13th Annual Family Day

Family Day is this Saturday, June 6th. Thirty ball games and lots of other activities will be going on all day long, so bring the whole family.

Volunteers:

• We still need lots of volunteers of all kinds at various times on Saturday.
• Please sign up at the concession stand or contact Amy at volunteer@southernll.org.

Enjoy our expanded menu:

• Mom's Marinated Steak-on-a-Stick.
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Hamburgers, Jumbo Hot Dogs and Johnsonville Brats
• Meal Deals
• Famous sauteed onions & jalapenos and and all your favorite condiments
  
• Corn-on-the-Cob

Activities for the kids: free!

• Water Run - a bouncy runway that leads to a shallow pool at the end
• Bounce Land - a place for kids to bounce around
  

Raffle:

• Reminder: Please sell your raffle tickets and turn in the money and stubs before the deadline on Saturday at 6:00pm.
• The big raffle drawing will take place at 7:00pm.
  

All-Star Games:

• Plan on staying for the Minor and Major Baseball All-Star Games at 7:30pm.

Hope for good weather! We'll see everyone out at Southern this Saturday.

A Message for Coaches and Team Parents

Coaches and team parents only (not parents of individual players):
The photo packets have been delivered to the concession stand. To minimize the chaos at the concession stand, we are asking that only the coach or team parent pick up the packets for the entire team, then distribute them to the players and their parents. Please, unless you are the coach or the team parent, do not go to the concession stand to pick up your child's individual photos.

Congratulations Major League All-Stars!

The Major League All-Star Game takes place on Family Day, this Saturday, June 6, at 7:30pm on the East diamond. Here are the line-ups for the National and American teams, as chosen by their teammates:

(Trouble viewing this? Click here to see it on its own page.)
(If you see any spelling errors, please email the webmaster.)

Come on out Saturday and cheer on your all-stars!

Congratulations Minor League All-Stars!

The Minor League All-Star Game takes place on Family Day, this Saturday, June 6, at 7:30pm on the West diamond. Here are the line-ups for the National and American teams, as chosen by their teammates:

(Trouble viewing this? Click here to see it on its own page.)
(If you see any spelling errors, please email the webmaster.)

Come on out Saturday and cheer on your all-stars!

Schedule Change for Minors Tim Sullivan, Oosse, Berglund & Sayfie

We have made two changes to the schedule for the Minor League. The modified games are now shaded orange on the schedule:

• The Tim Sullivan vs Oosse game scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, at 5:00pm has been postponed. We will announce a make-up date at a later time.
• The Berglund vs Sayfie game originally rained out on April 27, then rescheduled for Sunday, June 14, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, June 3, at 5:00pm on the West diamond.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Family Day Match-Ups for Minors and Majors

The standings in Majors and Minors through Saturday, May 30, determine the match-ups for Family Day this coming Saturday. The schedules for Majors and Minors have been updated to reflect the game assignments.

Raffle Reminder

Please turn in all raffle tickets and money to John Belanger on or before Family Day, Saturday, June 6. John will be at Southern all day on the 6th near the concession stand. The drawing will take place at the end of the day.

You can read all the details about the raffle here.

Don't forget how great the prizes are this year!

The Grand Prize is a trip to Costa Rica followed by cash rewards of $2,000, $1,000 and $750 to First, Second, and Third Place winners respectively. The Costa Rica trip includes air, accommodations and spending money. I know the weather here in Michigan has been great lately, but remember what it was a month ago! It makes Costa Rica look like a great mid-winter get away.

And don't forget the sales incentives lined up for this year:

• a limited edition water bottle for every player who sells 5 or more tickets
• the top ticket selling team will join our own West Michigan White Caps on the field for the National Anthem later in July.

Please call me if you have any questions or concerns, including requests for additional tickets, ideas on how best to succeed is your sales efforts, and information on how to return ticket stubs and money.

Thank you all for your efforts,
John Belanger
520-3231

Important Message for Umpires

Umpires, please bring your game schedules for the next two weeks this Saturday morning, May 30. There will be no umpire sign-up on Family Day, Saturday, June 6. Questions? Contact Jamie.

