I was very fortunate to attend the 29th annual Little League International Congress that was held at the JW Marriott in Indy earlier this month.
Little League has pioneered a unique forum — otherwise known as the “Little League International Congress” — for field leaders to give voice and authoritative sanction to representation.
The first Congress was held in 1956 in Chicago. The purpose of the International Congress is to chart the course of the world’s largest organized youth baseball and softball program. More than 800 Little League volunteers from around the globe attended this Congress, which is held every four years.
Thirty-nine states and 15 countries — including France, Italy, Japan, Australia, Panama and Curaçao, among others — had representatives in attendance.
The four-day event started with former collegiate softball player and current sports commentator Jenny Dalton-Hill — enshrined in 2022 into the Little League Hall of Excellence — as the emcee of the Opening Ceremonies.
The next few days consisted of educational and strategic roundtable sessions with a lot of conversation with Little League volunteers from around the world.
I asked my District Administrator Greg Sims (District 12, Indiana) his thoughts on the sessions and the Congress.
“A great experience,” Sims said, “meeting lots of people from all around the U.S.”
With the world of social media, I was also glad when Max Cannon, a 47-year Little League volunteer, said he was attending the Congress. I had been “talking” with Max for years on Facebook, so it was great to finally meet him.
A session of particular importance to Cannon, along with several of my friends and myself, consisted of “Leading Umpires at the Local Levels.”
Cannon is the “Umpire-In-Chief” at his local League and district, along with Umpire Development in Montana and the West Region.
“It was a wonderful experience for anyone involved in Little League to attend,” said Cannon, who “felt very fortunate to be in Indy.”
The same couldn’t quite be said for Bryan Wild, the District 18 ADA from Florida, who said he had “a great time — other than it’s too cold,” as the Indy Congress came when we were in the middle of our cold snap!
And one of the best parts about being around Little League folks — they are “pin traders!” And some of the designs are just absolutely amazing!
For this being my first Congress (and hopefully not my last), I am so thankful for being a (small) part of the largest youth organization in the world, and I have the opportunity and the privilege of knowing some of the greatest volunteers in the world — the district administrators, the assistant district administrators, the League Presidents and all the volunteers associated with Little League!
To a person, they do it for “THE LOVE OF THE GAME!”
So as everyone returns to their hometowns, the next two words we will be hearing before we know it — “PLAY BALL!!”
Dave Rinehart is a Martinsville native who’s been involved in sports for most of his life, including coaching, refereeing and 29 years as the sports broadcaster on the local radio station.
