles. And, within the Communications Department, Tammy Smith, Rudy Mezzy, Leah Blasko, and Kevin Fountain joined the team in support of Little League’s expanded efforts in content creation and distribution.

Little League ® Brings Fun, Fitness, and Fundamentals to Every Chartered Tee Ball Team

Often a family’s first introduction to Little League®, Tee Ball is an important opportunity to introduce young boys and girls to baseball and softball in a unique way that is grounded in fun, fitness, and fundamentals. For generations of Little Leaguers®, their first steps between the lines came in Tee Ball and the same is true of volunteers entering the Little League program in support of their children.

To continue the growth of Tee Ball, Little League International created the Tee Ball Program which provides detailed practice plans, quick practice plans, and activity guides, as well as Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) tips for each week of the program to help make it easy for coaches to implement. New for 2016, Little League provided a free, printed copy of the Tee Ball Program to every chartered Tee Ball team.

At the conclusion of the 2016 season, Little League International conducted two surveys directed at Little League Tee Ball coaches and parents, respectively, to see how the Tee Ball Program helped programs and the results overwhelmingly showed that when a team implements the Tee Ball Program into their league there is a higher amount of fun, fitness, and fundamentals experienced by both the players and parents involved with the team.

Along with the printed copy, a digital copy is available for download at LittleLeague.org/TeeBall and each “week” of the curriculum is available on Little League University ( LittleLeagueU.org ), a free educational resource that includes training videos and informational how-to articles designed to educate parents and volunteers on how to have a fun, successful Little League experience.


New League Finder Launches on LittleLeague.org

Over the past year, Little League has undergone an expansive effort to digitize all local Little League boundary maps. In 2016, one of the benefits of this project was the launch of a new League Finder on LittleLeague.org . This tool allows individuals to enter their school or residence address to find and contact the appropriate league. As of August, there were nearly 200,000 searches on the new League Finder site. The map digitization effort also helped create an automated tournament affidavit process for 2016.

Little League® University Launches

In November 2015, Little League officially launched LittleLeagueU.org , a comprehensive training and education website for District Administrators, league officials, umpires, coaches, and parents. In the year since its launch, nearly 30,000 Little League volunteers and parents have created their free accounts to utilize the content, videos, documents, and quizzes available on the site. With Little League University powering all of Little League’s educational and training opportunities, the LittleLeagueU.org site provides timely information and resources to constituents to help them provide meaningful experiences for Little Leaguers® around the world.

Just enter your home or school address and connect with the local Little League program in your community!

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Little League ® Expands Digital As Little League® continues to strive to find new ways to enhance the Little League experience for players, volunteers, and families, this


Little League ® Expands Digital

Little League’s Social Media Platforms See Continued Growth

To promote its content and engage with its fans and followers, Little League’s social media efforts continued to grow and expand. Little League’s Instagram account saw an 800 percent growth over the past year, with Twitter and Facebook also seeing significant gains. Little League’s Facebook page hit a major milestone, topping 300,000 likes this year. Little League’s organizational social media efforts continue to promote local events, entertain a broad audience, and provide educational support for volunteers and parents.

Little League® Expands Multimedia Storytelling Efforts

In 2015, Little League launched its Videos.LittleLeague.org site to house tournament game highlights, features, and archival video footage. This year, Little League grew its video capabilities, adding a full-time Multimedia Producer-Editor to the staff to help further Little League’s efforts in creating educational and entertaining video packages. Utilized on LittleLeagueU.org , LittleLeague.org , and LLBWS.org , Little League’s new video efforts brought new feature videos from the Little League Baseball World Series, Little League Softball World Series, and local leagues, sharing Little League stories in Little League’s voice. Also continued this year, Little League worked with Major League Baseball Advanced Media to create in-game highlights for all 138 games broadcast on the ESPN Family of Networks. This year, more than 400 game highlights were published to the Videos.LittleLeague.org site. Over this past fiscal year, the site had nearly 750,000 video views.


800 % growth

300,0002015 - 2016

Initiatives to Provide Support and Engagementyear saw major digital expansions and offerings to provide educational support and engage with Little League’s constituents.


FEATURE STORIES

PAVING THE WAY FOR THE FUTURE OF THE LITTLE LEAGUE® PROGRAM

In addition to many of the changes made following the Regional Roundtables and meetings, Little League® International has made several adjustments and improvements to the program over the past fiscal year. Many of these modifications come from direct input from the field and from the discussions held at these meetings throughout the year. Below is a synopsis of the most notable changes that are either currently in effect, or will be points of discussion in the coming year.

Adjustment to the Age Determination Date: Over the past couple of years, there has been a lot of discussion about the Little League Baseball® Age Determination Date. This is an important topic to everyone involved in Little League, and Little League has sought input from volunteers, parents, and coaches that has helped guide District Administrators and the Little League International Board of Directors to ultimately change the Age Determination Date for all divisions of Little League Baseball and the Little League Challenger Division® to August 31.

At the fall 2015 meeting of the Little League International Board of Directors, it was approved to grandfather the four months of children born between May 1 and August 31, 2005, for the 2018 season.

New USA Baseball Bat Standard: Developed by a USA Baseball committee of scientific experts, Little League® International has decided to adopt the new bat standard for mandated use effective January 1, 2018. Little League-approved bats can be used through December 31, 2017, and the current bat regulations will remain in effect until then. That includes the moratorium prohibiting the use of all 2 1/4-inch barrel baseball bats constructed with composite material in the barrel, unless approved through advanced testing.

Tournament Fee Increased: Beginning in 2016, local leagues wishing to enter teams in any of Little League’s tournaments will now pay an entrance fee of $200 per team. One hundred percent of the money collected from the tournament enrollment fee goes towards local leagues to help offset tournament-related expenses. The primary reason for the fee increase is due to Little League

International’s continued efforts to find new ways to provide additional financial support to local programs. Last year, Little League International contributed $1.4 million in addition to what was provided through the tournament entry fee to help offset the tournament-related costs for local leagues, districts, and volunteers. In order to maintain this high-level of financial support, while taking into account rising travel and housing costs, Little League International has made

the decision to increase the tournament entry fee for the first time in five years.

Little League Restructures Teenage Division: This past August, the Little League International Board of Directors approved the restructuring of its baseball and softball programs, eliminating the Big League Baseball and Big League Softball divisions starting in 2017. The restructuring is the latest action in Little League International’s efforts to enhance opportunities for its youngest participants and provide more children the opportunity have a quality Little League experience. As part of this restructuring, Little League International will also relocate the Senior League Baseball World Series from Bangor, Maine, to Easley, S.C., which had previously served as the home of the Big League Baseball World Series. The Senior League Softball World Series will remain in Lower Sussex, Del., which also hosted the Big League Softball World Series since 2013.

Central Regional Headquarters Begins Process to Relocate: During the annual meeting this August, the Little League®

International Board of Directors approved a plan to relocate the Central Region Headquarters facility and has begun the process by accepting responses to a Request for Proposal (RFP) from communities wishing to be considered as the new site. The new location of the Central Region Headquarters will be selected from the communities responding to the RFP. Little League expects the new location will be identified in 2017. Until a new location is determined, operations will continue out of the current Central Region Headquarters in Indianapolis.


FEATURE STORIES

In June 2015, Little League® Baseball and Softball announced a $4 million plan to help local Little League programs expand opportunity in their communities by providing financial assistance to these programs to ensure that all children have the ability to have a meaningful Little League experience. The initiative is called Grow the Game. The cornerstone of this initiative is the Little League Grow the Game Grant Program.

With different grants earmarked for League Enhancement, Little League Softball®, Little League Challenger Division®, Little League Urban Initiative, and for disaster relief, Little League is dedicating more than a million dollars for 7,000 local Little League programs in more than 80 countries to use to grow the game in their home communities.

“I am so thankful for our Grow the Game Grant because of what it provides the girls, which is to play and love the game the same way the boys do,” said Dena Daoust, President of Auburn (Mass.) Little League, who received a grant to enhance their softball fields, hold clinics, and purchase equipment. “The girls will have so much fun for years to come.”

Over the course of the past year, nearly 150 local Little League programs reached out for support through these Grow the Game Grants, which has led to support for local league projects ranging from marketing campaigns to softball coaching clinics to making fields accessible for Little League Challenger Division players.

“Without the grant from Little League, we could have not made all the improvements, and we definitely could not have done any marketing like we did,” said Denny Curran, Northeast Santa Ana Little League Treasurer and current California District 30 Administrator. “The grant was a gift from heaven, and made a

SUPPORTS LOCAL LEAGUESG R OW T H E G A M E G R A N TS

huge difference. All local leagues need to think outside-the-box when it comes to promoting their program. There’s a lot of competition out there. In our part of California, not only do we compete with soccer and lacrosse, but also surfing and water polo. We had to do some marketing.”

Little League International will continue its Grow the Game efforts through this grant opportunity, and hopes to continue to highlight great stories of leagues going above and beyond to support their communities through the Little League program.

“It all makes a difference,” said Kevin Bradley, President of Gary Metro Little League in Indiana, an Urban Initiative program that received a grant for field improvements. “Even before this grant, we worked on cleaning up the outside of the facilities to make it more attractive. Our hope is that it will attract more children to come and play.”

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Offense Skills CampNovember 15, 2015, at Tustin High School 1:00pm-4:00pm

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150 Local Little League® ProgramsReached Out In 2016


FEATURE STORIES

This year, with all 88 Little League Baseball® U.S. Regional and World Series games broadcasted live across the ESPN Family of Networks, Little League® International decided to expand the use of video replay to be used throughout each of the U.S. Regional and Little League Baseball World Series games.