Rescheduled Rain-Out for Minors: Berglund & Sayfie

We have rescheduled the game that was rained out way back in April. The added game is shaded orange on the updated schedule:

• The Berglund vs Sayfie game that was rained out Monday, April 27, will now be played on Sunday, June 14, at 2:00pm at Southern's West field.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Schedule Change for Seniors on June 24

We have made a change to the schedule for the Senior League on June 24. The modified games are now shaded orange on the schedule:

• Primus and Huizenga will switch times and opponents. Primus will now play Banasczak at 5:30pm, and Huizenga will now play Malewitz at 7:30pm.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Big League Sign-Up

You can still sign up online for Big League (ages 17-18) Baseball thru June 10. Click here to sign up online. For other sign-up details, see our original sign-up post here, bearing in mind that the deadlines for other leagues are long past.

Family Day Volunteers Needed

Family Day is coming up soon - Saturday, June 6th. We are looking for volunteers to work in the food tent and to staff various kids games that day. Jobs include serving food, taking orders, managing the bounce house, etc. None of these jobs is very difficult, but we need lots of volunteers.

The activities run from 10:00am until 8:00pm. We divide this time into two-hour shifts. If you're willing to take a two-hour shift, please email Amy, our Family Day volunteer coordinator and let her know the times you are available:

• familyday@southernll.org

Thanks for your support.

Softball Pitching Instruction

Southern's own Brenna Parks is offering softball pitching instruction. Click the brochure to see it full-size.

Family Day Major and Minor All-Star Voting Procedure

Hello all Major and Minor Baseball players. The Family Day All-Star Games will be held at 7:30 on June 6th. These games are played with the emphasis on the players choosing the teams. Coaches have been instructed to conduct a vote using ballots, and only the players will be voting for these teams. The voting is to take place some time next week between Tuesday, May 26, and Saturday, May 30. Minor league baseball players will vote for 2 players from their team and Major league baseball players will vote for 3 players from their team to represent their league in the All-Star games. Have fun choosing your representatives and then come out Saturday June 6th at 7:30 to support them.

Seniors Schedule Now Available

The schedule for the senior baseball league is now available online. Players should have been contacted already by their coaches. Games begin on Wednesday, May 27.

Raffle Update

The 2009 Southern Little League Raffle is in full swing and needs your commitment to make this important fund-raiser a success.

The Grand Prize is a trip to Costa Rica followed buy cash rewards of $2,000, $1,000 and $750 to First, Second, and Third Place winners respectively. The Costa Rica trip includes air, accommodations and spending money. I know the weather here in Michigan has been great lately, but remember what it was a month ago! It makes Costa Rica look like a great mid-winter get away.

Prize winners will be drawn on Family Day, Saturday, June 6. (You need not be present to win.)

And don't forget the sales incentives lined up for this year:

• a limited edition water bottle for every player who sells 5 or more tickets
• the top ticket selling team will join our own West Michigan White Caps on the field for the National Anthem later in July.

Please call me if you have any questions or concerns, including requests for additional tickets, ideas on how best to succeed is your sales efforts, and information on how to return ticket stubs and money.

Thank you all for your efforts,
John Belanger
520-3231

Schedule Change for Majors Lubben & Horjus

We have made a change to the schedule for the Major League on May 20. The following game has been removed from the schedule:

• The Lubben vs Horjus game at 7:30pm on May 20 has been postponed until a later date. We'll make another announcement once we have a date for the rescheduled game.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Important Message for Umpires

Umpires, there will be no umpire sign-up Saturday morning, May 23. Please bring your game schedules for the next two weeks this Saturday morning, May 16. Questions? Contact Jamie.

Saturday Events

Come out this Saturday and watch some great high school baseball at Southern. East Grand Rapids High School will host this exciting round robin tournament. Here is the schedule:

• 2:30pm - East Grand Rapids vs West Catholic
• 4:45pm - Catholic Central vs. West Catholic
• 7:00pm - East Grand Rapids vs. Catholic Central

Don't forget: Saturday is also picture day at Southern.

See you all at the ballpark!

Schedule Change for Juniors Buffinga & Cothern

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Minor League on May 17. The changed game is now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Buffinga vs Cothern game on May 20 has been rescheduled for 7:30pm on Thursday, June 4, on Southern's Henwood diamond.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Schedule Changes for Minors Kirschgessner, Schneider, Berglund & Sayfie

We have made two changes to the schedule for the Minor League on Sunday, May 17. The following games have been removed from the schedule:

• The Kirchgessner vs Schneider game that was rained out Saturday, May 9, and then rescheduled for Sunday, May 17, has been postponed until a date to be determined later.
• The Berglund vs Sayfie game that was originally rained out on Monday, April 27, and then rescheduled for Sunday, May 17, has been postponed until a date to be determined later.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our players, coaches and fans.
As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Rescheduled Rain-Outs for Juniors, Majors & Minors

We have rescheduled the three rained out games from this past Saturday, May 9. The changed games are now shaded orange on the updated schedules. Here are the rescheduled games:

• Juniors
  The Cothern vs Hollern game that was rained out Saturday, May 9, will now be played on Thursday. May 14, at 7:30pm at Southern's Henwood field.
  
