posted 05/20/2013
 

AA Softball
Team Winners	Team #	Team	Manager
1st Place	SAA4	Stella & Dot	Greg Kutz
2nd Place	SAA3	Hier and Hanes	Jerry Marenburg
3rd Place	SAA1	Georgelas Group	Candace Stromberg
Player Winners			Player Winners
1st Place	SAA4	Stella & Dot	Katie Kutz
2nd Place	SAA4	Stella & Dot	Alex Schwartz
3rd Place	SAA3	Hier and Haines	Isabel Barrett
AAA Softball
Team Winners	Team #	Team	Manager
1st Place	SM2	Wasabi	Matt Socknat
2nd Place	SM4	BOWA Builders	Jamie Loving
3rd Place	SM5	Giant	Vance Zavela
Player Winners	Team #	Team	Manager
1st Place	SM2	Wasabi	Zoe Mallus
2nd Place	SM1	ECS	Nicole Garbaldi
3rd Place	SM1	ECS	Rachel Longo
Tie	SM2	Wasabi	Alexa Jordan
Majors Softball
Team Winners	Team #	Team	Manager
1st Place	MS5	Dr. Cusumano and Stuver	Kevin Camphausen
2nd Place	MS4	MLS Educational Consultants	Gerry Megas
3rd Place	MS3	CODA Construction	Rob Haas
Player Winners			Player Winners
1st Place	MS4	MLS Educational Consultants	Julia Jones
2nd Place	MS2	Wheat's Lawn & Custom Landscape	Riley Simon
3rd Place	MS5	Dr. Cusumano and Stuver	Anna Dresher
AA Baseball
Team Winners	Team #	Team	Manager
1st Place	AB21	Nirschl Orthopaedic Center	Rob Longo
2nd Place	AB22	Fairfax Radiological Consultants	Kevin Camphausen
3rd Place	NB22	Boone & Sons Jewlers	Hank Miller
Player Winners			Player Winners
1st Place	NB22	Boone & Sons Jewelers	Logan Hanson
2nd Place	AB21	Nirschl Orthopaedic Center	Zach Reid
3rd Place	AB21	Nirschl Orthopaedic Center	Joey Powell
AAA Baseball
Team Winners	Team #	Team	Manager
1st Place	AB11	Rossen Landscape	Bill Takis
2nd Place	AB14	AV Remodeling & Construction	Vincent D'Avena
3rd Place	NB13	Potomac Custom Builders	Michael Wheeler
Player Winners			Player Winners
1st Place	NB11	n2shape	Tyler Perotti
2nd Place	AB14	AV Remodeling & Construction	Andrew Riggeri
3rd Place	NB13	Potomac Custom Builders	Casey Prestidge
Majors Baseball
Team Winners	Team #	Team	Manager
1st Place	NB3	Flowers & Plants	Steve Gatti
2nd Place	NB2	McLean Animal Hospital	Matt Avery
3rd Place	AB4	Wayne Insulation	Rod Goodwin
Player Winners			Player Winners
1st Place	NB3	Flowers & Plants	Jack Hoeymans
2nd Place	NB3	Flowers & Plants	Henry Pavco-Giaccia
3rd Place	AB4	Wayne Insulation	Nick Liverpool

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posted 04/10/2013
 

Terry Mahony Golf Classic

 
We are now soliciting players and sponsors for the 2013 Chain Bridge Bank McLean Little League Terry Mahony Golf Classic. This year’s tournament will take place on Monday, May 6, 2013 at the beautiful Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston.

The tournament is a great way to spend time with McLean Little League friends away from the fields, while at the same time helping to raise critical funding for the league. The Golf Tournament is one of a few key events we hold each year to raise the funds we need to operate our league. We depend on your generosity and participation to help make McLean Little League such a great organization serving the children and families in our community.

As we have over the past few years, we’re likely to have a few tournament changes while continuing to provide a great day of competition and friendship. One thing will remain the same: we are limiting the number of players to help maintain a good pace of play. Sign up early to ensure your spot in this year’s event.
 