“The expansion of video replay to the Little League Baseball Regionals shows the progression and evolution of the game in providing the participants the best possible experience,” said Pat Wilson, Little League International Tournament Director, and Senior Vice President of Operations and Program Development. “What originally started with determining fair and foul calls on home runs at the Little League Baseball World Series has now expanded to the ability to review multiple plays at both the Regional and World Series level in an effort to support the volunteer umpires on the field and to get the call right for all participants in the games.”

The use of video replay was originally implemented in 2008 at the Little League Baseball World Series, marking the first time that any baseball organization had utilized the technology.

Continuing its rapid growth of providing meaningful Little League® experiences for thousands of children, Baseball Australia announced earlier this year the expansion of its Little League offerings in the Junior League and Senior League Baseball Divisions.

As a part of the support for the expansion, Australia was granted direct entry to the Junior League Baseball World Series in Taylor, Mich., for the first time in 2016, with Lethbridge Southwest Little League earning the bid.

As Australia’s first-ever representative in the Senior League Division, Southern Mariners Little League was able to make a tremendous run in the Asia-Pacific Region tournament, going 5-0 with a 10-0 win over Guam in the championship game to earn a spot in the 2016 Senior League Baseball World Series. There, they finished as runners-up, losing to Clear Ridge Little League from Chicago, in the Championship Game.

Australia has seen rapid growth of its Little League program since 2008, when Little League International and Baseball Australia began working together to provide a structure for children to learn the fundamentals of baseball, and have a healthy, fun experience with their friends.

In just five years, Australia had more chartered Little League programs than Japan, and was granted direct entry to the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pa., starting in 2013.

Australia will now have a local league representing the Australia Region at two of Little League’s World Series Tournaments. As Little League programs continue to expand throughout the country, Australia is expected to continue to grow its offerings with future establishment of Little League Intermediate (50/70) Baseball, as well as the Little League Challenger Division®.

V I D E O R E P L AY E X PA N D STO ALL LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL® REGIONAL TOURNAMENT GAMES

BASEBALL CONTINUES

TO G R OW I N AU S T R A L I A


FEATURE STORIES

Three outstanding individuals, all making their mark in the world of sports, were enshrined into the Little League® Hall of Excellence earlier this year as two-time Super Bowl Champion, Tom Coughlin; five-time Major League Baseball All-Star, Torii Hunter; and two-time

Olympic medalist in softball, Cat Osterman, were honored with individual ceremonies during the 2016 Little League Baseball® World Series. Enshrinement into the Hall of Excellence is the highest honor that Little League can bestow.

T H R E E N E W M E M B E R S E N S H R I N E DINTO THE LITTLE LEAGUE® HALL OF EXCELLENCE

TOM COUGHLINMr. Coughlin, a graduate of Waterloo (N.Y.) Little League, was a fullback on the Syracuse University football team, sharing the field with football greats such as Larry Csonka and Floyd Little. After his playing days, he entered coaching. At Boston College, Mr. Coughlin was the quarterback coach for Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, and was the school’s head coach from 1981 to 1983. In the NFL, Mr. Coughlin was the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1995 to 2002, leading the team to a pair of AFC Championship games. Mr. Coughlin then became the head coach of the New York Giants, where he spent 12 seasons and won two Super Bowls. Respected for his disciplined and fair coaching style, Mr. Coughlin ranks No. 12 on the Top 25 NFL Coaching Wins list, compiling 177 victories. In 1996, Mr. Coughlin and his family established the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund to assist families who are tackling childhood cancer.

TORII HUNTERMr. Hunter played baseball in the National Little League in Pine Bluff, Ark. Through the Torii Hunter Project, Mr. Hunter has supported the Little League Urban Initiative program which supplies financial and educational assistance to local leagues so that they may provide all children, from any economic background, the ability to play baseball and softball. Mr. Hunter was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1993, and made his debut with the team in 1997. Throughout his 19-year career, playing for the Twins, Angels, and Tigers, Mr. Hunter hit 353 home runs, drove in 1,391 runs, had a career batting average of .277, won nine Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger awards, and was named a five-time All-Star.

CAT OSTERMANMs. Osterman, now a softball coach at Texas State University, played Little League Softball® at Bear Creek Little League in Houston, Texas. After graduating from Cypress Springs High School as the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, Ms. Osterman joined Team USA Softball, where she went on to be rank first in the nation in strikeouts per seven innings at 15.4, and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice. While at the University of Texas, she became the first NCAA pitcher to register 2,000-plus strikeouts and would then go on to win a gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

During her time as a Texas Longhorn, Ms. Osterman was named USA Softball National Player of the Year three times. As a freshman, she pitched the first perfect game in Longhorn softball history - the first of her seven career perfect games and just one of her 20 career no-hitters. Ms. Osterman was a four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American, and a three-year member of the All-Big 12 Academic Team. In 2006, Ms. Osterman was the first overall pick in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) draft. In her rookie season, Ms. Osterman set a league record with a career-best strikeout ratio of 12.5 and in 2009, Ms. Osterman’s helped the Rockford Thunder win the Cowles Cup Championship where she was named an All-Star and MVP. She retired from the NPF after the 2015 season.


FEATURE STORIES

There is an old saying in sports that you play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back. But in the Police Officer Michael J. Buczek Little League in New York City, it’s just the opposite, as the names on the back are that of fallen New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers.

To recognize the league’s 28-year commitment to both the Washington Heights and greater NYPD communities, Stephen D. Keener, Little League® President and CEO, presented the Buczek Little League, with the third annual Carl E. Stotz Little League Community Award, including a $5,000 grant, at a special ceremony in New York City at the Michael J. Buczek Ballfield on Saturday, June 25. The league was celebrated at the 2016 Little League Baseball® World Series, as well.

Established by the family and friends of Police Officer Michael J. Buczek, who was shot and killed in the line of duty working in Washington Heights in 1988, the league has been a fixture of the neighborhood since 1989. Mr. Buczek isn’t the only fallen officer that the program honors. In the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the league began a tradition where every team is named after a fallen member of the NYPD. Players proudly wear the officer’s name on the back of their jerseys, as well as keeping a picture of the officer in their dugout for each game. Many of the league’s volunteers are current or former NYPD police officers who either have a connection to the league or to one of the names on the backs of the jerseys.

PRESENTED 2016 CARL E. STOTZ LITTLE LEAGUE® COMMUNITY AWARD

P O L I C E O F F I C E R M I C H A E L J. B U C Z E K L I T T L E L E AG U E®

To pay homage to the victims of the December 2, 2015, terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif., and recognize the first responders, Little League® International held a special on-field ceremony at the Little League Baseball® Western Regional Tournament on Saturday, August 13 at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino.

“For nearly 45 years, the wonderful community of San Bernardino has been the western home for Little League Baseball and Softball, and our hearts sank when we learned of the tragic events that unfolded in December,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. “As we celebrate the achievements of our Little League Baseball players at our Western Regional Tournament this year, Little League also wants take the opportunity to recognize the lives lost on that sad day, and thank those first responders for their dedicated service.”

San Bernardino has been the home of Little League International’s Western Region since 1972. In addition to supporting the local operations of Little League programs in 11 states, the headquarters also hosts the Little League Softball® and Little League Baseball Western Regional Tournaments, annually.

Representatives from area service agencies, including the San Bernardino Sherriff ’s Office, San Bernardino Police Department, San Bernardino County Probation Office, Redlands Police Department, San Bernardino Fire Department, Rialto Police Department, and Fontana Police Department, were also recognized on the field for their dedication to the community. Fan and volunteer contributions totaling $10,000 were contributed to the Arrowhead United Way’s San Bernardino United Relief Fund.

SAN BERNARDINOATTACK VICTIMS AND FIRST RESPONDERS

L I T T L E L E AG U E ® H O N O R S


FEATURE STORIES

SAN BERNARDINOATTACK VICTIMS AND FIRST RESPONDERS

SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALLFor the second year, Little League worked with MLB and ESPN on an initiative to invite local Little League teams to experience Sunday Night Baseball and appear on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight Sunday Night Countdown. This year, Little Leaguers® were hosted by the Chicago Cubs (Archer Manor LL, Warren Park LL), St. Louis Cardinals (Godfrey Park LL, Hillsboro R-3 LL), New York Yankees (Throgs Neck LL), San Francisco Giants (Stockton Eastern LL, Leagues from from California Districts 3, 39, and 44), Pittsburgh Pirates (Avonworth LL), New York Mets (Parkchester LL), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (Manhattan Beach LL). The Little League Baseball® and Little League Softball® teams interacted with MLB players and ESPN talent. Little League, MLB, and ESPN anticipate continuing this effort in 2017.

Little League® International has always enjoyed a great relationship with Major League Baseball, and since Commissioner Rob Manfred, also a Little League graduate; the first to hold that title, assumed the position nearly two years ago, that relationship has been fortified. This year, Little League and MLB continued to find new, exciting ways to work together to grow the games of baseball and softball.

LITTLE LEAGUE® TEAMS UPWITH MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

COMMISSIONER VISITSTHE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL® WORLD SERIESFor the first time since he took office, Commissioner Manfred visited the Little League Baseball® World Series this year, where he interacted with teams, watched some of the game action, and toured the World of Little League® Peter J. McGovern Museum and Official Store. It was the Commissioner’s second visit to Williamsport. In 2014, Mr. Manfred attended the Little League Baseball World Series as Commissioner-Elect, which was one of his first official acts since his election to the office.


NOTABLE EVENTS 2015-16

MLB ALL-STAR WEEKAt the Major League Baseball All-Star Week festivities this year in San Diego, Calif., two Little League teams, a baseball team from Douglass Little League in Indianapolis, Ind., and a softball team from Northside Little League in Houston, Texas, which are both a part of the Little League Urban Initiative Program, had the opportunity to compete in the Youth Classic tournament, an amazing experience against other youth teams from the United States and Mexico.