• Majors
  The Horjus vs Vaughn game that was rained out Saturday, May 9, will now be played on Sunday, May 17, at 1:00pm at Southern's East field.
• Minors
  The Kirchgessner vs Schneider game that was rained out Saturday, May 9, will now be played on Sunday, May 17, at 3:00pm at Southern's West field
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Mid-Season Update from the Directors

Hello Everyone,

The baseball and softball season is off to a great start this year at Southern. A little rainy, but we have been able to work around that. We wanted to update everyone on a few things and ask for your help for some others.

• It has been brought to our attention that on some occasions the pitching machines have not been set up on time or for the correct baseball/softball configuration. We have corrected that problem on our end.
• We are noticing that many teams are not signing up for practice times in either the batting cages or at Lakeside or Breton Downs. We know you are busy, however we strongly encourage all softball and baseball teams to get practice time in. This will be very beneficial for all of the players.
• Southern depends on everyone's fundraising support in order to keep the player fees at a minimum. We need your help with this year's raffle. It has been brought to our attention that some teams have not passed out their raffle tickets yet. If you have not received your raffle tickets please speak to your coach or team parent. For details see the raffle page on this website. For additional tickets please contact John Bellanger. Let's make this the best raffle ever!
  

Thank you for all of your support and have a great season. We look forward to seeing you on Family Day where someone will win a trip to Costa Rica.

Southern Little League Directors

Southern's Angels Honor Nick Adenhart

On April 9, LA Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart was tragically killed by a drunk driver. You can read about Nick's career in his obituary here. To honor Nick's memory and to raise awareness for the tragedy of drunk driving, Southern's Minor League Angels coached by Rocky Vulpetti have decided to display Nick's number 34 on their caps.

Schedule Change for Minors Berglund & Sayfie

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Minor League on May 17. The changed game is now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Berglund vs Casey game that was rained out on April 27 has been rescheduled for 1:00pm on Sunday, May 17, on the West diamond.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Coaches: Schedule Team Photos ASAP

Coaches, if you have not yet scheduled your team picture time for Saturday, May 16, please call McConomy Photography as soon as possible to arrange a time for your team picture. All teams must be photographed in order to provide sponsor pictures. Picture order envelopes will be delivered to you for distribution to your team. Just call or email today:

• phone: 616.662.0521
• email: maccphoto@comcast.net

Schedule Change for Majors Casey & Rossi

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Major League on May 15. The changed game is now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Casey-Rossi game at 5:30pm on Friday, May 15, has been rescheduled for 3:00pm on Sunday, May 17. The location is unchanged.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Schedule Change for Majors Schwenneker, Horjus, Kuperus & Henkey

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Major League on May 14. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Schwenneker-Horjus game at 5:30pm on May 14 has been switched with the Kuperus-Henkey game at 7:30pm on May 14.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Announcing the 2009 Raffle!

Grand Prize: a week for two in Costa Rica

• Round trip airfare from Detroit to San Jose, Costa Rica
  
• 7 nights stay at Villas Pepitas in Playa Samara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
  
• $500 cash for transportation, meals and entertainment
• Here is a flyer (pdf) describing the grand prize
  

First Prize: $2,000 cash

Second Prize: $1,000 cash

Third Prize: $750 cash

Details:

• Tickets cost $20 each or six for $100.
• The drawing takes place on Family Day, Saturday, June 6. (You need not be present to win.)
  
• Individual players who sell five or more tickets will win a Southern Little League sports bottle.
• The team that sells the most tickets will attend a Whitecaps game and be on the field for the National Anthem.
• Here is a flyer (pdf) with all the details.
• Here is a flyer (pdf) for the players detailing prizes they can win for selling tickets.

Please contact John with questions at john.belanger@att.net or 520-3231.

Volunteers Needed!

We are looking for volunteers at the concession stand. If you are willing to help out for even an hour or two, stop by the concession stand and speak to Jen or Kevin.

