It’s been several weeks since the final pitches

and swings of the 2015 season. Between a full

Spring, a month of All‐Stars and three months

of Fall Ball, the volunteers at NNLL now have

a short chance to catch their breath and rest

before we kick it all into high gear again for

our 12th season.

This August, I was excited to

be a part of a great General

Meeting where we received

excellent feedback from

NNLL families and elected a

new Board of Directors. With

some fresh, new faces and

some seasoned veterans, we

look forward to providing

excellent baseball and softball programs to

over 800 children in the Natomas area, and

building a premier athletic organization.

Every year, months of planning goes in to

creating new experiences, strengthening exist-

ing programs, and, sometimes, sending some

ideas to the drawing board. This year we'll

build on a successful Opening Day program,

create a new Closing Day Ceremony, refur-

bish the existing majors field, and expand our

ball fields at North Natomas Regional Park.

Yup, you read that right, we expect two new

fields at NNRP to be open for play right

around Opening Day. Add to that a new

permanent snack bar and restrooms at NNRP

coming this spring, and NNLL will be fortu-

nate enough to call one of the best facili-

ties in the region home.

Of course, none of this could be possible

without the fantastic volunteers we have

in our league. To those doing it for

years, thank you for your

dedication. To those

who have not for what-

ever reason, I encourage

you to raise your hand at

your first team meeting.

Sign up for something,

however small, and give

back to the great kids we

are lucky enough to call

our neighbors. You may

just find yourself having even more fun

than the players!

I look forward to seeing many of you.

We have a lot of activities planned, even

before the first balls and strikes are

called. Board Members will be out at all

events, dressed in the trademark NNLL

green. Stop by, say hello, and tell us

what you think. We appreciate the feed-

back, both positive and constructive,

and strive to do our best to make NNLL

the best Little League in Sacramento.

See you at the field.

Dustin Romero

NNLL President

President’s Dugout

December 2015

1st Inning! The North Natomas Little League Newsletter

IMPORTANT!

Registration Now Open!

Step 1: Register Online at

www.nnll.org

Step 2: Walk-Up Registration

during 1 of 3 dates:

- January 12 (6pm-8pm)

- January 16 (9am-noon)

- January 23 (9am-noon)

You must apply if interested in becoming a manager.

More Info: www.nnll.org

Volunteers Must Complete

Background Checks.

More Info: www.nnll.org

Inside this issue:

President’s Dugout 1

Register Now! 2

How to Be A Better

Manager (Part 1) 3

League Age Changes 4

Hey Blue! 5

Join Us : Communications 5

Meet Your 2015-2016

NNLL Board of Directors 6

January 2016 Calendar 6

THINGS TO DO NOW — LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

www.facebook.com/NorthNatomasLL

Registration for Spring 2016 Continues!

For Complete Information: Go to www.nnll.org, click on the “Registration” tab

Original

(certified)

Birth

Certificate

Document Categories (Residency)

Driver’s License

Voter’s Registration

School records

Welfare/child care records

Federal records

State records

Local (municipal) records

Support payment records

Homeowner or tenant records

Financial Records (loan, bank, etc)

Medical records

Military records

Internet, cable, or satellite

Vehicle records

Employment records

Utility Bills (PG&E, SMUD, water, sewer, phone, etc)

NOTE: Only ONE document allowed from this category

SMART TIP:

Most people have the three

required documents in their car!

Simply bring a current:

- Driver's License

- Vehicle Registration

- Vehicle Insurance Card

Each with the correct address!

Residency shall be established and supported by

current documents from three DIFFERENT

document categories shown to determine resi-

dency of such parent(s) or guardian.

Documents must be dated or in effect between

Feb. 1, 2015 and Feb. 1, 2016.

NNLL will need a copy of each document

for players league age 9 and older. Copiers

may not be available.

If birth certificate is not available please refer to

the “Proof-of-age Requirements” acceptable form

of proof (available on website).

You can also enroll your child with NNLL if they

attend school within the NNLL boundaries

(available on the website).

What to Bring:

3+ or More

Proofs of

Residency

Walk Up Registration Dates:

Jan 12th 6pm-8pm Natomas Park Elementary School

(Multi-purpose Room)

Jan 16th 9am-noon North Natomas Regional Park

(at the Farmer’s Market)

Jan 23rd 9am-noon North Natomas Regional Park

(at the Farmer’s Market)

1st Inning The NNLL Newsletter

You must bring a copy of ALL documents for any players 9 or older

Save $$$$ - Early Bird Registration ends

December 31, 2015—Register Online NOW!

Page 2

The 1st Inning 1st Inning The NNLL Newsletter Page 3

Being a Little League Manager is no walk in the (ball) park. It takes patience, excellent communica-

tion skills, top-notch organizational skills, conflict resolution skills, even more patience, leadership,

discipline, maturity and...Did I mention? Patience. Lots of patience.