Registration

• filling out the form(s) on the MLL website
• For golfer registration
• For sponsorship

With the success of last year’s tournament, we expect this year’s event will be filled to capacity.  The cost for an individual golfer is $275 and the cost for a foursome is $1,100.
 
Last year’s tournament raised over $35,000 for the league. The majority of that money came from our sponsors. Please sponsor the tournament at whatever level you can afford.
 
We hope to see you on May 6. If you have any questions, please contact Bill Takis at , or 703/633-4336 (h) or 703/786-7613 (c).
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posted 04/04/2013
 

Baseball Skills Clinics

McLean Little League is pleased to announce the return of our skills clinics. The clinics will focus on throwing, fielding and hitting, and they are open to all players in our baseball and softball programs. This year, the clinics will be held at the McLean Little League complex.
 
We got very positive feedback on last year’s clinics and we’re thrilled that Coach Max Eckert of the Bradley Baseball Academy will be back to run this year’s. Max is one of the best and best known coaches in the region. His knowledge is vast and his love for the game is infectious.
 
The cost for each clinic is $20 per player and you can pay as you go. Simply email Max at at least a day or two before each clinic to let him know you’ll be there. You can pay when you arrive with your son or daughter. It’s that easy. For more information, email Max at that address.
 
Here is this year’s schedule:
 
CLINICS FOR PLAYERS 7 and YOUNGER:
Thursday, 4/4, 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. on Field 3.
Monday, 4/8, 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Field 4.
Thursday, 4/18, 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. on Field 3.
Tuesday, 4/23, 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Field 4.
Monday, 4/29, 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Field 3.
Monday, 5/6, 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Field 4.
Monday, 5/13, 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Field 3
Monday, 6/3, 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Field 3
Thursday, 6/6, 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Field 4
 
CLINICS FOR PLAYERS 8 AND OLDER
Wednesday, 4/3, 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. on Field 3.
Thursday, 4/11, 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. on Field 3.
Monday, 4/22, 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Field 3.
Thursday, 4/25, 4:15 to 5:45 p.m., Field 3.
Thursday, 5/2, 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. on Field 3.
Monday, 5/6, 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Field 3.
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posted 03/18/2013
 

February 15, 2012 8:20 pm

Written by:

Steve Henson

Hundreds of college athletes were asked to think back: "What is your worst memory from playing youth and high school sports?"

Their overwhelming response: "The ride home from games with my parents."

The informal survey lasted three decades, initiated by two former longtime coaches who over time became staunch advocates for the player, for the adolescent, for the child. Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller of Proactive Coaching LLC are devoted to helping adults avoid becoming a nightmare sports parent, speaking at colleges, high schools and youth leagues to more than a million athletes, coaches and parents in the last 12 years.

Those same college athletes were asked what their parents said that made them feel great, that amplified their joy during and after a ballgame.

Their overwhelming response: "I love to watch you play."

There it is, from the mouths of babes who grew up to become college and professional athletes. Whether your child is just beginning T-ball or is a travel-team soccer all-star or survived the cuts for the high school varsity, parents take heed.

The vast majority of dads and moms that make rides home from games miserable for their children do so inadvertently. They aren't stereotypical horrendous sports parents, the ones who scream at referees, loudly second-guess coaches or berate their children. They are well-intentioned folks who can't help but initiate conversation about the contest before the sweat has dried on their child's uniform.

In the moments after a game, win or lose, kids desire distance. They make a rapid transition from athlete back to child. And they’d prefer if parents transitioned from spectator – or in many instances from coach – back to mom and dad. ASAP.

Brown (pictured below at podium), a high school and youth coach near Seattle for more than 30 years, says his research shows young athletes especially enjoy having their grandparents watch them perform.

"Overall, grandparents are more content than parents to simply enjoy watching the child participate," he says. "Kids recognize that."

A grandparent is more likely to offer a smile and a hug, say "I love watching you play," and leave it at that.

Meanwhile a parent might blurt out …

“Why did you swing at that high pitch when we talked about laying off it?"

"Stay focused even when you are on the bench.”

"You didn’t hustle back to your position on defense.”