SPRING TRAINING IN CUBALittle League President and CEO, Stephen D. Keener, was invited to join Commissioner Manfred and Major League Baseball (MLB) on their trip to Cuba for a Spring Training game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team. During the trip, Mr. Keener saw first-hand what youth baseball is like in Cuba, and began conversations with Cuban baseball officials about pursuing the goal of one day bringing Little League to that country. Mr. Keener returned to Cuba with the USA Baseball Collegiate Team in July in efforts to continue the dialog with officials in Cuba.

PLAY BALL WEEKENDMLB’s Play Ball initiative, which launched in 2015 in an effort to bring the games of baseball and softball to youth around the country, held a special Play Ball Weekend, with events held at Major League Baseball Clubs. Little League International also hosted an event with fun games and activities on the Little League Baseball World Series complex on May 15, with hundreds of children and their families having fun and playing ball at the Little League facilities in Williamsport.



October 2015

October 27 The New York Mets’ Michael Conforto becomes third person to play in Little League, College, and MLB World Series

January 2016

January 6 Phoenixville, Pa. Little League’s Mike Piazza elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

January 15-16 Southwestern Regional Roundtable held in San Antonio, Texas

January 16 Pennsylvania Historical Museums Commission Cultural and Museum Support Grant given to the World of Little League® Peter J. McGovern Museum and Official store

January 21 Little League Baseball and Softball promotes Liz DiLullo Brown to Vice President of Marketing and Communications, and Dan Velte to Senior Director of League Development and Regional Operations

January 25 Travis Young, Sr., elected as Southwestern Region Representative to the Little League International Board of Directors

January 26 Little League and Russell Athletic announces five-year partnership extension

January 29-30 Western Regional Roundtable held in Seattle, Wash.

February 2016

February 3 Little League International establishes new Little League Softball® Volunteer of the Year Award

February 4 Little League extends exclusive partnership with EASTON through 2022

February 23 World of Little League Museum named top family attraction in Pennsylvania by FlipKey, a TripAdvisor company

February 26-27 Southeastern Regional Roundtable held in Greenville, S.C.

March 2016

March 4-5 Eastern Regional Roundtable held in Philadelphia, Pa.

March 9 Baseball Australia expands Little League offerings with expansion of Junior League Baseball Division and establishment of Senior League Baseball Division

March 11-12 Central Regional Roundtable held in Milwaukee, Wis.

March 18 Umpires selected for nine Little League World Series Tournaments in 2016

November 2015

November 13 Little League® International Board of Directors announce update to Age Determination Date

November 18 Little League International Board of Directors welcomes two new members, Dwayne Tuggle and Corinne G.L. Chow, and approves 2016 World Series Tournament dates

November 24 Little League International launches education and training website: Little League University

December 2015

December 3 Mattingly Charities hosts An Intimate Evening with Friends and presents Highland Baseball Club Challenger Division with a $25,000 donation

December 8 Through the Going Home Series, Mariner’s Felix Hernandez donates $40,000 to Seattle Area Little League Challenger Division® and Local Leagues

December 17 Boston Red Sox Foundation announces continuation of partnership with Massachusetts Little Leagues

December 18 Little League Graduate, and U.S. Champion, Chris Drury, enshrined in U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

December 29 Little League International Tournament Team Fee increases to provide additional financial support for tournament reimbursement for local leagues

2004

2016



April 2016

April 5 NBA Referee and Little League Baseball World Series Coach, Darell Garretson, elected to Basketball Hall of Fame

April 15 Antonio Gonzalez and Shannon Walker elected to Little League International Board of Directors

May 2016

May 15 Little League International welcomes hundreds of children and their families to South Williamsport for PLAY BALL Weekend

May 19 10 Lycoming County high school seniors recognized as the 2016 Carl E. Stotz Little League Baseball Scholarship Recipients

May 21-22 Little League Baseball and Softball holds ninth annual Western Region Challenger Fun Days in San Bernardino, Calif.

June 2016

June 6 World of Little League Museum earns 2016 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

June 6 Canon U.S.A., Inc., announces partnership with Candace Cameron Bure in support of the Canon Little League Photo Contest, powered by PIXMA Printers

June 12 First-ever Tee Ball on the Hill event kicks off 46th National Little League Week in Canada

June 15 Camp Hill (Pa.) Little League and Colorado District 1 Little League (Grand Junction, Colo.) announced as participants for 2016 Little League Challenger Division® Exhibition Game

June 16 2016 Little League Baseball® World Series Schedule Announced

June 16 2016 Little League Baseball World Series Team Hosts paired with region champions

June 17 Little League Baseball World Series donations to be contributed to First Community Partnership of Pennsylvania for creation of youth sports fund

June 19 World of Little League Museum debuts original Alan Stephen Foster Saturday Evening Post Cover Art, as well as a letter from John L. Foster, the boy in the painting, for Father’s Day

June 18-28 2007 Little League Baseball World Series teammates from Western Little League in Lubbock, Texas, face off at 2016 College World Series

June 25 New York City’s Police Officer Michael J. Buczek Little League honored with 2016 Carl E. Stotz Little League Community Award

July 2016

July 8 Douglass Little League and Northside National Little League of the Little League Urban Initiative Program participate in MLB All-Star Youth Classic in San Diego

July 13 Little League graduate Craig Sager announced as the winner of the 2016 Jimmy V Award Winner

July 28 Kiley Johnson and Amry Shelby introduced as Assistant Regional Directors for Little League International

July 29 2016 Little League Award winners announced

August 2016

August 1 Tom Rawlings named Little League Director of Umpire Development

August 1 Little League Announces new retail licensing partnership with TeamMarketing

August 2 Little League to work with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) to provide digital infrastructure for thousands of regional and World Series highlights

August 2 Tao-Yuan County Big Little League (Chinese Taipei) of the Asia-Pacific Region wins the 2016 Big League Baseball World Series with a 6-2 win over Kihei Little League (Hawaii) of the West Region

August 3 Cat Osterman, Torii Hunter, and Tom Coughlin announced as enshrinees for 2016 Little League Hall of Excellence

August 4 Little League expands video replay to all U.S. Little League Baseball Regional games for 2016

PLAY BALL WEEKENDLOGOS

1 COLOR LOGOS ON WHITE BACKGROUNDS

HASHTAG MARK .ORG MARK

1 COLOR LOGOS ON DARK BACKGROUNDS



August 17 Greater Helotes Little League (Texas) of the Southwest Region wins the 2016 Little League Softball World Series with a 5-1 win over Rowan Little League (N.C.) of the Southeast Region

August 21 Shing-Ming Junior Little League (Chinese Taipei) of the Asia-Pacific Region wins the 2016 Junior League Baseball World Series with a 9-1 win over Kawaihau Community Little League (Hawaii) of the West Region

August 6 Clear Ridge (Ill.) Little League of the Central Region wins the 2016 Senior League Baseball World Series with a 7-2 win over Southern Mariners Little League (Australia) of the Asia-Pacific Region

August 22 Major League Baseball Commissioner and former Little Leaguer®, Rob Manfred, visits the 2016 Little League Baseball World Series

August 25 10 U.S. Little League programs honored with Regional ASAP Awards for their Safety Preparedness

August 26 Little League International restructures Its teenage divisions eliminates the Big League Baseball and Big League Softball Divisions

August 28 George and Laura Springer honored as the 2016 George and Barbara Bush Little League Parents of the Year

August 28 Maine-Endwell Little League (Endwell, N.Y.) named 2016 Jack Losch Little League Baseball World Series Team Sportsmanship Award Winner

August 28 Maine-Endwell Little League (Endwell, N.Y.) of the Mid-Atlantic Region wins the 2016 Little League Baseball World Series with a 2-1 win over East Seoul Little League (South Korea) of the Asia-Pacific Region

September 2016

September 16 John Boyd nominated for election as the Europe and Africa Region Representative for the Little League International Board of Directors

September 22 Camp Hill (Pa.) Little League Challenger Baseball Team visits the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

August 6 ASOFEM Little League (Puerto Rico) of the Latin America Region wins the 2016 Junior League Softball World Series with an 8-6 win over Hampton Little League (British Columbia) of the Canada Region

August 7 Cape Coral Little League (Fla.) of the Southeast Region wins the 2016 Senior League Softball World Series with a 3-0 win over British Columbia District 7 of the Canada Region

August 7 Central East Maui Little League (Hawaii) of the West Region wins the 2016 Little League Intermediate (50/70) Baseball Division World Series with a 5-1 win over West Seoul Little League (South Korea) of the Asia-Pacific Region

August 7 District 1 (Puerto Rico) of the Latin America Region wins the 2016 Big League Softball World Series with a 10-7 win over Louisiana District 5 of the Southwest Region

August 15 Little League and Surface Sun Care Products announce new retail licensing partnership

August 16 Little League recognizes San Bernardino attack victims, first responders at special ceremony during Western Regional Tournament Championship


LITTLE LEAGUE® MARKETING DEPARTMENTMARKETING, SPONSORSHIP, LICENSING, AND MERCHANDISING

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY

The Marketing Department implements campaigns to promote the Little League® name and brand, while also maintaining relationships with corporations and business entities that assist in driving revenue to the organization. This revenue contributes to the overall operational budget of the organization, assisting with the maintenance and growth of the program, and specific annual initiatives of Little League Baseball®, Incorporated.

National companies align with Little League Baseball and Softball to reach an audience of parents with children. These reputable companies help to offset the operating expenses of Little League Baseball, Incorporated and extend unique assistance to local leagues and their participant families.

AMERICAN HONDA continued its Honda Grant Program, providing grants to local Little Leagues in need of field repairs and refurbishments. Honda also engaged parents and families in its 20th Anniversary celebration of partnership, inviting friends to participate in the Home Team Heroes program. Honda also provided a free shuttle service at the Little League Baseball® World Series for families and fans. The shuttle provided more than 3,500 free rides to individuals over the course of the 10-day tournament, which assists Little League® with overall transportation for fans coming to the event.

