Little League Baseball® World Series 15 Sunday Night Baseball 15 MLB All-Star Week 16 Spring Training in Cuba 16 Play Ball Weekend 16 Pg
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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® 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. 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) Pg. 15 Table of ContenTS Little League Baseball®, Incorporated 1 FEATURES 6-17 Field Directors Dwayne Tuggle, Corinne Chow Join International Board of Directors; Antonio Gonzalez, Shannon Walker, Travis Young, and John Boyd approved for nomination 6 Pg. 15 Franklin Stivers, and Glen Lindsey join the President’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 to Provide 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 Pg. 15 Three New Members Enshrined Into the Little League® Hall of Excellence 14 Tom Coughlin 14 Torii Hunter 14 Cat Osterman 14 Police officer Michael J. Buczek little league Presented 2016 Carl E. Stotz Little League® Community Award 14 Little League® Honors San Bernardino Attack 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 Pg. 14 2 2 Little League Baseball®, Incorporated Pg. 7 MARKETING 24-26 National Sponsors: 21 Licensing 22 Merchandise Department 22 COMMUNICATIONS 23 Pg. 28 Awards Recognition 23 Little League® in the Media 26 RISK MANAGEMENT 27 ASAP 27 WORLD OF LITTLE LEAGUE ® MUSEUM 28 2016 LITTLE LEAGUE® Pg. 14 WORLD SERIES TOURNAMENTS 30-35 Little 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 Pg.34 IN MEMORIAM 37 Year In Review 2015-16 3 FROM THE CHAIRMAN 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.D Chairman | Little League Baseball and Softball International Board of Directors 4 Little League Baseball®, Incorporated 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. Keener President and Chief Executive Officer Little League® Baseball and Softball Year In Review 2015-16 5 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 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. At the 2015 fall meeting of the Little League® International Board of Mr.