"You would have won if the ref would have called that obvious foul.”

"Your coach didn't have the best team on the field when it mattered most.”

And on and on.

Sure, an element of truth might be evident in the remarks. But the young athlete doesn’t want to hear it immediately after the game. Not from a parent. Comments that undermine teammates, the coach or even officials run counter to everything the young player is taught. And instructional feedback was likely already mentioned by the coach.

"Let your child bring the game to you if they want to,” Brown says.

Brown and Miller, a longtime coach and college administrator, don't consider themselves experts, but instead use their platform to convey to parents what three generations of young athletes have told them.

"Everything we teach came from me asking players questions," Brown says. "When you have a trusting relationship with kids, you get honest answers. When you listen to young people speak from their heart, they offer a perspective that really resonates.”

So what’s the takeaway for parents?

"Sports is one of few places in a child's life where a parent can say, 'This is your thing,’ ” Miller says. "Athletics is one of the best ways for young people to take risks and deal with failure because the consequences aren’t fatal, they aren’t permanent. We’re talking about a game. So they usually don’t want or need a parent to rescue them when something goes wrong.

"Once you as a parent are assured the team is a safe environment, release your child to the coach and to the game. That way all successes are theirs, all failures are theirs."

And discussion on the ride home can be about a song on the radio or where to stop for a bite to eat. By the time you pull into the driveway, the relationship ought to have transformed from keenly interested spectator and athlete back to parent and child:

"We loved watching you play. … Now, how about that homework?"

FIVE SIGNS OF A NIGHTMARE SPORTS PARENT

Nearly 75 percent of kids who play organized sports quit by age 13. Some find that their skill level hits a plateau and the game is no longer fun. Others simply discover other interests. But too many promising young athletes turn away from sports because their parents become insufferable.
ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web.
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Even professional athletes can behave inappropriately when it comes to their children. David Beckham was recently ejected from a youth soccer field for questioning an official. New Orleans radio host Bobby Hebert, a former NFL quarterback, publicly dressed down LSU football coach Les Miles after Alabama defeated LSU in the BCS title game last month. Hebert was hardly unbiased: His son had recently lost his starting position at LSU.

Mom or dad, so loving and rational at home, can transform into an ogre at a game. A lot of kids internally reach the conclusion that if they quit the sport, maybe they'll get their dad or mom back.

As a sports parent, this is what you don't want to become. This is what you want to avoid:

• Overemphasizing sports at the expense of sportsmanship: The best athletes keep their emotions in check and perform at an even keel, win or lose. Parents demonstrative in showing displeasure during a contest are sending the wrong message. Encouragement is crucial -- especially when things aren’t going well on the field.

• Having different goals than your child: Brown and Miller suggest jotting down a list of what you want for your child during their sport season. Your son or daughter can do the same. Vastly different lists are a red flag. Kids generally want to have fun, enjoy time with their friends, improve their skills and win. Parents who write down “getting a scholarship” or “making the All-Star team” probably need to adjust their goals. “Athletes say their parents believe their role on the team is larger than what the athlete knows it to be,” Miller says.

• Treating your child differently after a loss than a win: Almost all parents love their children the same regardless of the outcome of a game. Yet often their behavior conveys something else. "Many young athletes indicate that conversations with their parents after a game somehow make them feel as if their value as a person was tied to playing time or winning,” Brown says.

• Undermining the coach: Young athletes need a single instructional voice during games. That voice has to be the coach. Kids who listen to their parents yelling instruction from the stands or even glancing at their parents for approval from the field are distracted and can't perform at a peak level. Second-guessing the coach on the ride home is just as insidious.

• Living your own athletic dream through your child: A sure sign is the parent taking credit when the child has done well. “We worked on that shot for weeks in the driveway,” or “You did it just like I showed you” Another symptom is when the outcome of a game means more to a parent than to the child. If you as a parent are still depressed by a loss when the child is already off playing with friends, remind yourself that it’s not your career and you have zero control over the outcome.

