European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Here come the kids of summer where How and when by Mur Idyth Winder . Bureau a springtime. , a lot More Day Light and time to get ready for that great american pastime Quot a starting my. Child on the Road to the baseball Hall of Fame. Yep. Might As Well Oil the of Mitt Rolape the handle of the baseball Bat and drag my kid out to the Park for practice. By the time in a through with him Here slip will be one of the Best players around. Sounds familiar does no to it this scene has probably been repeated More times than most people imagine always involving an Over anxious Parent determined to make a super Star athlete out of a kid. But Willie Price has found a Way around that. As director of the youth sports program at Raf Mildenhall ,.hc does no to kind of statistics or standings on How the Little league teams Are performing. A a the kids Are out Here to and for the training a Price said. A a it a got to be a learning process. If you make it competitive then its no longer . Price As Well As most youth sports directors will Tell you that the programs arc for the Ohil Dren not to feed he egos of parents and coaches. A some children May not be the greatest ath Lutes but they deserve a Chance to play and learn a Price said. A i make the selection of the coaches a added Price who a also the . Commissioner for the International Little league. A those who want to coach have to fill Pul an application and be interviewed. If they done to have the right attitude they wont get selected a although Mildenhall has just one person making the selection other bases in England As Well As in the states have Little league boards that pick coaches. But no matter How the coaches Are selected its the parents who make or break a program. Pushy parents Arentt the Only problem a for some parents we re no More glorified baby sitting service Quot Price said. 7 a a they come by drop off their children not .7 Orry about seeing them until after practice or after the game. Then there Are other parents who come to every game cheer for the kids and generally have a Good Price agrees that All parents should get in. Solved in children a activities. I Lowcher How they get involved is another Story. A there have been numerous articles about the. Antics of parents in the states who have taken a personal interest in Little league games. Umpires have been threatened and assaulted by parents As Well As coaches. Coaches have been a told by parents to give their children More playing time. Or else. At one stateside air Force base opposing Par j ends nearly had a free for All on the baseball i Amend because two children were attempting to play who were not old enough under Little. League rules one child was within one Day of the cutoff age and was allowed to play. The other on the opposing team was Short by four months and was t allowed to play and. That a when the trouble started. Parents interested in signing up their children Lor 7< the Urf led kingdom should Contact their base youth Center. A children 5 to 6 play to Ball. Coach Pilch is Lor 7 and 8 year Olds the. Minors get the 9 and 10-year-Olds majors Are for 11-and 12-year-Olds . Seniors Are 13-to 15-year-Olds a at teams Are coed. Baseball at the naval support activity Naples a in Italy on March 23. But some leagues still have vacancies. There Are openings in the majors for children 10 to 12 years. Old senior baseball for children. 13 to t8 years old arid senior softball which is for. The same age group a teams Are coed. A 77< 7 a a. A a. Parents interested in signing their children May do so at Carney Park or the youth Center at pin Tamare or itt a Naples &Quot-7.\. A a a. V. A. A a elsewhere in Europe All . Army Europe youth services baseball teams Are coed. There Are also softball teams Avail Able for older children. The Are divided into 1 slightly different categories than those in eng land t Ball for 6 to 7-year-Olds, coach pitch for 8 so 9 year Olds Bantam for 1 a to 12-year-Olds, juniors for 13 to 15-year-Olds and. Seniors for 16 1o 19-year.Olds. 7.7 c 7 7a each air Force base has a different procedure for registrar lion ranging from open registration beginning in mid february through mid March to weekend Registrat Ion a Aars for Alt age groups. Fees Range from $15 to $25 per child. A ,. A each base has registration based on age groups with a first come firs served waiting lists Are held to and every child has the Opportunity to. A play additional teams As possible. Age. Groups vary depending on the leagues being offered but peo. Pie from 5 to 19 can d a league to participate in. Quot finally boys and girls in and an Force com. Price does t expect incidents like that but officials have been trained to defuse such skua tons. A a a a a however it helps if you remember that no a mummies can sign up at their local youth services Comers Lor. Official Little league teams. All air Force communities in Europe have Little league As do some army comi milies in a eluding All those in v corps and some Vii. Corps and 21st a theater army area come com mummies according to the eur rope Little league regional director Cay Mamallo. Little league teams also reformed m Naples Hud shape Headquarters in Mons Belgium and Afifi it Headquarters in a Brun sum Netherlands. A a a. A a. A Little league formed under the Brussels spoils Assoc a lion includes americans and shirts ils Fust games Lens Sal a urday in Brussels. A 77-7 a Many european countries including those in. The former 7 East bloc also have Lillie league learns All Houli they Are not affiliated with us military communities parents can Contact. Their local youth services centres to find out if their Community has a Little league or Contact me mho at Lis -183 8101 or 183-8358 or civilian 0631-<111 8101 7. People interested in starting Little league should also Call Marullo. Quot7lillie league categories Aie t Hall for 5-to 6 year Olds coach Pilch for.7 to 8-year-Olds, Little league for 9 la 127 year Olds seniors Lor 13 to 15-year-Olds and big league for. In to 18-year-Olds. 77- 7,a. -. A \ 1. The seasonal registration fee in league play is the same As for youth services and payable Smyr nation tees in army communities run 1mm. $10 to $30 both the air Force and army require children to hold Ymir enter membership to Register for Little league and youth . A bad children May join when registering Tor Quot contributing to this report were stall writers hos omary shia Yor in Darmstadt Germany Dee Dee Arrington Dyke a Kaiserslautern Germany and Gary Miller in Naples Italy. Matter where you arc you Cun still enjoy a. Good game of base Bull us Long us you let the players Piny the couches South and tin find die plate. A a