Also, team parents, please make sure to turn in your team's volunteer sign-up forms in to the concession stand.

Majors Make-up Games

The rained out Majors games from earlier this season have been rescheduled for Saturday, May 2. We have added these games to the Majors schedule and shaded them orange. Here are the rescheduled games for Saturday:

• 5:00 East - Casey vs Vaughn
  
• 5:00 West - Kuperus vs Horjus
  
• 7:00 East - Casey vs Horjus
  
• 7:00 West - Lubben vs Henkey

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Field Changes for Minors: Tim Sullivan, McCulloch, Malewitz & Murray

To make room for some Majors make-up games, we have changed the schedule for the Minor League on May 2. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule. These are field changes only. The date and time is unchanged.

• The Tim Sullivan vs McCulloch game at 5:00pm on May 2 has been moved to the JC East field.
• The Malewitz vs Murray game at 5:00pm on May 2 has been moved to the JC West field.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Southern Softball Player in the News

Here's a great article in the news recently about Southern's own Brenna Parks.

All Games Canceled for Thu-30-Apr

Because of wet fields and the promise of more rain today, all tonight's scheduled games have been canceled.

Minors Make-up Games

The rained out Minors games from Saturday, April 25, have been rescheduled for Sunday, May 3. We have added these games to the Minors schedule and shaded them orange. Here is the slate of games for Sunday:

• 1:00 West - Touchet vs Vulpetti
• 1:00 East - Schneider vs Malewitz
• 3:00 West - Southwell vs Sayfie
• 3:00 East - Ferrick vs Tim Sullivan

Hopefully, this will be the only Sunday on which we need to play.

Umpires: Weekly Schedules Now Online

Hey, Southern umpires, Jamie and the webmaster have conspired to post the weekly umpire schedules online. You can find them here or by clicking the Umpires link on the right side of the website. We'll try and update them on Saturday or Sunday each week. If you have scheduling changes or questions, contact Jamie.

Schedule Change for Minors Murray, Oosse, Matt Sullivan & McCulloch

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Minor League on May 20 and 27. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Murray vs Oosse game at 7:30pm on May 20 has been switched with the Matt Sullivan vs McCulloch game at 5:30pm on May 27.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Play Ball!

Friday is opening day at Southern Little League, with two games in the Majors and two in the Minors. Saturday we have a full slate of games in the Majors, Minors and 78ers. We'd like to remind you of a few things:

• Schedules and standings are available all season long. You can also see the final score of each game right on the schedule.
  
• Baseball coaches for Minors on up, please remember to phone in the score as soon as possible after each game. It's the only way we can keep the standings up to date.
• In case of bad weather, don't call your coach, and don't expect your coach to call you. Instead, check this website. When we do decide to cancel games because of weather, the very first thing we do is post an announcement on this website. If the webmaster is available, we also try to email all our subscribers, and we tweet to all our Twitter followers.
• We welcome your photos and stories on the Southern website. Feel free to send one or two photos and a one paragraph byline to the webmaster for publication.
• Support our advertisers. Southern does earn money every time you click on one of our Google ads. Along with our other fundraising efforts, it helps us keep the per player costs as low as possible.
  
• Parents, purchase after-game treat tickets for your child's team at the concession stand. Each $1 ticket buys $1.25 worth of goodies.
• With temperatures expected to reach 80 degrees, you'll want to try our new slushie machine!

Have a great season!

Softball and Juniors Baseball Schedules Now Available

We have now posted the schedules for Softball Juniors, Softball Majors, Softball Minors and Baseball Juniors. You can reach them from the schedules page. Keep in mind that the softball schedules only show the games for Southern's teams, not for teams from other leagues. As always, ee'll alert all our email subscribers of any changes to the schedules during the season.

Umpire Training Sunday, April 26

Umpires, there is a make-up umpire training session for all new umpires this Sunday, April 26 from 4:00 to 6:00pm at Southern. This training session is strongly encouraged for all new umpires. Returning umpires are also welcome to attend. Any questions can be directed here.

Schedule Change for Minors Southwell, Tim Sullivan, Matt Sullivan & McCulloch

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Minor League on May 20 and 27. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Matt Sullivan vs McCulloch game at 5:30pm on May 20 has been switched with the Tim Sullivan vs Southwell game at 5:30pm on May 27.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Schedule Change for Majors Weiss, Vaughn, Casey & Kuperus

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Major League on May 4 and 5. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Weiss-Vaughn game at 5:30pm on May 5 has been switched with the Kuperus-Casey game at 7:30pm on May 4.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Coaches: Juniors Practice Field Now Taking Reservations

Coaches, the Juniors field at Southern is now available to accept your reservations.