FIVE SIGNS OF AN IDEAL SPORTS PARENT

Let’s hear it for the parents who do it right. In many respects, Brown and Miller say, it’s easier to be an ideal sports parent than a nightmare. “It takes less effort,” Miller says. “Sit back and enjoy.” Here’s what to do:

• Cheer everybody on the team, not just your child: Parents should attend as many games as possible and be supportive, yet allow young athletes to find their own solutions. Don’t feel the need to come to their rescue at every crisis. Continue to make positive comments even when the team is struggling.

• Model appropriate behavior: Contrary to the old saying, children do as you do, not as you say. When a parent projects poise, control and confidence, the young athlete is likely to do the same. And when a parent doesn’t dwell on a tough loss, the young athlete will be enormously appreciative.

• Know what is suitable to discuss with the coach: The mental and physical treatment of your child is absolutely appropriate. So is seeking advice on ways to help your child improve. And if you are concerned about your child’s behavior in the team setting, bring that up with the coach. Taboo topics: Playing time, team strategy, and discussing team members other than your child.

• Know your role: Everyone at a game is either a player, a coach, an official or a spectator. “It’s wise to choose only one of those roles at a time,” Brown says. “Some adults have the false impression that by being in a crowd, they become anonymous. People behaving poorly cannot hide.” Here’s a clue: If your child seems embarrassed by you, clean up your act.

• Be a good listener and a great encourager: When your child is ready to talk about a game or has a question about the sport, be all ears. Then provide answers while being mindful of avoiding becoming a nightmare sports parent. Above all, be positive. Be your child's biggest fan. "Good athletes learn better when they seek their own answers," Brown says.

And, of course, don’t be sparing with those magic words: "I love watching you play."

Click here to contact Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller.

-- Steve Henson is a Senior Editor and Writer at Yahoo! Sports. He has four adult children and has coached and officiated youth sports for 30 years. He can be reached at and on Twitter @HensonYahoo
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posted 02/26/2013
 

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posted 02/19/2013
 
 
Training for Little League umpires will begin on Saturday, March 2 from 1 – 2:30 pm in the McLean Little League Board of Directors Room (2^nd Floor – enter through the back door).  Classroom training will be conducted on consecutive Saturday afternoons in March.  These sessions will focus on administration, signs and signals, base and plate mechanics for the two-man system and rules. All new and first year (spring and fall 2012) umpires must attend each session. 

Veteran umpires are invited, but not required to attend these sessions.  A special refresher course on the rules and plate mechanics will be held for veteran umpires in late March.  Please fill out the umpire registration form and bring it with you to the first session.
 
Tom Donnelly
Chief Umpire
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posted 02/19/2013
 

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posted 12/28/2012
 

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posted 12/09/2012
 

McLean Little League is excited to announce the formation of a Challenger Division for the spring of 2013. The Challenger Division format was established by Little League in 1989 to "...enable boys and girls with physical and mental challenges, ages 4-18...to enjoy the game of baseball along with millions of other children who participate in the sport worldwide."

McLean Little League will place players on teams and pair each player with their own volunteer buddy. Teams will play games once per week at the beautiful McLean Little League complex at 1836 Westmoreland Street.

Mike Mendler, President of McLean Little League, recently remarked, "The McLean Little League Board of Directors is excited to offer an inclusive baseball option to all of the kids in our community. We can't wait for the season to start!"

Players will be able to register on-line beginning December 20th. Walk in registration will take place beginning Saturday, January 5th, from 8:30am to 1:30pm at the McLean Little League Complex at 1836 Westmoreland Street. Subsequent walk in registration will be available Thursday, January 10th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm and Saturday, January 26th, from 8:30am to 1:30pm. League volunteers will be present at all walk in registration dates to answer any specific questions you may have about the program.

The league is also excited about the fledgling buddy program. The application process is open to all McLean community middle and high schoolers.

In the mean time, if you have any questions about the Challenger Division or would like to apply to be a volunteer buddy, please contact Chris Shue ( ). Please check the MLL web site for more information about the Challenger program.

