January 2026 meeting minutes

Meeting Notes for January 10th
District Vision and Leadership Introductions: 
Bishop outlined the new district vision for District 14, emphasizing unity and collaboration among parks, and introduced the district staff and new park presidents, with participation from Woody, Ron, Ri, Dorinda, Jane, Doug, Marlin, and others.
	District Vision Statement: Bishop presented the district vision statement, focusing on being 'rivals on the diamond, partners in the community,' and stressed the importance of integrity, safety, and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
	Introduction of District Staff: Bishop introduced the district leadership team, including Woody as Assistant DA, Ron as UIC, Ri as Secretary and Safety Officer, Dorinda as Treasurer, Jane as State Tournament Committee Chair, Doug as Field Revitalization Chair, Marlin as Constitution Consultant, and Mary Lou as Challenger Coordinator.
	Introduction of Park Presidents: New and returning park presidents were introduced, including Diamond Williams (Goshen), Kristi Meadows (Middlebury), Lucas Waterman (Oslo), Angela/SE Vander Hayden (Southeast), Elizabeth Connolly (South Side), Doug Mathis and Jody Williams (Warren), with each sharing their staff or board members present.
	Changes in Park Participation: Bishop announced the loss of New Prairie and Chet Wagner parks for the current year and noted a leadership transition at Cleveland, with ongoing efforts to fill the president position.
Charter, Insurance, and Volunteer Requirements: 
Bishop detailed the necessity for all parks to complete chartering, secure insurance, and ensure all volunteers complete background checks and abuse awareness training, with input from Ri and Angela/SE regarding dual chartering and insurance coverage.
	Charter and Insurance Deadlines: Bishop reminded parks that charters expired on December 31st and emphasized the need to charter at least one team and pay insurance promptly to ensure coverage for all park activities and volunteers.
	Volunteer Background Checks and Training: All volunteers are required to complete background checks via Sports Connect/JDP and annual abuse awareness training, with Bishop and Ri highlighting the importance of compliance and the addition of first aid training.
	Dual Chartering and Separate Entities: Angela/SE inquired about dual chartering, and Bishop clarified that parks can operate multiple programs (e.g., Little League and travel ball) as separate legal entities, requiring clear financial separation and, if desired, shared treasurers with distinct accounting.
	Insurance for Interleague and Parallel Play: Ri and Bishop discussed the need for proper insurance when playing non-Little League teams, noting that both parties must provide proof of adequate coverage and that travel ball teams often lack sufficient insurance or beneficiary naming.
Constitution, Bylaws, and Budget Submissions: 
Bishop and Marlin instructed all parks to review, update, and submit their constitutions, bylaws, and annual budgets to Little League, offering support for new presidents and clarifying amendment procedures.
	Constitution and Bylaws Review: Bishop urged new presidents to thoroughly read their park constitutions, understand amendment procedures, and distinguish between constitutions (organizational operations) and bylaws (division-specific rules), with Marlin available for consultation.
	Budget Submission Requirements: Each park must submit a high-level budget overview from the previous year to Little League, with Bishop providing a form for this purpose and emphasizing the importance of regular updates.
	Incorporation of Abuse Awareness: Elizabeth asked if abuse awareness protocols should be included in constitutions, and Marlin confirmed this is required, offering to review constitutions and provide a generic template for parks.
Little League Safe Program Implementation: 
Bishop introduced the new Little League Safe program, replacing ASAP, and explained its four pillars—child protection, physical safety, mental well-being, and risk management—while discussing financial incentives and training requirements with Woody, Angela/SE, and others.
	Program Overview and Transition: Little League Safe replaces the ASAP program, maintaining similar requirements but consolidating child protection policies and adding mandatory annual abuse awareness and first aid training for all volunteers.
	Financial Incentives for Compliance: Parks completing the safety program and associated trainings are eligible for up to a 15% insurance reimbursement and additional support for purchasing AEDs, with Bishop and Angela/SE discussing AED procurement and training.
	Safety Equipment and Bases: Angela/SE asked about the requirement for double first bases in juniors and seniors; Woody and Ron clarified that double first is required for softball, not yet confirmed for baseball, and Woody later confirmed safety bases are optional but recommended.
	Mental Well-Being and Diamond Leader Training: Bishop highlighted the importance of Diamond Leader training for fostering positive environments and noted new partnerships with the MLB crisis line and Positive Coaching Alliance, encouraging presidents to retake the training if not completed recently.
	Risk Management Practices: Bishop explained that local league risk management involves proactively identifying and mitigating risks at parks, with plans for future roundtable discussions to share best practices among parks.
Tournament Formats, Scheduling, and Hosting Assignments: 
Bishop led discussions and votes on tournament formats, scheduling, and hosting assignments, with input from Kristi, Lucas, Angela/SE, Marlin, and others, resulting in flexible format guidelines and preliminary host assignments for upcoming tournaments.
