September 9, 2009

Little League's real worry? Dwindling participation


Forestville Little League is more worried about a decline in the number of ballplayers than it is about the future of its fields behind Greene-Hills School.
Laurie Micale, president of Forestville Little League, said Wednesday the league is reaching out to the other two Little Leagues in Bristol because participation is dwindling.
She said the league has about 300 youngsters, but the pinch is especially keen in its major league, with 11 and 12-year-olds.
Instead of having eight teams as it did in the past, the league had only five this year, she said.
And even that was a stretch, Micale added, saying that it could easily have justified only four teams.
Micale said the Forestville Little Leage’s board reached out to the other leagues, particularly McCabe-Waters, to try to develop inter-league games so that players could face a wider range of competition.
She said officials in all the leagues in town are eyeing their numbers to see what’s feasible, which could include dissolving the Forestville Little League.
Though at least one board member of the league blamed worry about the fate of the fields during construction of a new Greene-Hills School, Micale denied that any concerns about the school project played a role in the decision to look into alternatives.
The reality, she said, is that “our numbers are down.”
She said that McCabe-Waters has about 250 players while Edgewood Little League has about 350.
“I really don’t know where this is going to go,” Micale said.
Making any revisions in the three leagues in town would require the approval of Little League Baseball, Micale said.
Don Soucy, the regional director for Little League at the Giametti complex on Mix Street, could not be reached for comment.
The $130 million school project includes a new kindergarten to eighth grade school to replace the aging Greene-Hills Elementary. It also calls for another K-8 school on Matthews Street.
It is slated to be done by 2015. It’s not clear when construction will begin.
School officials said the change shouldn’t impact the use of fields by Forestville’s Little League.
Micale said her biggest worry about the project is that it might make parking difficult.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

LITTLE LEAGUE IS ABOUT PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ARE YOUTH NOT ABOUT NUMBERS. LITTLE LEAGUE HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, THEY ARE ALL ABOUT MONEY$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Anonymous said...

We're facing such huge problems in this city, and this is what people are worrying about?

Anonymous said...

Little league is Hardly about the money, It cost the league aprox $150.00 per kid each year. The cost to register is 45 for T-Ball up to 60 for Major divisions. Take into account the cost for insurance, Uniforms, and Field upkeep. The average league is in the red or close to it every year. Yes we do need money to keep the leagues going,as well as volunteers. But Dont be mistaken It is now and always will be about the kids.

Anonymous said...

As families move out of Forestville the decline of players was inevitable.

Anonymous said...

Keep the kids busy and don't listen to these critics on here. They are losers and live by the law of the jungle.

Anonymous said...

To 4:51 PM: your postings are all over this blog (your bad spelling and insistence on typing everything in capital letters is a dead giveaway). You are certainly entitled to your opinions (as feeble and as unfounded as they may be), but your constant drumbeat of negativity wears real thin real fast. You appear to be able to find the clouds in every silver lining. You apparently don't understand the distinction between criticism and constant complaining.

You must lead an awfully unhappy existence.... Dude, here's a piece of advice: lighten up sometimes. Life's too short to be miserable all the time.

Anonymous said...

Organized sports are the tools of Capitalist Pigs!

Take the money being wasted on sports and put it into worthy social causes (homelessness, crime, poverty) and you'll see society change for the better.

It's too bad Capitalism was saved by the rulers of the corrupt world leaders. Karl Marx had it right!

More cooperation. Less competition.

Anonymous said...

Giant Baseball! Giant Baseball! Giant Baseball!

Anonymous said...

Comrade at September 10, 2009 10:01 AM

Your tickets to Venezuela along with your front row seats to the next Chavez speech are ready and can be picked up at the Venezuelan consulate in New York.

Make sure you practice your goose step and be sure to wear you Che Guevara tee-shirt.

Anonymous said...

@ September 10, 2009 3:22 PM

There's no need to leave this country, wiseguy.

Socialism is on the rise in the USA. Just be patient. It's only a matter of time before it's fully embraced as a matter of necessity, and it can't come soon enough.

Capitalism is an abject failure!

Karl Marx was a prophetic genius!

Anonymous said...

September 11, 2009 10:06 AM

Really? Then why wait? Take the tickets and go join your Marxist pal Chavez and you could have a love fest.

Oh that's right. The first time you opened your mouth you'd end up in the goulag.

It's easy to preach the failed utopia of Socialism when you live in a place that allows you to sound off without fear of prison.

Socialists are all the same. All mouth but no guts to go live where socialism actually exists.

Stop blaming your failures in life on people who make a buck and are successful.

Anonymous said...

@ September 11, 2009 4:21 PM

I will stay and help to create the change that's needed.
This is my country too, and it needs much improving.

My failures? You know nothing about me. For all you know, I could be the mayor of Bristol.

Your assumptions reveal your weakness. Ignorance.

Anonymous said...

September 12, 2009 3:03 PM

The chance of you being the Mayor of Bristol is nil. Whether one likes Ward or not the last thing he'd profess is to be a Marxist.

As to my assumption based on ignorance - nice try. Every whining Socialist/Marxist that fantizes about a Workers Utopia and the downfall of capitalism does so out pure jealousy. Their failure to achieve results in the worn out mantra of "it's someone else's fault."

As to your assertion that this is "your country too" no one is trying to say it's not. Yes, we have many problems to solve. We always have and we always will. If you plan to work for change that's good. If that change amounts to the radical approach that you espouse then you are in the wrong place and should have the intestinal fortitude to go where you can live what you preach.

Capitalism is here to stay so you better find a way to live with it and stop whining.

Anonymous said...

@ September 14, 2009 10:29 AM

Your overly confident, patronizing tone is obviously indicative of a creature who is fairly comfortable yet minimally skilled at arrogant retaliatory bullying, which are typically telltale signs of a contemptible capitalist pig.

Whining is most certainly not a characteristic of mine. I believe in action, and regularly employ carefully conceived tactics and strategies to achieve desirable outcomes for the greater good of society. To me, complaining is counterproductive.

Therefore, you have once again revealed your weaknesses using your own ignorant words.

Try thinking about this simple fact for a moment. Capitalism begets greed. Greed is a sin.

Any questions?

Anonymous said...

To 4:21 I still say you can't make a buck unless you screw somebody out of theirs. Grow up and go away ! I bet you sell insurance to!