• You will need a new password this year to make reservations. Email the webmaster to get yours.
• It REALLY can take up to FIVE minutes for your reservation to appear on the schedule. Please don't submit another duplicate request until you've waited at least 5 minutes. Be patient and keep refreshing your browser.
• Limit your team to one reservation per week.
  
• Once you have your password and you have read and understand the instructions above, you can make reservations here.
  

Still Need Players in Some Leagues

We still need players for the following leagues:

• Softball Minors
• Softball Majors
• Softball Juniors
• Baseball Seniors
• Baseball Big League

The online registration for these groups remains open. You can sign up and pay online by clicking here. Please spread the word to your friends and classmates so we can fill up these leagues.

Saturday Events

Because of the good weather and the hard work of our grounds crew, the clean-up day originally scheduled for Saturday, April 18, has been canceled. We'd still encourage you to come out to Southern on Saturday to watch the Catholic Central Phil Burns Tournament. Games are at 9:30am, 12:00pm and 2:30pm. The snack bar will be open, so you can enjoy your first grill delights of the season and try a slushie from our new machine. Coaches, the practice fields and batting cages are also available for you to reserve on Saturday. So come on out for an early start to the fun times at Southern!

Umpire Clinic

The Southern Little League Umpires Clinic is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm on the west field. All umpires 16 and younger are strongly encouraged to attend. The clinic will be led by our new director of umpires, Jamie Kuhlman. If you have any questions for Jamie, you can find his contact information here.

Rule Books for Coaches

Coaches of majors baseball and of all levels of softball have not yet received their rule books. Please contact your league director to pick these up.

• Majors Baseball: Joe Mead (contact info)
• Softball: Steve Parks (contact info)

2009 Schedules for Majors, Minors & 78ers

The 2009 schedules for the Majors, Minors and 78ers are now available here. Other league schedules will follow as they become available. You can find the schedules any time by clicking on the Schedules link on the right side of the website.

Rest assured that any changes we make to the schedules during the season will be shaded in orange on the schedules and will be announced via email.

Coaches: Saturday Morning Practice Slots Available

Coaches, because there is no need for field clean-up this coming Saturday morning, April 18, the fields and batting cages at Southern are available to be reserved in one-hour slots from 9am to noon. You can reserve these fields and cages in the usual spot, here. Please consider the one-slot-per-week limit.

Coaches and Team Parents Meeting

The coaches and team parent meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30pm at the East Middle School cafeteria. It is mandatory for at least one coach and a team parent from each team to be present. We will be going over all organizational aspects of the season. We appreciate your attendance in advance.

NOTE: This meeting is not for all parents and players. It's just for coaches and team parents.

Coaches Page Updated

Hey, coaches, we are now accepting reservations for practice fields at Lakeside Elementary (2 fields), Breton Downs Elementary (2 fields), and for the east and west fields at Southern. We are also accepting reservations for the two batting cages at Southern. You'll need a new password to make reservations this year.

We have also updated the instructions for calling in scores. There are changes from last year including a different phone number, so please take a moment to read the new instructions.

You can get to the coaches page by clicking the "Coaches" link on the right side of the website under "Find It Fast."

We are getting very close on schedules. Expect to see those posted online in the coming days.

See you all at the mandatory coaches and team parent meeting on Tuesday at 7:30pm at East Middle School!

Extended Sign-up for 15-18-Year-Old Baseball

You can still sign up online for Seniors (15-16) and Big League (17-18) Baseball until May 15. Click here to sign up online. For other sign-up details, see our original sign-up post here.

Online Registration Extended for Seniors and Softball

Online registration for seniors baseball (over 15) and all softball levels has been extended until April 15. The cost is $125. Details here.

Tryout Session & Umpire Meeting Reminder

A reminder that the tryout session is scheduled for this coming Saturday, March 28, at the East Grand Rapids High School Gymnasium. Only certain players need to attend, so please take the time to read through the information about tryout day to determine if and when your child needs to be there. Click here to read all the details.

One slight change from our original note: softball players will not behaving a tryout session. They can expect to be contacted by coaches once the rosters are finalized.