The McLean Little League website address is www.mcleanll.com

Additional information about the Little League International Challenger program can be found here: http://www.littleleague.org/learn/about/divisions/challenger.htm
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posted 07/02/2012
 
 
Presenting the District 4 softball Champions – the 9/10 MLL softball all-stars team!
They defeated Great Falls in a 2 game win this weekend, despite the heat and lack of power!  Woohoo..on to the State tournament in Woodstock VA July 12-17.
 
 
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posted 06/18/2012
 

Please take our poll about major players using wooden bats in the future.  Please click on the above link, or go to the Poll menu on the home page's vertical menu.

You are allowed one vote per internet connection.  Thank you.




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posted 05/31/2012
 
RECOMMENDED FALL SOFTBALL LEVELS BASED UPON AGES AS OF THE END OF THE YEAR; i.e, for play for the fall, 2012, a player’s age as of 12/31/12.

(Please note that where one plays in the fall does not dictate spring team assignments which are determined by tryouts and drafts.  For the fall, with some exception, players are assigned to the levels requested by their families.  Families with questions should speak with their spring managers for a recommendation.)

Players who played majors this spring:  If they are 12 or under, they should of course sign up for majors and assuming the same number of majors  teams in the fall as in the spring, all will stay with their current team.  For those over 12, we will again hope to have a fall 13 plus team, though that will depend on the numbers.   It would be appreciated if anyone of that age interested in such a team for the fall (including potential managers/coaches) would let me know (Jonathan Wiener; ) know of your interest sooner rather than later in the summer.

Players who played AAA this spring:  12 year olds even thinking they might want to play majors next spring should sign up for majors; and  many 11 year olds (as of 12/31/12) who played AAA this spring should consider signing  up for majors as well, though some will want to stay at AAA.   AAA players who will not be 11 by 12/31/12 who were among the stronger players at AAA should consider playing majors in the fall; middle range players at this age or those who may have struggled at AAA this season should play AAA again this fall, where very likely they will find themselves in new roles of leadership and responsibility.

Players who played AA this spring:  11 year olds who played AA, most 10 year olds, and stronger AA player 9 year olds this spring should sign up for AAA in the fall; middle range AA players under 10 (as of 12/31/12) and those who may have struggled some at AA this season should probably stay at that level for the fall.

Players who played transition this spring.  If they are or will be 9 by 12/31/12, they should sign up for AA for the fall.  8 year olds who were among the stronger players on their team should sign up for AA; those who may have struggled should stay at transition.  Middle range skill 8 year olds could really go with either level, somewhat also dependent on grade level (we would  suggest most 3rd graders move up), comfort level, and whether they have played transition one or two years.  With very rare, if any, and specifically approved exception, players who will not be 8 years old by 12/31/12 should stay at transition.

Players who played t-ball this spring: Any player who is or will be 7 years old by 12/31/12 should sign up for transition.  While most younger players should stay at transition,  6 year olds who will be in first grade this coming fall and who played at the t-ball 2 level this spring are welcome to try transition softball in the fall. 
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posted 05/18/2012
 

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posted 05/15/2012
 


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posted 04/14/2012
 

McLean Little League starts its season Saturday missing one of its biggest and longest supporters, Wayne M. Whitlow.

Whitlow died March 13th at his home in Alton, Virginia of heart and lung failure.  He was 85 years old.

Whitlow's family business, Wayne Insulation, has the distinction of being the only original and continuous McLean Little League sponsor since the league's inaugural season in 1956.

When the league started, Whitlow lived on Youngblood Street in McLean.  That is how the relationship began.

Whitlow played baseball as a kid and all through high school. His daughter, Mary Whitlow said her father's feelings for baseball could be summed up in three simple words.  He "just loved it."

"He loved to play ball and he wanted to give other children that same opportunity.  He was very much a supporter of boys clubs, or boys' homes.  That was his mindset," she said.

Whitlow also supported the Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Home in Brookneal, Va., as well as other youth sports leagues.

By the time Whitlow's  two sons were old enough to play ball, the family had moved to Arlington. His sons never played for McLean Little League, but Whitlow Insulation continued to financially support the MLL.

