Why Does Little League Require So Much Documentation?
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Cheaters? Never!…lol.
It is amazing how much documentation you need to simply play all-stars! History has shown that adults are not always the greatest role models when it comes to all-stars though. It is beyond me how a team could cheat with a board of directors, hundreds of parents, and multiple coaches in the organization. But somehow they still pull it off.
Does no one have the guts to step up and say "we are cheating, it is wrong". Apparently not. I am the first one to work the rules to my advantage, I openly admit that. But I will NEVER blatantly cheat! I would hope that if I tried, my board would rein me in, at a minimum, I would hope someone, a parent or something, would question me!
Documentation Please
So Little League requires tons of documentation. They require:
ORIGINAL birth certificate . It cannot be a copy, must be the original with the raised seal. Most states have overnight shipping on birth certificates, so don’t panic if you can’t find it. It will probably cost you $50-$100 but at least your child will be able to play.
3 Forms of Proof of Residency! These, can’t be the same thing. For instance, 3 utility bills won’t cut it. The categories are:
- Driver’s License
- Voter’s Registration
- School Records
- Welfare/Child Care Records
- Federal Records
- State Records
- Local Records
- Support Payment Records
- Homeowner or Tenant Records
- Utility Bills
- Financial Records
- Insurance Documents
- Medical Records
- Military Records
- Internet, Cable or Satellite Records
- Vehicle Records
- Employment Records
My personal favorite is driver’s license, voter’s card, and utility bill. Simply and easy and you can copy all onto 1 piece of paper.
Get Organized
The second trick is getting organized. The best way to do this is to get yourself a loose leaf binder w/ plastic inserts. Then copy as above, put in the birth certificate on one side, the copy of address verification on the other and put into your book in the order that the names appear on the affidavit.
If you put your book together organized like this, then when you present it to your District Administrator’s representative, they are likely to breeze through it and you will be in and out instantly. If you are unorganized, they will tear it apart and likely find errors.
One more thing, as you move up, it will be more closely scrutinized. Make sure your parents bring original documents to sectionals, states, regionals, and the world series, just in case someone rejects something that was accepted at a lower level. Better safe than sorry in this case.
Once all the documentation is accepted sit back and enjoy the best ball of the year! Count how many times you shake your head in amazement. It is truly time for the kids to show off. Sit back and enjoy their growth.
What do you use for documentation? What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?
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This is one reason our league left the Little League for Cal Rivken
Hailing from the Washington, DC metro area I am very familiar with Cal Ripken, and his attachment to Babe Ruth baseball. Cal Ripken is the 12U version of Babe Ruth.
I also am one of the few, including most of those involved in Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken, ball that have actually read the rule book.
Guess what!
The rule book reads just about word for word verbatim with the Little League rulebook.
The difference between the leagues? Little League enforces their rules and Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken looks the other way for the sake of growth.
I will pick teaching my children the rules and abiding by them any time.
The documentation above is simply to assure birth dates and residency requirements and assures that parents are not corrupting the leagues.
I was involved in a Babe Ruth program in Virginia that ignored the draft process outlined in the Babe Ruth rulebook and allowed coaches to put their team together as they saw fit. This if flat our wrong, the draft process is what protects the integrity of the league.
The other thing that they did is host the World Series. What did they get for hosting it? A team in it every year! How fair is that? Everyone else in the world has to play into the world series but the host team gets a bye?
I know there are a ton of good people in Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth, don’t get me wrong. But nothing can beat Little League’s structure and enforcement. The new deal they have with ESPN will make it tough on competitors. They have deep pockets and mass exposure. Until I see differently, I will always believe in Little League.