NNLL prides itself in being the premier Little League program in Sacramento. Our goal is to create

a positive, fun, and memorable experience for the youth of our community. And our managers are

a critical component to fulfilling this. Sorry, Skip. You are not just coaching baseball games. You are

creating a culture and experience that has lifetime implications for the boys and girls whose hearts

and minds you have been entrusted to shape. And while it starts with you, we recognize that your

players' parents are just as responsible for reinforcing good sportsmanship in our young athletes.

So You Want To Be A Little League Manager? 16 Tips For Mastering The Skill Of Running A Youth Sports Team (Part 1)

Submitted by Troy Nelson, Safety Officer

1. Adopt the attitude that there are more important ways to measure wins and successes beyond the scoreboard.

2. Meet with your assistant coaches privately and set the expectation that you plan to always honor the game and re-

spect the rules of the game, your opponents, the officials, and the players. Tell your assistant coaches that you are open to

feedback (in private of course) if they ever see you slipping on this commitment.

3. Hold a team meeting before your first practice. You can nip a lot of problems in the bud simply by meeting with par-

ents at the start of the season. Get to know them; make sure you go over what you expect from players and parents alike.

Parents need to understand that they have the responsibility to get their child to practice on time and to ensure their child is

properly equipped (like shoes, glove, uniform, etc.); to support their child by attending games, praising their hard work, etc.;

and to be part of the team, too. Review your guidelines for playing time (example, “playing time on attendance, work ethic,

skill level, etc.,”). Lay down the law now and avoid issues in the future such as your own rules and expectations; and team

goals, priorities, and philosophy. For example, what are your rules about being late to practice or missing practice? About

communication? Do you require players to always approach you with an issue before the parents do? Do you allow parents

to talk with you before or after games? Take the time to review the NNLL Parents Code of Conduct. Explain to

your parents that this means positive cheering, not putting down other players, no yelling at the umpires, and no criticizing

you or other coaches. Put your foot down about "sideline coaching" from parents (this confuses their child). If your goals are

to focus on your player’s baseball development and personal development, then tell the parents. Explain what this means.

4. Recruit lots of volunteers. One way to keep idle parents from straying too far from the Code of Conduct is to get them involved. During my first team meeting, I pass around a sign-up sheet with no less than 22 "openings." Everything from Score-

keepers to Groundskeepers is listed along with a "job description" and an estimated time commitment for each. (Many spots

require less than 2 hours a week.) I discuss the importance of having everyone participate as part of the team and keep the

clipboard going around the room to make sure every position is filled before anyone goes home.

5. Promote a family atmosphere. I make it a point to invite the players/parents to my home for the preseason

team meeting. Talk about home field advantage! You will have everyone's undivided attention when you make them sit in a

living room full of other adults, many of whom they have never met. During the season, I will invite them over for a pool

party or barbecue. You can create a family atmosphere by encouraging them to buy your team’s "spirit wear" to don on

game days. This extra effort on your part will go much farther than you think.

6. Teach your players about hard work. Help them develop a culture of "making your teammates proud" by doing the best

they can (on and off the field) to support them in all their efforts. Set "effort goals" allowing players to earn more playing

time. If there was only one life lesson from sports, it should be that hard work is a key to success. Teach your players that

"Success comes from Effort over Time" (S=E/T), and drill it into your players every day. We might not win today, but if we

give it our best effort, sooner or later, we’ll be successful. Good coaches reward effort as much as talent. It is impossible to

overstate the power of the message sent to the team when a "weaker" player who gives it his all gets into games on a regu-

lar basis. Weaker players realize that they can get into games if they work hard. They don’t have to be as good as the best

players on the team, they just have to outwork them! And it is a wake-up call for your "stronger" players, who will find their

playing time limited if they don’t up their effort level.

[CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE]

1st Inning The NNLL Newsletter Page 4

Why Did Your Little League Age Change for Baseball?

And You Thought You Were 10 Years Old!

Submitted by Lucas Perretti, Umpire in Chief

Just because your daughter is 10 and your son 7, Little League

International (LLI) might not agree.

Why? Turns out at higher, more competi-

tive levels, an interesting thing happens -

kids rapidly mature! That is, 13 year olds

are generally too big, strong, and fast for a

60' diamond and nearly all of the players in

the LLWS in Williamsport were 13 years

old.

So, LLI went about tweaking the Age Deter-

mination Date to ensure that each player

would be in fact 12 years' old to compete in

the World Series.

In recent years, LLI has phased in new Age

Determination dates, changing them for the second time in 2015

for all divisions of Little League BASEBALL to August 31.

So now no child will lose their 12-year-old season of Little League

Baseball, the LLI Board of Directors approved a 'grandfathering' of

the four months of children born between May 1 and August 31,

2005, for the 2018 season.

So why the change?