"I believe if you keep youngsters doing things that are important to them, that keeps them out of trouble," he once wrote.  "I keep the team going because the kids love it."

In fact, since the league's first year, Team Wayne Insulation has been a fixture in the MLL majors division.  And in its inaugural year, the team finished first in both seasons.

"McLean Little League lost a good friend and supporter," said Mike Mendler, President of the league.  "Mr. Whitlow has been a loyal McLean Little League sponsor for over 55 years.  He supported the local Little League organization in good economic times and bad," he added.  "Through his continued support he made a positive impact on the youth of McLean over many, many years."

Whitlow's daughter, Mary, has served as President of Wayne Insulation since her father's retirement in 2003.  She noted that Wayne Insulation has continued to sponsor MLL since his retirement, and will continue to do so in his memory.

Her father once said if there are any years that the company cannot continue to sponsor a team for any reason, that he would step in and continue it.  "So I just made it a priority," she said.

Wayne Whitlow came from a farming family, and served the Navy during World War II as a coxswain on The USS Winston.  After the war, he finished high school.

He worked in the insulation industry in Richmond for about a year, and eventually borrowed money from a local grocer and former employer to start his own insulation company in Northern Virginia.  He was able to pay the loan off in less than a year.

Whitlow's daughter, Mary, is not sure of the year, but after her father moved to northern Virginia, he played for a local team back in Red House, Va. called the Red House Scrubs.

"The teammates would pass the tin cup each game to collect gas money for my dad," she said.  "He would drive down on his motorcycle to play in the games.  His team won the championship game that year, and he received the game hitting honors for hitting two doubles.  I guess you could call him the ringer," she said.

Whitlow was not much of a baseball spectator. His daughter surmised that he quit watching after the Washington Senators left town.  But he did follow golf and the Redskins.

Wayne Whitlow is survived by his wife of 60-years, Mary Lea "Dixie" Wilson Whitlow of Alton, Virginia; as well as his four children Janet Lea Clover and her husband George of Fort Myers Beach, Fla; Richard Wayne Whitlow and wife Dona Dickinson of Great Falls, Va.; Dr. John Blanton Whitlow of Falls Church, Va; and Mary Whitlow Otte and husband Robert of Falls Church, Va. He is also survived by three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and two sisters.

The family requested donations be made to McLean Little League, PO Box 222, Arlington VA 22101 or Arlington Optimist Club, PO Box 100224, Arlington VA 22210.
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posted 12/06/2011
 

To see that announcement, visit this page:

http://www.littleleague.org/media/newsarchive/2011/Sep-Dec/LLAnnouncesBatRuleChangesfor2012Season.htm

Little League is taking this step, before the rule books are actually published in December, to give parents and leagues a timely "heads up."  Please take this opportunity to forward this message to others in your district/league, and post this announcement on your district/league web site and social media pages.

As always, thank you for your support of Little League Baseball and Softball.

Sincerely,

Little League Baseball and Softball
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posted 11/29/2010
 

McLean Little League has entered into a partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) to combine efforts to provide a positive, character-building experience for our baseball and softball players.

The partnership is designed to provide volunteers with the tools to teach Little Leaguers more than just the skills of hitting, throwing and catching a ball.

The Little League Double-Goal Coach® Program teaches  coaches that, while winning is an obvious coaching goal, the more-important goal is teaching life lessons through sports. Little League coaches become Little League Double-Goal Coaches either by participating in live group workshops hosted by the league or by taking the online course.

The Positive Coaching Alliance was founded as a non-profit organization within the Stanford University Athletic Department in 1998. The PCA has the mission of “transforming youth sports so sports can transform youth.”  To that end, PCA has conducted approximately 6,000 live group workshops nationwide for more than 300,000 youth and high school sports leaders, coaches, parents and athletes. Workshop attendees have helped create a positive, character-building youth sports environment for more than three million youth athletes.

PCA’s partnership network includes more than 1,100 youth sports organizations, cities and schools.

We look forward to this new partnership as one more way we can ensure the best Little League experience for our children.

Dick Rosenbaum
President, McLean Little League



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posted 09/30/2009
 

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