BASEBALL FACTORY added value to Little League® Summer Camp with a unique training experience that featured a personalized video evaluation for each camper.

BOMB POP (Wells Enterprises) visited Little League Baseball World Series and let fans taste the new Banana Fudge Bomb Pop. Packages in stores featured the Little League logo, bringing more attention to the relationship.

CANON launched the second annual season-long photo campaign, featuring the Canon Little League® Picture Perfect Season, a photo contest encouraging Little League families to submit their favorite memories. More than 4,000 entries to the contest were received. Winners of the contest were invited to Williamsport where their memories were enshrined into the World of Little League® Museum in a private ceremony during the Little League Baseball World Series and a special appearance by Candace Cameron Bure was a highlight of the day.

EASTON provided equipment to seven World Series events, including three softball World Series, events. Equipment provided to each team included bats, helmets, and catcher’s gear.

GATORADE extended a unique offering to select leagues in 2016, providing the ability for constituents to receive a free Gatorade Hydration Pack for chartered teams in five states. Gatorade also partnered with Stater Brothers for the second year, implementing a promotion that provided a donation of funds supported the Little League Western Region.

HEINZ and sister brand Velveeta helped to top the Little League Baseball World Series concession offerings with a variety of Heinz products and free Velveeta Dip Cups to sample. A special Heinz Player Dinner was organized for participating teams.

KELLOGG’S FROSTED FLAKES and “Tony the Tiger” launched their new “Let Your Great Out” campaign, using the Little League Baseball® World Series to tell stories and build interest.

O R I G I N A LT H E

C O R P O R AT E SPONSORSHIPS:

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2015-2016 NATIONAL SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM


MARKETING

MUSCO LIGHTING continues to be a catalyst for the Little League ASAP (A Safety Awareness Program) and supports the program with various training initiatives during the regular season for league administrators.

NEW ERA CAP continued to partner with Little League® and brand themselves as the official cap from Little League to the Big Leagues utilizing the likes of Joc Pederson to help promote the campaign. In Williamsport, New Era featured a custom pin offering with purchase through the Little League gift shops. Through a new licensing relationship, New Era sold Little League World Series caps online through a partnership with Lids and Lids.com .

OAKLEY utilized game video footage from the 2015 Little League World Series to highlight their products in stores around the United States. Oakley also distributed eyewear to all players, coaches and umpires in the Little League Baseball World Series tournament.

RUSSELL ATHLETIC unveiled a new uniform for the participants in the 2016 Little League International Tournament, for all divisions of play that featured a sublimated design. Supporting the unveiling, a special video of teams in the Little League Baseball World Series receiving their jerseys was filmed during equipment distribution showing player reactions to seeing the jerseys for the first time. Also, Russell Athletic increased local league interest during the regular season with the continued focus on .LittleLeagueUniforms.com , which is a custom uniform builder platform for leagues to use for all levels and seasons of play.

SPALDING BASEBALLS AND DUDLEY SOFTBALLS provided special purchase offers to local leagues, during the regular season and tournament play on Amazon marketplace.

SUBWAY Restaurants ran a special contest in Indiana allowing leagues to nominate their coach for the Coach of the Year program. Special recognition was provided to the Coach and the team at the South Bend Cubs ballpark in South Bend, Ind., with the coach throwing out a ceremonial first pitch and his team on the field during the National Anthem.

SUN PRODUCTS continued to utilize their partnership with The Peanuts Movie, hosting Snoopy and PigPen during a special appearance at the Little League Baseball World Series. Both lovable characters were on-hand to throw out the first pitch and meet fans.

THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT IS FOCUSED ON FOUR CORE AREAS:

1) Providing leadership and direction into the overall marketing of the Little League brand, its message, and annual program initiatives

2) The development of corporate sponsorships and relevant promotional programming at a national level

3) The development of licensing partnerships that promote the Little League® brand and/or satisfy a relevant need for local league participation

4) To extend the Little League program through merchandise, sporting goods, and lifestyle apparel in a celebratory manner.

THE DEPARTMENT ASSISTED WITH PARTNER PROGRAMS THIS YEAR INCLUDING:

CURRENT NATIONAL SPONSORS: 1) American Honda

2) Baseball Factory

3) Bomb Pop – Wells Enterprises

4) Canon

5) Easton Sports

6) Gatorade

7) Heinz

8) *Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes

9) Musco Lighting

10) New Era Cap

11) Oakley

12) Spalding Baseballs/ Dudley Softballs

13) Russell Athletic

14) Snyder’s – Lance

15) Subway Restaurants

16) Sun Products – ‘all Laundry Detergent and Snuggle Fabric Softener

* Discontinued Sponsorships: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Expired Sept. 30, 2016 – Decided to reallocate marketing budgets to new initiatives.


MARKETING

LICENSING As a servicing unit to Little League Baseball®, Incorporated, the Little League® Licensing Program focuses efforts on securing partners that will utilize Little League trademarks on licensed products marketed to local chartered leagues and families. In addition, the Licensing Program must protect the best interests of the Little League brand from misuse.

In 2016, Little League was able to expand upon its licensing portfolio by adding new licenses with Team Marketing/WaxWorks, ESPN Consumer Products, Surface Sun Care, Alma Mater Designs, and Bobblehead Hall of Fame. These licensees expand Little League licensed products into categories including: school supplies, puzzles, games, tote bags, draperies, sunscreen, and more. Licensees focused on selling products to key retail chains including Kohls.com.

October 2015:

Renewed Kellogg ’s Frosted Flakes for 2015-2016 season.

November 2015:

Held the Annual Sponsorship Summit in Orlando, Fla. more than 40 representatives from our national partners attended the summit, sharing ideas and learnings about their partnership with Little League Baseball and Softball.

January 2016:

Launched the updated LittleLeagueUniforms.com ordering platform for local leagues.

April 2016:

Little League renewed its partnerships with Sun Products brands all Laundry Detergent and Snuggle Fabric Softener.

Hired Kelsey Baysore as Merchandise and Inventory Specialist.

May 2016:

Launched the Canon Little League Picture Perfect Season Photo Contest with the winners photos displayed in the World of Little League® Museum.

June 2016:

Created new Public Service Announcements with ESPN to promote Little League registration, Little League University, and the Little League Store. These commercials aired during the Little League Baseball World Series.

Hired Cortney Swinehart as a full-time Merchandise Order and Inventory Associate.

July 2016:

Updated the videos page at Videos.LittleLeague.org in preparation for the 2016 tournament. Regional Welcome Events were hosted at the US regional facilities welcoming teams to the baseball and softball tournaments as a sponsor driven extension of their activation plans in Williamsport.

August 2016:

Hired Kevin Feinberg to serve in the role of Sponsorship and Marketing Coordinator.

MERCHANDISE DEPARTMENTLittle League operates a year-round Merchandise Department focused on providing leagues with necessary equipment and operational supplies, such as patches, pins, rulebooks, and banners as well as Little League-branded apparel, collectibles, and souvenir merchandise.

In 2016, the Merchandise department continued its efforts to enhance the customer experience during the Little League World Series with products available at retail locations and online. The Little League Authentic Team Shop continued to offer fans the ability to purchase on-field merchandise including caps, jerseys, and ball gloves.

Also in 2016, Little League launched a new online website at LittleLeagueStore.net , creating a better user experience and better tracking of inventory from sales. The website also features an online banner portal for leagues and districts to easily purchase banners for the tournament.

2 0 1 5 -2 0 16 M A R K ET I N G S E RV I C E S DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS:


COMMUNICATIONS

C O M M U N I C AT I O N SD E P A R T M E N T S U M M A R Y

Working in conjunction with all other departments, the Communications Department at Little League® International is responsible for conveying all of the organization’s important messages to a variety of audiences. These messages are communicated through many vehicles including printed/designed materials, online stories, digital and social media, e-newsletters, and media relations.

The Little League Communications Department saw major growth and change over the course of this fiscal year, including being restructured with Liz DiLullo Brown, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, now overseeing the department, as it focuses on driving engagement through creating new content, digital media, and graphic arts.

Little League’s digital initiatives saw major advancement this year, with the launch of Little League University as a free educational resource for District Administrators, league officials, coaches, umpires, and parents. Throughout the year, hundreds of pieces of content were added to .LittleLeagueU.org , with an emphasis on providing timely resources for volunteers. Little League’s focus on multimedia content was expanded, with new video features created throughout the year to entertain and educate Little League’s many constituents.

Little League’s social media accounts, focused on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram also grew exponentially throughout the year. And Little League’s newsletters were redesigned to be mobile-friendly, while also promoting content found throughout Little League’s platforms.

The Little League Communications staff welcomed four new employees to the team, with Kevin Fountain joining as Director of Media Relations, Rudy Mezzy joining as Multimedia Producer/Editor, Tammy Smith joining as Digital Media Coordinator, and Leah Blasko joining as Communications Coordinator.

AWARDS RECOGNITION

Little League International recognizes individuals at the district and local league level for their commitment to, and participation in, the Little League program.

The Volunteer of the Year, Mom of the Year, Good Sport of the Year, and Challenger Awards were sponsored through the generous support of AIG Insurance. The Howard and Gail Paster Little League Urban Initiative Award is supported through the generosity of the Paster family.

Districts and local leagues submitted their nominations directly to Little League International for consideration. The Mom of the Year nomination process involved children writing and submitting essays, detailing why their mother should be “Mom of the Year.”

The recipients for each award were invited to South Williamsport, Pa., to receive their respective awards on field during the week of the Little League Baseball® World Series.

The award recipients were as follows:

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR:Donald “Donny” Overholser

Fort Myers (Fla.) Little League

MOM OF THE YEAR: Nancy Newton

Tomball (Texas) Little League

GOOD SPORT OF THE YEAR: Laci Carter

Dade City (Fla.) Little League

CHALLENGER AWARD: Matt Pokorney

Highland Baseball Club Little League, Evansville, Ind.