In 2011, LLI researched and learned that parents, players, and volun-

teers wanted to see Little League become, as a

whole, a younger program, and give children an

easier way to play with their classmates. They

revamped the Tee Ball program, established a

Coach Pitch Program, and changed its residency

requirements to allow children to play in the

league where their school is located.

The Age Determination date change better aligns

with many schools' student registration, allowing

Little Leaguers to play with their classmates.

As a result, the Major Division, will truly be a 12

and under program – ensuring that no child playing

in the Little League/Major Division will turn 13 years old at any point

during their final season in that division.

If you would like to see your specific baseball or softball player's age,

see the chart at the www.nnll.org website in the 'Registration' sec-

tion.

NOTE: This change applies to Baseball Only

KEY CHANGE:

No child will lose their 12-year-old

season of Little League Baseball,

[because of a new] 'grandfathering'

of the four months children born

between May 1 and August 1, 2005,

for the 2018 season.

7. Teach your players about "continuous learning." Good coaches emphasize learning as a core goal during practices

and games. Teach your players that "becoming better than we are now is more important than whether or not we are bet-

ter than some other team."

8. Teach your players to "flush" their mistakes. Mistakes are part of learning. You can’t learn without making mistakes,

because to learn you have to try things that are new and challenging. Teach your players that it is okay to make mistakes on

your team. Teach your players to "flush" mistakes. If a player (or coach!) makes a mistake, flush it by making a motion with

your arm like you are flushing a toilet so the mistake goes away. We want to learn from our mistakes and keep working

hard.

Look for the last 8 tips in the next issue of 1st Inning!

So You Want To Be A Little League Manager? 16 Tips For Mastering The Skill Of Running A Youth Sports Team (Part 1) [CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE]

If you Ever Want to Make a Suggestion or Comment

—the BEST way is to email nnll@nnll.org REMEMBER

This section will include rule changes and explanations, anecdotes

and stories, maybe a collection of videos or examples of strange

situations.

In future ‘innings’ you might find stories such as:

“R.I.P.—it was such a nice ball. Too bad it’s dead.”

“Just one minute … But, I need more time!”

“There is nothing foul about a foul tip!”

“Infield Fly? That was 50 feet in the outfield!?!”

And more strange things!

Hey Blue! By Lucas Perretti, Umpire in Chief

1st Inning The NNLL Newsletter Page 5

NNLL Created a NEW COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE

Now we need your help. We are all volunteers… Are you (or

someone you know) interested in sharing your (or their) talents to

help improve the communication for our league? We need you!

WE NEED:

Graphic Designers

Newsletter Designers (i.e., Publisher, Illustrator, etc)

Photographers

Facebookers

Writers

Thinkers and Doers!!

Questions about a rule?

A rule makes NO sense to you?

Tell me what YOU want to know...

Send Suggestions to: nnll@nnll.org

Contact Us!

nnll@nnll.org

Meet The 2015-2016 Board (“The Green Shirts”)

Standing Left to Right: Mike Graham, Lucas Perretti, Dave Murray, Troy Nelson, Mia Emmitt, Mike Turner (back), Alana

Davis, Sean Randall (back), Misty Sanders, Cody Worrall, Stanley Jones, Tony Perez. Seated Left to Right: Anita Lopez,

Linda Kirkpatrick, Dustin Romero, Emily Norboe, Dave Gifford. Not pictured: Jennifer Tran,

President – Dustin Romero

VP Baseball – Mike Turner

VP Softball – Tony Perez

VP Tee Ball – Stanley Jones

Treasurer – Dave Gifford

Umpire in Chief – Lucas Perretti

Baseball Player Agent – Alana Davis

Softball Player Agent – Emily Norboe

Safety Officer – Troy Nelson

Secretary/Information Officer – Anita Lopez

League Administrator – Linda Kirkpatrick

Snack Bar Coordinator – Dave Murray

Equipment Coordinator – Misty Sanders

Fields Coordinator – Mike Graham

Sponsorship Coordinator – Mia Emmitt

Team Parent Coordinator – Cody Worrall

Coaching Coordinator – Sean Randall

Upper Division Coordinator – Jennifer Tran

To contact a

Board Member

about your

specific issue,

question, or

concern,

simply email us:

nnll@nnlll.org

1st Inning The NNLL Newsletter

January 2016 All dates subject to change. Please visit www.nnll.org for more info or to see current events.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Dec 31 (Early Bird

Registration Ends)

JAN 1 2

3 4 5 6 - Manager

Interviews

7 - Manager

Interviews

8 9

10 11 12 - Walk Up

Registration #1

13 14 15 16 - Walk Up Registration #2

- Manager’s Clinic

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 - Walk Up Registration #3

- Player’s Clinic

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 - Baseball Assessments

(End Reg. Registration)

31 - Softball Assessments

(Start of Waitlist)

FEB 1 2 3 4 5 6 - Player’s Draft

(Managers Only)

Page 6