Also, a change in policy from previous years: If your child is 10 years old and wishes to try out for the Major League (baseball), he or she must be present at tryouts. Otherwise, 10-year-olds will be placed in the Minor League by default.

Finally, umpires, don't forget the informational meeting immediately following the tryouts.

An Important Announcement from Little League International

It has been brought to the attention of Little League officials that there are a few bats for sale in stores or that may have already been purchased that carry the Little League approval, but do not have the required bat performance standard markings. The Little League Rulebook states that beginning January 1, 2009, all non-wood bats used for play in Little League Baseball (majors and below) shall be printed with a bat performance factor (BPF) of 1.15 or less. While the bats we have identified pass the BPF standard and other standards of proportion and measurement, they do not have the proper label. These bats are in the marketplace for a variety of circumstances. After review by Little League officials, it has been determined that these bats may remain in the marketplace and shall be allowed for play during the 2009 season only, with the understanding that these bats shall not be allowed for play after December 31, 2009, even though some improperly labeled bats may still remain in the marketplace, or retained by leagues and players after the 2010 deadline. Also, check the model you are purchasing. If these bats, like the Vanquish, are replaced with corrected labeling, and have the BPF 1.15 label, they will be allowed after 2009.

Specifically, the bats in question are as follow:

Adidas Vanquish Blue design (There is a newer model of this bat, also named the Vanquish and it has copper and black markings. It contains the proper labeling and therefore is not subject to the one-year rule).

DeMarini:
Black Coyote
Rogue
Distance
Rumble
Tengu

Easton:
LZ-810

Louisville Slugger:
YB31


Sincerely,

Little League International
P.O. Box 3485
539 US Route 15 Hwy
Williamsport, PA 17701-0485
Phone: 570-326-1921
Fax: 570-326-1074

One Final Reminder

Just one final reminder that the deadline for signing up for the 2009 season is Sunday, March 15. And if you haven't signed up yet, there's still time to guarantee a spot before the deadline. If you have already signed up - thanks again for your patience.

• The deadline is March 15. After that deadline, there is a $15 penalty and we can no longer guarantee a spot.
  
• You'll need to sign up online.
• Don't forget the tryout day March 28. Details here.
  
• All the other details you need to know are here.

A Gentle Reminder

Just a reminder that sign-up for the 2009 Little League season is almost over. And if you haven't signed up yet, there's still time to guarantee a spot before the deadline. If you have already signed up - thanks. And thanks for your patience with our efforts to coax everyone else to register, too.

• The deadline is March 15. After that deadline, there is a $15 penalty and we can no longer guarantee a spot.
  
• The in-person sign-up sessions are over, so.....
• You'll need to sign up online.
• All the other details you need to know are here.

Volunteer Opportunity

Southern Little League is looking for a couple of volunteers to work together to schedule umpires for the Minor and Major league games. This is a great opportunity to get involved with the younger umpires and teach them valuable life lessons off the field. The umpire program teaches responsibility, time management, and the benefits of earning money. This is a very rewarding opportunity and only requires a couple of hours per week. Previous umpiring or coaching experience is not needed. If you are organized and enjoy spending time with the a great group of kids at Southern Little League, this is a perfect fit. For more information please contact Jeff Elble at umpires@southernll.org or at 942-0956.

Sign-Up Reminder

Just a reminder that sign-up for the 2009 Little League season has started.

• The deadline is March 15.
• The first of our four in-person sign-up sessions is this coming Wednesday, February 4.
• The sign-up sessions are at Breton Village Mall this year, not at Southern Little League.
• The sign-up table will be located near the fireplace inside the mall.
  
• Of course, you can always sign up online.
• And all the details are available here.

Aquinas Softball Clinic Feb 21 & 22

Hey, softball players, Aquinas is offering a softball clinic on February 21 and 22, for girls in grades 3 thru 10. You can download the information flyer and application (pdf) here.

Let Your Equipment Play Extra Innings

We are currently accepting donations for new or gently used baseball equipment. Donated equipment will be distributed to deserving children through Southern Little League's scholarship program.

Equipment can be dropped off at any one of our in-person sign-up sessions at Breton Village Mall. Click here for details.

For more information, contact:

• Eric O'Connor
• eric@spartansells.com
• 292-2388

Attention Softball Players

Great news for Southern Softball! We are happy to announce that this season, we will be participating in inter league play with the softball leagues from Northview, Northern, Northeastern, Caledonia and Lowell. We're looking forward to a great season.