HOWARD AND GAIL PASTER URBAN INITIATIVE: Ben Ravenel

North Seminole Little League, Tampa, Fla.

Overall, the Awards Program continues to provide deserving recognition to individuals who devote their time and energy to the Little League program and to children who benefit from the ideals learned through participation in Little League Baseball and Softball.



COMMUNICATIONS

GEORGE AND BARBARA BUSH LITTLE LEAGUE® PARENTS OF THE YEARThe annual George and Barbara Bush Little League® Parents of the Year Award is presented to the parent(s) of a Major League Baseball player who was actively involved in their son’s Little League experience. The recipients of the award are representatives of thousands of mothers and fathers who annually contribute to Little League Baseball and Softball.

The recipients of the 2016 Little League Parents of the Year Award were George and Laura Springer, the parents of softball standouts Lena and Nicole Springer as well as George Springer III, current right-fielder for the Houston Astros. Mr. Springer has been committed to the Little League program ever since he had the opportunity to compete in the 1976 Little League Baseball® World Series with his teammates from Forrestville (Conn.) Little League, and since then, he and his wife, Laura, have served as dedicated volunteers at Walicki Little League in New Britain, Conn., where all three of their children once played.

W. HOWARD HARTMAN LITTLE LEAGUE® FRIENDSHIP AWARDThe W. Howard Hartman Little League Friendship Award was established to perpetuate the memory of Howard Hartman, one of Little League’s greatest benefactors. This honor is reserved for an individual or organization whose loyalty and friendship reaches beyond expectations and deserves special recognition.

The 2016 recipient of the Hartman Friendship Award was American Honda Motor Co. who has been a national sponsor of Little League since 1996. For more than two decades, American Honda has exhibited its tireless and unwavering commitment to helping children learn sportsmanship, teamwork, and improve their self-esteem through the Little League program. An example of American Honda’s philanthropy is the Honda Little League Grant Program, which has donated more than $1.2 million to underfunded leagues over the past 20 years. The monies earmarked by the Honda Little League Grant Program have funded improvements to playing fields, purchases of new equipment, and rebuilding local Little League programs devastated by hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters.

SOFTBALL VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARDA new addition to the Little League Awards in 2016 was the Softball Volunteer of the Year Award which was established during National Girls and Women in Sports Day in February 2016 to honor those who have provided dedicated service to developing Little League Softball® programs around the world.

The inaugural winner of the Softball Volunteer of the Year award was Suzie Garcia, a volunteer of the Thornydale Little League in Tucson, Ariz., for more than 20 years. As Vice President of Softball for Thornydale Little League, Mrs. Garcia has put in countless hours of time and effort to ensure that girls of all ages can enjoy the game of

softball. After her daughter began playing softball at the age of five, Mrs. Garcia became increasingly involved in the leadership aspect of Little League, and now runs nearly every aspect of Thornydale’s softball program.

LITTLE LEAGUE® GOLF CLASSICThe 30th annual Little League® Golf Classic took place at the Williamsport Country Club on August 1 as each foursome had the opportunity to play a hole with baseball greats Jim Palmer, Bret Saaberhagen, and Chris Chambliss. For the second consecutive year, proceeds from the Little League Golf Classic event went to the Carl E. Stotz Scholarship Award program which provides higher education grants each year to 10 deserving graduating seniors from Lycoming County high schools.


COMMUNICATIONS

LITTLE LEAGUE® WORLD SERIES LUNCHEONThe annual Little League® World Series Luncheon, held on June 16 as a part of National Little League Week, featured first-round pairings for the 2016 Little League Baseball® World Series, as well as the drawings for team host pairings for each of the Regional Champions for the Little League Baseball World Series. Players from the Camp Hill Little League Challenger Division and their buddies were also on hand to help draw the first-round pairings.

CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH HONOREES For the 20th consecutive year, individuals or groups were honored for their support of the Little League® program, or in recognition of a special accomplishment, with an invitation to throw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to one of the 2016 Little League Baseball® World Series games. The first pitch honorees included: Johnny Bench, Don Soucy, Tony Musco, Lowell Easterly, Mike Poliquin, Bob Woolery, Bob Donahue, Karel Williams, 2016 Little League Awards Program Recipients, Mariel M. Cortese, Michael Buczek Little League, CDR Don Sigley, Seth Apel, Commissioner Rob Manfred, Pigpen, Cat Osterman, Torii Hunter, and Tom Coughlin.

CARL E. STOTZ

1994− 2015

Scholarship Recipients1994Linsay M. FranceJohn J. Danneker1995Jennifer L. BakerJames Street1996Kathryn MackenzieRyan Cassidy1997Rebecca SchneiderMatthew Fowler1998Sarah E. BestJohn Paul Tobin1999Sarah M. BlackmanJesse Josef Manikowski2000

Kristen EichensehrNeal MankadCynthia Adams Eric Clementoni Amanda Rider Sarah Carr Stefanie Fedder Joseph Bering Alan Zimmerer Jonathan Theis

2001Emma Grace Somers Robert Laird Judson Erin Buck

Christopher Foster Styers Heather Leob Lorraine Krall Sarah McCormick Colin McGinnis Zachary Goodrich Jameson Farrar Venema2002

Kathryn Somers Michael Conner Sara Campbell Lindsey Welch Kathryn Dincher Elizabeth Deljanovan Ryan Schreiter Brian Richards Ryan BowersBryan Makos

2003Meghan Mahoney Mark Poblete Julia Speicher Marissa Matthews Monica Gehret Cassandra Bertrand Colin Hodge Matthew Dick Todd Clementoni Alexander Rinehart

2004Todd BellesAnna DouthatJennifer FritzJoshua GardnerMichael HelminiakKristen KaneCong Ma

Brooke MillerKelly ReillyPatrick Tobin2005Callah AntonettiAhmareen BatenKatherine BeringSean BerrierKory Datres

Kevin DincherMicah GentzelJohn HaefnerPamela OdorizziJessica Orso2006Jordan BenisSara ClossenJohn ComerfordLauren FreedAndrew GirioJared JoellaBrook MaddoxCaroline MahoneyLaura OdorizziJoshua Van Allen

2007Elyssa OkkelbergKara Metz

Rebecca NauAshley RachaelTysa Stiber Michael StrattonMark MontanyeMichael ShipmanTyler Moyer

Jed Ritter

2008 Alexis NedurianTabitha MannTerrin Crist

Barbara MalekAmber LeeTyler MorseJahd BurnsCaleb HuffChristopher RingFrancis Lovecchio2009Devon AntonettiKelsi Chuprinski James Creeley Jr Caitlin Cromley Nathaniel LamoreauxCornell LorsonDevin Rachael Nicholas RallKathryn RobinholtJustin Shipman

2010Lindi CristNeil ForquerJames KustanbauterJonathan McJunkinKelsey MetzChelsea MonroeNeha NagpalMaja OstojicChet Ritter

Jacob Rogers2011Rose BragaloneAmanda CotnerHannah FaceyLee Fry

Alec GalantiAndrew GlunkTaylor NedurianDylan PhillipsRiley WentzlerDanielle Yakup2012Alexander BellottMaria Cioff

Rachel Cummings John GoetzColton HenryJillian JacksonAleksander KellerGregory KistSophia ReederLindsey Stopper

2013Kyle BomboyRebekah FriesCharity GoodDaniel Ma

Hannah MerrifieldRyan OrgitanoDanielle Rozenberg Steven SaladinoLauren TaylorPaul Warner2014Genevieve BeattyAdam CampbellCrystal GoodMatthew Heinrich Emily HoffmanJennifer JacksonMark Odorizzi Cameron Ott Matthew ReinhartSerena Sarch

2015Sydney BlosserShannon HelmanEllen Hill

Dominic Laffredo Benjamin Nesselrodt Derek SellersJustin Silverstrim Hannah WeberLogan Wein Emily Winder

CARL E. STOTZ LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL® SCHOLARSHIPThe Carl E. Stotz Little League Baseball® Scholarship Award program was established by the Little League International Board of Directors to reward citizenship and academic merit with higher education financial assistance and to perpetuate the memory of Little League’s founder, Carl E. Stotz, and his commitment to the development of Lycoming County youth.

The 23rd annual presentation of this award took place on May 19 during the Stotz Scholarship Luncheon where Connor Pardoe (Williamsport High School) and Olivia Pierce (St. John Neumann Regional Academy) were recognized as the male and female award winners, respectively. Each of these individuals received a $2,500 grant to assist with higher education financial assistance.

Little League also recognized the other eight top-10 finalists with $1,000 to be put toward their continued educational endeavors: Angelo Barberio (Muncy), Mikela Hoffman (Loyalsock), Michael Karschner (Hughesville), Donavan Keen (South Williamsport), Heather Merrifield (Hughesville), Benjamin Thomas (Jersey Shore), Lybi Westover (Williamsport), and Gabriella Winder (Montgomery).


COMMUNICATIONS

LITTLE LEAGUE® IN THE MEDIAWith the rise of digital media and an expansion of broadcasted games through the ESPN Family of Networks in 2016, Little League® continued to share its story using a variety of different platforms including written features, photo essays, video tributes, and more. Throughout the year, more than 16,000 stories about Little League in the media reached approximately of 12 billion people, garnering a publicity value of $19,000,000.

1. Feature videos on the Police Officer Michael J. Buczek Little League aired nationally on ESPN and CBS Sports.

2. The Players Tribune put together multiple features that mentioned Little League, including a story on the Epic Run of the 2016 Little League Baseball® World Series Maine-Endwell Little League team.

3. Justin Staley takes a look back at the Little League Baseball World Series with the feature piece, “25 Years Ago, I Played in the Little League World Series, Too” in Sports Illustrated’s The Cauldron.