	Tournament Format Voting: The group discussed the pros and cons of modified double elimination and pool play formats, ultimately voting to allow Bishop to assign formats based on the number of teams, with six or more teams triggering pool play and fewer using double elimination.
	Presidents Tournament Expansion: Angela/SE, Lucas, and Elizabeth advocated for expanding the Presidents Tournament to include more age divisions, with Bishop agreeing to support expansion if sufficient volunteer coordinators are available.
	Tournament Hosting Assignments: Kristi and Angela/SE expressed interest in hosting tournaments; after discussion, Middlebury was assigned to host 8-10 baseball, Southeast to host junior/senior softball (pending field suitability), and Oslo offered to host state tournaments if needed.
	Proposal Process for Future Hosts: Bishop requested that parks submit formal bids to host state tournaments by October 1st of the preceding year, offering to share a sample operations manual to guide proposal preparation.
Boundary Changes and Park Eligibility Discussions: 
A detailed discussion led by Bishop, Warren, Angela/SE, Elizabeth, Ri, and others addressed the process, authority, and implications of boundary changes following the departure of Chet Wagner and New Prairie, including requests for overlapping boundaries and the impact on player eligibility.
	Boundary Change Procedures: Bishop explained that parks may request boundary changes by submitting a map and proposal, which are then reviewed by Central Region, and clarified that overlapping boundaries are now permitted, allowing players in shared areas to choose their park without waivers.
	Authority and Precedent: Warren questioned the consistency of past boundary changes, referencing FOP and Concord, and Bishop clarified that requests are handled through Central Region, with no district-wide voting required unless boundaries are disputed.
	Impact of Park Departures: The group discussed the two-year period during which unchartered parks like Chet Wagner retain their boundaries, the effect on neighboring parks, and the process for absorbing or sharing boundaries if a park does not return.
	School District Considerations: Bishop emphasized that boundary decisions are often based on school districts to maintain continuity for players, and encouraged affected parks to collaborate and submit joint proposals for boundary adjustments.
	Challenger Division Rehoming: Angela/SE reported ongoing discussions with Brian about relocating the South Bend Challenger division, with Southeast being considered due to field accessibility and safety.
Voting on 15-Year-Olds in Junior Divisions: 
Bishop facilitated a vote among park presidents regarding the eligibility of 15-year-olds to play and pitch in junior baseball and softball divisions, with Kristi, Angela/SE, Lucas, and Woody contributing to the discussion and the group approving both measures.
	Eligibility Vote: Park presidents unanimously approved allowing 15-year-olds to play in junior baseball and softball divisions for the regular season, with the clarification that this does not apply to All-Star tournament play.
	 The group discussed potential concerns about 15-year-olds pitching against younger players; after input from Woody and Lucas, the group approved allowing 15-year-olds to pitch, noting that pitch counts are age-based and that this practice is longstanding.
Administrative Dates and Upcoming Events: 
Bishop outlined key administrative dates for clinics, meetings, and tournament deadlines, instructing parks to update officer contacts and prepare for upcoming events, with Woody and others confirming details.
	Key Dates and Meetings: Important dates include the January 31st safety clinic, February 28th player agent clinic, March 29th in-person town hall, April 11th presidents meeting, May 4th Presidents Tournament roster deadline, and June 8th Presidents Tournament start.
	Officer Contact Updates: Bishop requested that all parks update their officer contact information in the data center to ensure accurate communication for training and event notifications.
Follow-up tasks:
AED Purchase and Training: 
Provide Bishop with contact information for the AED supplier and details on available training and equipment for park use. (Angela/SE)
Rule Clarification: Double First Base: 
Reach out to Central and obtain an official ruling on whether the double first base is required for juniors and seniors, then communicate the answer to all parks. (Bishop)
Constitution Review and Updates: 
Send park constitutions to Marlin for review, particularly to ensure inclusion of abuse awareness and reporting protocols, and await feedback or use the generic form provided. (Elizabeth, all park presidents)
Boundary Redraw Proposal for Chet Wagner Area: 
Initiate a discussion among Warren, Southside, Southeast, and Cleveland (when available) to develop and submit a formal boundary redraw or overlapping boundary proposal for the former Chet Wagner area to Bishop. (Warren, Elizabeth, Angela/SE, Cleveland board)
Host Proposal for State Tournaments: 
Submit a formal proposal to host a state tournament by October 1st of the year prior to the tournament season, using the operations manual as a reference if needed. (All interested park presidents)
Update League Officer Contacts: 
Update the data center with current league officer contact information to ensure accurate communication for upcoming clinics and meetings. (All park presidents)
Challenger Division Relocation: 
Coordinate with Brian to assess Southeast park facilities for hosting the South Bend Challenger division and communicate the final decision to Bishop. (Angela/SE)

DISTRICT 14 MEETING MINUTES

January 2026 meeting minutes

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