Weekly Umpire Schedule for Majors

• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange on the team schedule and will be announced via email.
• Be sure to scroll over to the right to see both umpire columns.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Weekly Umpire Schedule for Minors

• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange on the team schedule and will be announced via email.
• Be sure to scroll over to the right to see both umpire columns.
  
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Field Location: Lowell Cherry Creek

View Lowell Cherry Creek in a larger map

Field Location: Caledonia Kraft Meadows

View Caledonia Kraft Meadows in a larger map

Field Location: Forest Hills Eastern High School

View Forest Hills Eastern High School in a larger map

Field Location: Northview Crossroads

View Northview Crossroads in a larger map

Field Location: Lowell Creekside

View Lowell Creekside in a larger map

Field Location: Northview Airway

View Northview Airway in a larger map

Field Location: Northeastern Aberdeen

View Northeastern Aberdeen in a larger map

Field Location: Pinery Park

View Pinery Park in a larger map

Field Locations

We maintain maps to a variety of away fields. For any fields not listed here, you will likely find directions over on Michigan District 9's website.

We also have textual directions to every District 9 ballfield that you can print out here.

Here are some maps to away softball fields:

• Belding High School
• Belding Little League
• Caledonia Kraft Meadows
• Cat Fields
• East Rockford Middle School
• Forest Hills Eastern High School
• Forest Hills Northern High School
• Lowell Cherry Creek
• Lowell Creekside
• Manhattan
• Northeastern Aberdeen
• Northeastern Huff
• Northern
• Northview Airway
• Northview Crossroads
• Northview Quad
• Pinery Park
• Rockford High School
• Rockford River Valley

Field Location: Northview Quad

View Northview Quad in a larger map

Field Location: Northern Little League

View Northern in a larger map

Sign Up for the 2009 Season

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Time to start thinking about Southern Little League baseball.

Here's what you need to know. Please take the time to read this information thoroughly.

• Deadline: You must sign up online or in person no later than March 15.
  
• Cost: $110 per player before the deadline. $125 after the deadline based on availability. This is the same cost as last year. (No player will be denied based on inability to pay. Please see our sign-up staff for details.)
  
• How to sign up: Online (click here) or at one of our in-person sign-up sessions at Breton Village Mall (click here). The cost is the same either way. You cannot sign up by mail. You can download the registration form here.
  
• Age eligibility and divisions: Read more here.
  
• Geographical boundary eligibility: See our official league boundaries here. You must reside within these boundaries or have played in Southern last year to be eligible.
  
• Tryouts: After signing up, players in certain situations MUST attend their player evaluation (aka "tryout") session. Click here for details.
  
• Umpiring: Anyone 13 years old or older who is reliable and passionate about baseball can earn some extra cash umpiring at Southern. Sign-ups for umpiring will be held after tryouts at 2:30 on Saturday, March 28, in the East Grand Rapids gym. Training will take place at a later date.
  
• Volunteering: Southern depends on volunteers for a wide variety of roles. Make sure to fill out a volunteer form when you sign-up. Learn more here.
  
• Important dates:
• In-person sign-up sessions: February 4, 7, 11 and 14
  
• Sign-up deadline: Saturday, March 15
• Player evaluation/tryout day: Saturday, March 28
• Clean-up day: Saturday, April 18, 9am (we need lots of volunteers)
• Practices begin: After March 29 (depends on coach)
• Games begin: Week of April 19
• Family day: Saturday, June 6 (volunteers needed)
• Our website: We make all our weather and schedule announcements and we keep all our schedules, results, standings and other information here on our website. So bookmark us! Better yet, make sure to stay on top of all the latest news by signing up for automatic email updates here. It really is the simplest way to make sure you don't miss an important announcement.
  
• Questions? Call Mark Norton at 954-0504. Make your message only your name and clearly state your phone number twice.
  

A Message from League President Bob Hams

As I look out the window and see mountains of snow, it is hard to believe that the Little League season is just around the corner. After recapping the 2008 season I will highlight some important dates for 2009.

2008 was one of the best seasons ever for Southern. Under the direction of our President Bernie Malewitz, we saw some 775 boys and girls participate in baseball and softball. Bernie served for 3 years as league president and among many other programs, Bernie established a very successful and much needed raffle program, reinstituted the kick off meetings with the coaches and parents to organize the season and added many additional volunteers to help the program go smoothly.