4. Little League Virginia District 9 Administrator and 20-year volunteer John Donaldson publishes story on “Why Little League® Matters” in Connection Newspapers (Alexandria, Va.) and The Huffington Post.

5. Feature videos from the 2016 Little League Baseball World Series, including JT Garcia’s emotional home run and Oregon coach Joel Jensen’s memorable mound visit, garner national attention from outlets such as CBS Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports, NY Daily News, Washington Post, USA Today, and more.

6. Credentialed 275 media professionals covering the Little League Baseball World Series.

7. Outlets included Associated Press, ESPN, Getty Images, Major League Baseball, Providence Journal, Radio y Television de Nuevo Leon, RPC Radio Panama, Sankei Sports, The Players Tribune, The Tennessean, USA Today Sports, and more.

8. 138 games broadcast on the ESPN Family of Networks, ABC, and the Longhorn Network.

9. The Little League Baseball World Series saw an average game attendance of nearly 10,000 people per game.

10. In total, more than 52 million people tuned into the 2016 Little League World Series and Regional Tournaments on the ESPN Family of Networks, with an additional 400,000 unique viewers enjoying the games on the Watch ESPN app.


Risk ManagementSUMMARYThe Risk Management Department creates and implements policies, procedures, and programs, which provide insurance protection for leagues and volunteers and also helps leagues and volunteers recognize how they can prevent incidents from occurring.

AIGThe insurance programs through AIG were renewed for 2017. Insurance rates for local leagues will not increase in 2017 for Accident, Directors & Officers Liability, Crime, and General Liability. We will be offering a new cyber insurance policy as part of the insurance program in 2017.

In 2016, we received funds totaling $810,394 from AIG to support the following:

In 2016, the national ASAP participation percentage was 87 percent.

The National ASAP Results

REGIONS 2015 2016

WESTERN REGION 91% 92%

SOUTHEASTERN REGION 98% 97%

EASTERN REGION 82% 82%

CENTRAL REGION 81% 86%

SOUTHWESTERN REGION 82% 84%

The ASAP program also recognized the top two program participants in each U.S. region, providing each with a $500 award to be used towards the purchase of safety equipment or to lower league insurance premiums. The national winner, Horseheads Little League from New York, will receive a Musco lighting system for a 200 foot field.

At the annual ASAP Awards Luncheon, 598 D.A.s who reached a significant level of ASAP participation during the current year, as well as those who maintained 90 percent or above for multiple years, were recognized.

1. National Awards Program

2. District Administrator ASAP Incentive

3. District Administrator ASAP watches

7. ASAP Clinics

8. ASAP awards based on plan submissions and local league accident insurance participation

9. New DA training

4. 2016 Golf Classic

5. ASAP Newsletters

6. Little League® Road Shows

Funding has been acquired from AIG to support these projects in 2017 in the amount of $920,000.

BACKGROUND CHECKSThe Risk Management Department continues to strongly emphasize the importance of the Child Protection Program.

Working with First Advantage, Little League® provides local leagues with an Internet tool to conduct a broad-based, nationwide background check of not only sex offense registry data, but also criminal data, and pays for the first 125 checks per chartered league or district through First Advantage. The agreement also provides free checks to Little League International.

There are currently nine states (Alabama, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Pennsylvania) that have laws for background checks on volunteers. These laws are separate additional requirements that do not satisfy the Little League background check regulations.

ONLINE RESOURCESLittle League offers state-specific information on its website regarding the reporting of suspected child abuse. Also available is state-specific information regarding concussions.

ASAPEach year, districts and leagues are encouraged to submit a safety manual and participate in ASAP (A Safety Awareness Program). In order to be approved, each manual must include 15 minimum requirements which address issues such as local league activities, equipment, facilities, education, compliance, and reporting.

In 2016, leagues received $467,511 in ASAP awards and District Administrators received $50,250 in incentives. In 2016, incentive awards were increased from $350 to $550 for districts with 86 percent to 100 percent of their leagues submitting approved plans by March 11 and $150 to $350 for districts with 70 percent to 85 percent of their leagues submitting plans by March 11.

This year, Little League launched an online ASAP portal enabling leagues to upload their safety plans. After the online option became available in February, 60 percent of all leagues that submitted plans did so online.

THE 2016 REGIONAL ASAP WINNERS WERE AS FOLLOWS:

CENTRAL REGION

1st Place Gull Lake LL, Kalamazoo, Mich.

2nd Place North Central LL, Milwaukee, Wis.EASTERN REGION

1st Place Horseheads LL, Horseheads, N.Y. (National Winner)

2nd Place Swansea LL, Swansea, Mass.SOUTHEASTERN REGION

1st Place Central Springfield LL, Springfield, Va.

2nd Place Capital Midwestern LL, Charleston, W.V.WESTERN REGION

1st Place Chino American LL, Chino, Calif.

2nd Place Concord American LL, Concord, Calif.SOUTHWESTERN REGION

1st Place High Plains LL, Falcon, Colo.

2nd Place High Plains LL, Highlands, TX

The ASAP program has shown an 80 percent reduction in overall injuries to date to Little League participants compared to pre-ASAP program.


The World of Little League®: Peter J. McGovern Museum and Official Store, open for a third full Fiscal Year since renovations were complete in Summer 2013, experienced the best year in its history.

In the recently completed Fiscal Year, Museum visitors spent more on admission tickets (8.2 percent) than in the previous year, and spent 6.6 percent more in the Official Store than last year. This was in spite of multiple trends that would have pointed to a decline in attentance.

World of Little League® Museum and Official Store

EXHIBITSDuring the Fiscal Year, one new significant exhibit, a painting, was added to the Museum. The painting is by the late Alan Stephens Foster, a master of American Illustration Art during the first half of the 20th century.

The painting, entitled “Dad at Bat” was the basis for the cover of the June 1, 1929, Saturday Evening Post. In fact, Mr. Foster contributed 40 covers for the Post, second only to Norman Rockwell.

Re-discovered in the Museum’s archives, the painting underwent professional conservation before it was debuted on Father’s Day at the Museum. More than 250 people attended the Museum on that day. Although the precise value of the painting has not been determined, similar works by Mr. Foster have sold at auction for between $10,000 and $55,000, a fact that we have not made public.

Additionally, several items related to the painting (posters, magnets, postcards, etc.) were put on sale in the Museum Official Store to provide a connection between store sales and a significant Museum exhibit.

One of the Museum’s signature exhibits, the Global Connections Touch Table, received an upgrade that now allows anyone in the world who has an Internet connection to upload photos to individual local league pages on the table. As a result, leagues from 15 states have uploaded hundreds of photos during the five months that the new system has been online, compared to only a handful in the previous two years.

28


PROMOTIONS AND MARKETINGMuseum staff continues to experiment with various marketing tools and promotional events to drive more traffic, while eliminating less productive marketing vehicles.

One change was to move the Museum’s annual Open House from June to early spring. This resulted in great success, with more than 200 visitors, compared to less than 100 in recent years.

For its paid advertising, the Museum focused on vehicles that have proven most successful in the past few years. Also, the emphasis was on marketing to “outside” visitors (vacationers/people just passing through the area), rather than local residents.

Once again, Facebook provided one of the best platforms for advertising the Museum. Advertising with Facebook allows us to target the ads to specific geographic areas, and to people with specific interests and/or demographic traits.

For example, a targeted advertisement for the Museum in the Binghamton, N.Y., area during the World Series resulted in many patrons from that area that might not have otherwise visited the Museum. A side benefit of a partnership with Facebook is the increasing number of Facebook likes on the Museum’s page.

Visitation by Museum staff to various events in and around Pennsylvania continues to have positive effects. Also, Museum staff has partnered with the Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce’s Visitors’ Bureau on several visitations in neighboring states designed to increase bus tour traffic to the area. As a result, bus tours at the Museum have grown.

During the World Series, the Museum worked with Buckley Baseball Tours to visit the World Series on Saturday, Aug. 20. Those on the tour received Museum admission, a $10 voucher for concessions, a World Series pin and program, a brief tour of the Lamade Stadium surface, and reserved seating for two games. The fee for this was $70 per person (but it was made clear that seating was free). Our actual costs were minimal, resulting in a profit of 350 percent.

The Buckley Tour group visited us at the end of a 10-day journey that included games at Fenway Park in Boston, Citi Field and Yankee Stadium in New York, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Camden Yards in Baltimore, and PNC Park in Pittsburgh, as well as a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Buckley Baseball Tours received rave reviews for this, and several patrons remarked that their visit to the Little League World Series was the best part of the trip. The company has already booked a return visit in 2017.

RESULTS – HOW VISITORS SEE THE MUSEUMAccording to users of the world’s most popular travel website, TripAdvisor.com, the World of Little League has become one of the top museums not only in its class, but in the world.

Reviews on TripAdvisor are public, and cannot be changed or challenged. During the Fiscal Year, the Museum was reviewed 39 times on TripAdvisor, with 31 visitors rating it five stars out of five, and eight visitors giving it four stars.

In February, the Museum was named the No. 1 Family Attraction in all of Pennsylvania by FlipKey, a TripAdvisor company. Itwas chosen by FlipKey after its reviewers anonymously considered all attractions in the state, such as Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Gettysburg Battlefield, and others.

The Museum is also reviewed by those purchasing Groupon “deals” for Museum tickets and merchandise. Every reviewer on Groupon said they would recommend visiting the Museum to a friend. Additionally, the Museum’s relationship with Groupon resulted in $1,017 in income.

Within the facility itself, a Tour Map was created that included a coupon for a percentage discount on merchandise. This was an incentive for Museum visitors to shop when leaving. For two months, Museum staff conducted experiments on which types of discounts worked best, compared with Tour Maps that did not offer discounts. The result was a significant increase in overall sales in the Official Store.

Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016VIP TOUR SEATING


*MID-ATLANTIC REGIONMAINE-ENDWELL LITTLE LEAGUE

ENDWELL, N.Y.

#ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONEAST SEOUL LITTLE LEAGUE

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

AUSTRALIA REGIONHILLS LITTLE LEAGUE

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

CANADA REGIONHASTINGS COMMUNITY LITTLE LEAGUE

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

CARIBBEAN REGIONPARIBA LITTLE LEAGUE

WILLEMSTAD, CURAçAO

EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONEMILIA LITTLE LEAGUE

EMILIA, ITALY

GREAT LAKES REGIONBOWLING GREEN EASTERN LITTLE LEAGUE

BOWLING GREEN, KY.

JAPAN REGIONCHOFU LITTLE LEAGUE

TOKYO, JAPAN

LATIN AMERICA REGIONAGUADULCE CABEZERA LITTLE LEAGUE

AGUADULCE, PANAMA

MIDWEST REGIONJOHNSTON LITTLE LEAGUE

JOHNSTON, IOWA

Location: EasLey, S.C. Date: July 26-August 2 Location: Lower Sussex, Del. Date: July 31-August 7

Location: Taylor, Mich. Date: August 14-21 Location: Kirkland, wash. Date: July 31-August 6

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL® WORLD SERIES (70TH WORLD SERIES; 58TH IN SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT)

2016 Little League®


Location: South Williamsport, pa. Date: August 18-28

MEXICO REGIONSAN NICOLAS LITTLE LEAGUE

SAN NICOLAS, MEXICO

NEW ENGLAND REGIONWARWICK NORTH LITTLE LEAGUE

WARWICK, R.I.

NORTHWEST REGIONBEND NORTH LITTLE LEAGUE

BEND, ORE.

SOUTHEAST REGIONGOODLETTSVILLE BASEBALL LITTLE LEAGUE

GOODLETTSVILLE, TENN.

SOUTHWEST REGIONMCALLISTER PARK AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

WEST REGIONPARK VIEW LITTLE LEAGUE

CHULA VISTA, CALIF.

Location: Bangor, Maine Date: July 31-August 6 Location: Lower Sussex, Del. Date: July 31-August 6

Location: Livermore, Calif. Date: July 31-August 7 Location: Portland, Ore. Date: August 10-17

*World Champion #Runner-Up

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 RUNS

HITS

ERRORS

AP 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 1

MA 0 0 0 2 0 X 2 3 0

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BOX SCORE

August 28, 2016

World Series Tournaments


WORLD SERIES

*WEST REGIONCENTRAL EAST MAUI LITTLE LEAGUE

WAILUKU, HAWAII

#ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONWEST SEOUL LITTLE LEAGUE

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

CANADA REGIONLETHBRIDGE SOUTHWEST LITTLE LEAGUE

LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA

CENTRAL REGIONBEDFORD LITTLE LEAGUE

BEDFORD, IND.

EAST REGIONNORTH VINELAND LITTLE LEAGUE

VINELAND, N.J.

EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONSOUTH CZECH REPUBLIC LITTLE LEAGUE

BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC

HOST REGION (CALIFORNIA DISTRICT 57)TASSAJARA VALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE

DANVILLE, CALIF.

LATIN AMERICA REGIONPABAO LITTLE LEAGUE

WILLEMSTAD, CURAçAO

PUERTO RICO REGIONRADAMES LOPEZ LITTLE LEAGUE

GUAYAMA, PUERTO RICO

SOUTHEAST REGIONPARKLAND LITTLE LEAGUE

PARKLAND, FLA.

SOUTHWEST REGIONWEST UNIVERSITY LITTLE LEAGUE

HOUSTON, TEXAS

*ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONSHING-MING JUNIOR LITTLE LEAGUE

TAOYUAN, CHINESE TAIPEI

#WEST REGIONKAWAIHAU COMMUNITY LITTLE LEAGUE

KAPAA, HAWAII

AUSTRALIA REGIONCRONULLA LITTLE LEAGUE

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

CANADA REGIONLETHBRIDGE SOUTHWEST LITTLE LEAGUE

LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA

CENTRAL REGIONMIDLAND NORTHEAST/FRATERNAL NORTHWEST LITTLE LEAGUES

MIDLAND, MICH.

EAST REGIONWEST SALISBURY LITTLE LEAGUE

SALISBURY, MD.

EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONSOUTH CZECH REPUBLIC LITTLE LEAGUE

BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC

LATIN AMERICA REGIONTOMAS MUNOZ LITTLE LEAGUE

JUAN DIAZ, PANAMA

MEXICO REGIONGUADALUPE LINDA VISTA LITTLE LEAGUE

GUADALUPE, MEXICO

SOUTHEAST REGIONNORTHWOOD LITTLE LEAGUE

TAYLORS, S.C.

SOUTHWEST REGIONPADRE LITTLE LEAGUE

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS

JUNIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIESTAYLOR, MICH. | (36TH WORLD SERIES; 36TH IN TAYLOR)

INTERMEDIATE (50/70) BASEBALL WORLD SERIESLIVERMORE, CALIF. | (4TH WORLD SERIES; 4TH IN LIVERMORE)

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 RUNS

HITS

ERRORS

AP 2 2 1 1 0 3 0 9 12 0

WEST 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 2


August 21, 2016

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 RUNS

HITS

ERRORS

AP 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 7 0

WEST 3 0 0 0 0 2 X 5 6 0


August 7, 2016


WORLD SERIES

*CENTRAL REGIONCLEAR RIDGE LITTLE LEAGUE

CHICAGO, ILL.

#ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONSOUTHERN MARINERS LITTLE LEAGUE

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

CANADA REGIONKIWANIS NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE

REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN

EAST REGIONCLIFTON AMERICAN/NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE

CLIFTON, N.J.

EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONCATALUNYA LITTLE LEAGUE

BARCELONA, SPAIN

HOST REGION (MAINE DISTRICT 3)BRONCO-HERMON LITTLE LEAGUES

HERMON, MAINE

LATIN AMERICA REGIONROBERTO CLEMENTE LITTLE LEAGUE

CAROLINA, PUERTO RICO

SOUTHEAST REGIONDUMFRIES DISTRICT LITTLE LEAGUE

DUMFRIES, VA.

SOUTHWEST REGIONCAPITOL PARK LITTLE LEAGUE

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

WEST REGIONCENTRAL EAST MAUI LITTLE LEAGUE

WAILUKU, HAWAII

SENIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIESBANGOR, MAINE | (56TH WORLD SERIES; 15TH IN BANGOR)

BIG LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIESEASLEY, S.C. | (49TH WORLD SERIES; 16TH IN EASLEY)

*ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONTAO-YUAN COUNTY BIG LITTLE LEAGUE

TAOYUAN, CHINESE TAIPEI

#WEST REGIONKIHEI LITTLE LEAGUE

KIHEI, HAWAII

CANADA REGIONSASKATCHEWAN DISTRICT 1

REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN

CENTRAL REGIONMICHIGAN DISTRICT 9

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.

EAST REGIONDELAWARE DISTRICT 1

DOVER, DEL.

EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONNETHERLANDS DISTRICT 1

BREDA, NETHERLANDS

HOST REGION (S.C. DISTRICT 1)SOUTH CAROLINA DISTRICT 1

EASLEY, S.C.

LATIN AMERICA REGIONCURACAO DISTRICT 1

WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO

PUERTO RICO REGIONPUERTO RICO DISTRICT 13

GUAYAMA, PUERTO RICO

SOUTHEAST REGIONFLORIDA DISTRICT 12

CLEARWATER, FLA.

SOUTHWEST REGIONTEXAS EAST DISTRICT 28

MONTGOMERY, TEXAS

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 RUNS

HITS

ERRORS

AP 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 6 6 2

WEST 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 3 1


August 2, 2016

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 RUNS

HITS

ERRORS

AP 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 5 2

CEN 1 3 0 3 0 0 X 7 8 2


August 6, 2016


WORLD SERIES

*SOUTHWEST REGIONGREATER HELOTES LITTLE LEAGUE

HELOTES, TEXAS

#SOUTHEAST REGIONROWAN LITTLE LEAGUE

SALISBURY, N.C.

ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONILLAM CENTRAL LITTLE LEAGUE

MAKATI CITY, PHILIPPINES

CANADA REGIONHAMPTON LITTLE LEAGUE

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA

CENTRAL REGION GRANDVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE

GRANDVILLE, MICH.

EAST REGIONROBBINSVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE

ROBBINSVILLE, N.J.

EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONNOORD-HOLLAND/KENNEMERLANDAMSTERDAM LITTLE LEAGUES

NETHERLANDS

HOST REGION (ORE. DISTRICT 4)LINCOLN LITTLE LEAGUE

PORTLAND, ORE.

LATIN AMERICASOFTBALL FEMENINO COAMO LITTLE LEAGUE

COAMO, PUERTO RICO

WEST REGIONSNOW CANYON LITTLE LEAGUE

SANTA CLARA, UTAH

JUNIOR LEAGUE SOFTBALL WORLD SERIESKIRKLAND, WASH | (18TH WORLD SERIES; 18TH IN KIRKLAND)

LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL® WORLD SERIESPORTLAND, ORE. | (43RD WORLD SERIES; 23RD IN PORTLAND)

*LATIN AMERICA REGIONASOFEM LITTLE LEAGUE

MAUNABO, PUERTO RICO

#CANADA REGIONHAMPTON LITTLE LEAGUE


ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONILLAM CENTRAL LITTLE LEAGUE


CENTRAL REGIONPOLAND COMMUNITY LITTLE LEAGUE

POLAND, OHIO

EAST REGIONWARWICK NORTH LITTLE LEAGUE

WARWICK, R.I.

EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONNORTHWEST CZECH REPUBLIC LITTLE LEAGUE

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

HOST REGION (WASH. DISTRICT 9)KIRKLAND AMERICAN/NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE

KIRKLAND, WASH.

SOUTHEAST REGIONROWAN LITTLE LEAGUE

SALISBURY, N.C.

SOUTHWEST REGIONLA GRANGE LITTLE LEAGUE

LA GRANGE, TEXAS

WEST REGIONOLIVEHURST-LINDA LITTLE LEAGUE

OLIVEHURST, CALIF.

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 RUNS

HITS

ERRORS

SE 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 8 1

SW 0 0 5 0 0 X 5 7 1


August 17, 2016

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 RUNS

HITS

ERRORS

LA 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 8 11 2

CAN 0 0 0 3 2 1 0 6 11 1


August 6, 2016


WORLD SERIES

JUNIOR LEAGUE SOFTBALL WORLD SERIESKIRKLAND, WASH | (18TH WORLD SERIES; 18TH IN KIRKLAND)

*SOUTHEAST REGIONCAPE CORAL SOFTBALL LITTLE LEAGUE

CAPE CORAL, FLA.

#CANADA REGIONCANADA DISTRICT 7


ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONMAKATI CITY LITTLE LEAGUE


CENTRAL REGIONCLAY COUNTY LITTLE LEAGUE

MANCHESTER, KY.

EAST REGIONPENNSYLVANIA DISTRICT 1

SAEGERTOWN, PA.

EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONCZECH REPUBLIC DISTRICT 1

CZECH REPUBLIC

HOST REGION (DEL. DISTRICT 3)LAUREL LITTLE LEAGUE

LAUREL, DEL.

LATIN AMERICA REGIONPONCE LEONES SOFTBALL LITTLE LEAGUE

VALLE ALTO, PUERTO RICO

SOUTHWEST REGIONTEXAS WEST DISTRICT 9

ROBINSON, TEXAS

WEST REGIONGARDEN CITY SOFTBALL LITTLE LEAGUE

MISSOULA, MONT.

SENIOR LEAGUE SOFTBALL WORLD SERIESLOWER SUSSEX, DEL. | (41ST WORLD SERIES; 16TH IN LOWER SUSSEX)

BIG LEAGUE SOFTBALL WORLD SERIESLOWER SUSSEX, DEL. | (35TH WORLD SERIES; 4TH IN LOWER SUSSEX)

*LATIN AMERICA REGIONPUERTO RICO DISTRICT 1

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

#SOUTHWEST REGIONLOUISIANA DISTRICT 5

ALEXANDRIA, LA.

ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONGUANGZHOU LITTLE LEAGUE

GUANGZHOU, CHINA

CANADA REGIONONTARIO DISTRICT 5

WINDSOR, ONTARIO

CENTRAL REGIONMICHIGAN DISTRICT 10

DELTA COUNTY, MICH.

EAST REGIONMONTGOMERY LITTLE LEAGUE

MONTGOMERY, N.Y.

EUROPE & AFRICA REGIONNETHERLANDS DISTRICT 1

NETHERLANDS

HOST REGION (DEL. DISTRICT 3)MILLSBORO LITTLE LEAGUE

MILLSBORO, DEL.

SOUTHEAST REGIONCAPE CORAL/FORT MYERS AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUES

CAPE CORAL/FORT MYERS, FLA.

WEST REGIONSOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DISTRICT 51

LANCASTER, CALIF.

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 RUNS

HITS

ERRORS

CAN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

SE 0 0 0 1 0 2 X 3 4 0


August 7, 2016

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 RUNS

HITS

ERRORS

SW 0 2 0 4 0 1 0 7 8 0

LA 2 0 0 0 4 4 X 10 11 1


August 7, 2016


FINANCE OVERVIEW

REVENUES A C T U A L B U D G E T VA R I A N C E 2 0 1 5 - 1 6

Total Operating Revenue

Interest and Dividend Income

$ 28,079,158$ 78,549

$ 27,215,445$ 181,000

$ 863,713($ 102,451)

$ 27,427,092$ 181,762

TOTAL REVENUE $ 28, 157,707 $ 27,396,445 $ 761, 262 $ 27,608,854

EXPENDITURES A C T U A L B U D G E T VA R I A N C E 2 0 1 5 - 1 6

Total Operating Expenditures

Excess Revenue Over Expenditures

Non Operating Revenues/Expenditures

$ 26, 586, 906$ 1, 570, 801

($ 2, 149, 544)

$ 27, 046, 379$ 350, 066

($ 3, 500,000)

$ 459, 473$ 1, 220, 735

$ 1, 350, 456

$ 25, 843, 121$ 1, 765, 733

($ 3, 970, 381)

TOTAL REVENUE IN DEFICIT OF EXPENDITURES

($ 578,743) ($ 3,149,934) $ 2,571,191 ($ 2,204,648)

STATEMENT OF REVENUES AND EXPENSES

ASSETS S E P T E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 6 S E P T E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 5

Cash, Equivalents, and Investments

Accounts Receivable

Inventories

Land, Building, and Equipment, Net

Other Assets

$ 39,200,898$ 558,175

$ 624,338$ 41,440, 282

$ 1,133,319

$ 37,868,626$ 501,608$ 642,587

$ 43,662, 395$ 1,040,808

TOTAL ASSETS $ 82,957,012 $ 83,716,024

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS S E P T E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 6 S E P T E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 5

Accounts Payable/Accrued Expenses

Other Payables

Total Liabilites

Net Assets

$ 503, 955$ 5, 031,287$ 5, 535, 242

$ 77, 421, 770

$ 696, 240$ 4, 767,242$ 5, 463, 482

$ 78, 252, 542

TOTAL LIABILITES AND NET ASSETS $82,957,012 $ 83,716,024

FINANCIAL POSITION

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW FOR THE YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2016


HAROLD WEISSMAN New York District 27 Administrator – November 2015

TOMMY HANSONNewmark Little Leaguer, MLB Pitcher – November 2015

ED WOTJKOWSKI Maryland District 7 Administrator – November 2015

GEORGE SPOONER 1939 Little Leaguer – December 2015

FLOYD HULLFormer Big League Baseball WS Director (1970-1998) – December 2016

AIDAN FOWLER Woolrich (Pa.) Little Leaguer – January 2016

JAIME GARCIA California District 18 Assistant Administrator – January 2016

VICTOR FITZGERALD Canada’s New Brunswick District 1 Administrator – March 2016

JOE GARAGIOLA former Major Leaguer, TV personality and friend of program, Master of Ceremonies at the 1995 and 1998 Little League International

Congresses – March 2016

CHARLIE BRUSHFlorida District 5 Administrator – June 2016

WILLIAM KLUG El Segundo Little League Coach – June 2016

KEN KAMPFFNew York District 4 Administrator – July 2016

RICHARD H. “DICK” CONFAIR Carl E. Stotz Little League Baseball Scholarship Committee Member – August 2016

JOHN SAUNDERSESPN Talent – August 2016

LT. COL. ALONSO PEREZ GONZALEZ Mexican Baseball Federation President – September 2016

I N M E M O R I A M( O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 - S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 )

REVENUES A C T U A L B U D G E T VA R I A N C E 2 0 1 5 - 1 6

Total Operating Revenue

Interest and Dividend Income

$ 28,079,158$ 78,549

$ 27,215,445$ 181,000

$ 863,713($ 102,451)

$ 27,427,092$ 181,762

TOTAL REVENUE $ 28, 157,707 $ 27,396,445 $ 761, 262 $ 27,608,854

EXPENDITURES A C T U A L B U D G E T VA R I A N C E 2 0 1 5 - 1 6

Total Operating Expenditures

Excess Revenue Over Expenditures

Non Operating Revenues/Expenditures

$ 26, 586, 906$ 1, 570, 801

($ 2, 149, 544)

$ 27, 046, 379$ 350, 066

($ 3, 500,000)

$ 459, 473$ 1, 220, 735

$ 1, 350, 456

$ 25, 843, 121$ 1, 765, 733

($ 3, 970, 381)

TOTAL REVENUE IN DEFICIT OF EXPENDITURES

($ 578,743) ($ 3,149,934) $ 2,571,191 ($ 2,204,648)


I N M E M O R I A M( O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 - S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 )

LITTLE LEAGUE® INTERNATIONAL REMEMBERS 1939 LITTLE LEAGUER®

THOMAS “TUCK” FRAZIER

Little League® International mourns the passing of Thomas “Tuck” Frazier, who was a player on the Lycoming Dairy team during the first Little League season in 1939, and a long-time benevolent supporter of the Little League program. He was 88.

A native of Williamsport, Pa., Mr. Frazier played in the first Little League game on June 6, 1939. Mr. Frazier remained a loyal friend of the program through the decades, serving as a member of a committee that selects honorees in the annual Carl E. Stotz Little League Scholarship Program. In 2014, he and several of the players from the first three teams gathered in Williamsport to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of Little League.

“Tuck was a kind and giving man, who loved Little League, and all it stands for,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League International President and CEO. “Like the other boys who played on the first three Little League teams, Tuck was a pioneer, and he was proud of his heritage. Throughout his life, he championed the mission and ideals of Little League, supported its initiatives, and in a variety of ways, gave of himself for the betterment of all Little Leaguers. He will be missed.”

In the World of Little League® Museum on the Little League International complex, an exhibit features Mr. Frazier’s photo and an audio clip from him. In the museum’s exhibit, Mr. Frazier speaks about what it was like before Little League came along, and after the first games were played:

“I played shortstop for Carl Stotz the first two years of Little League. We played baseball, before Carl, (in) pick-up games because that’s about all the only thing you could do when you were a kid in the summertime. I was lucky, just being in the right spot at the right time. That was really some opportunity. We all had a good time, we all knew one another, it was competitive, and we loved to play baseball.”

Mr. Frazier is survived by his wife, Marilyn, a daughter, and two sons.

Not for publication Unless as expressly approved by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or President of Little League Baseball®, Incorporated

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