2008 was also a successful season as for the huge financial responsibility of Southern. Many thanks go out to the sponsors, Jen Rowe and Marcia Lewis with the concession stand, John Belanger and the raffle staff, Julie Jager and the bingo staff and all of the other volunteers who combined to raise the funds needed to offset the estimated $310 per player it costs to run Southern Little League. Bernie has stepped down as President to concentrate on coaching and on watching his kids play all sports. The Southern board would like to thank Bernie immensely for his dedication to Southern. If you see Bernie this Summer please give him a nice thank you. Bernie will be remaining on the board as an adviser, and we look forward to working with him.

The Board of Directors has elected me as the next league president, and I began my term at the January 15, 2009, meeting.

The sign-ups for 2009 will start soon. Online sign-up will be available in the coming days and the in-person sign-ups will be held on several dates in February. Please watch this website (and your email if you are a subscriber) for information coming soon about sign-ups. All of the important dates will be included in the announcement, so don’t miss it. We are happy to announce that Southern will not need to raise fees this season as long as everyone continues to participate in fundraising and supports the concession stand. Fees will again be $110 per player.

Southern is working on improving its softball program and has secured Caledonia and Lowell as interleague partners for juniors and is working with Byron TSP, Northern, Northeastern and others as partners in the younger ages.

We look forward to a great 2009 season. See you at the sign-ups or at the fields.

Bob Hams

President, Southern Little League

Reservations for Breton Downs South Practice Field

• This field is for all boys and girls teams up through the Major League level.
• This field is located here.
  
• Please limit your team to one reservation per week.
• Click here to refresh this page.

• To make a reservation, fill out the form below. Do not try to edit the spreadsheet above.
• You WILL need a password. Please DO NOT attempt to make a reservation without a password. Email webmaster@southernll.org to get your password.
• After you submit your reservation request, click here to refresh this page to see your name on the schedule in the requested slot.
• You may need to wait up to 5 minutes before your reservation appears. Keep clicking here to refresh. BE PATIENT! PLEASE DO NOT KEEP SUBMITTING MORE REQUESTS!
• If you decide you will not need a slot you have reserved, please remove your reservation so other coaches can reserve that spot.
• If you have questions or problems, email webmaster@southernll.org

Click here to refresh this page.

Reservations for Breton Downs North Practice Field

• This field is for all boys and girls teams up through the Major League level.
• This field is located here.
  
• Please limit your team to one reservation per week.
• Click here to refresh this page.

• To make a reservation, fill out the form below. Do not try to edit the spreadsheet above.
• You WILL need a password. Please DO NOT attempt to make a reservation without a password. Email webmaster@southernll.org to get your password.
• After you submit your reservation request, click here to refresh this page to see your name on the schedule in the requested slot.
• You may need to wait up to 5 minutes before your reservation appears. Keep clicking here to refresh. BE PATIENT! PLEASE DO NOT KEEP SUBMITTING MORE REQUESTS!
• If you decide you will not need a slot you have reserved, please remove your reservation so other coaches can reserve that spot.
• If you have questions or problems, email webmaster@southernll.org

Click here to refresh this page.

78ers Standings

• We don't keep standings in the 78ers league, so here is a list of teams
• If you find this view of the standings inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here.

Minors Standings

• These standings are up to date to include all the scores that have been phoned in and appear on the schedule page. If you see a discrepancy in the standings, first check the schedule page to see if scores are missing. If scores are missing on the schedule page, contact your coach, NOT the webmaster.
• Family Day scores do not count in the standings.
• Click html to view the standings on their own page.
• Click here to download these standings as a PDF you can print.

Majors Standings

• These standings are up to date to include all the scores that have been phoned in and appear on the schedule page. If you see a discrepancy in the standings, first check the schedule page to see if scores are missing. If scores are missing on the schedule page, contact your coach, NOT the webmaster.
• If you find this view of the standings inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text

Juniors Standings

• These standings are up to date to include all the scores that have been phoned in and appear on the schedule page. If you see a discrepancy in the standings, first check the schedule page to see if scores are missing. If scores are missing on the schedule page, contact your coach, NOT the webmaster.
• If you find this view of the standings inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text

Seniors Standings

• These standings are up to date to include all the scores that have been phoned in and appear on the schedule page. If you see a discrepancy in the standings, first check the schedule page to see if scores are missing. If scores are missing on the schedule page, contact your coach, NOT the webmaster.
• If you find this view of the standings inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text

Seniors Schedule

• League Information: here
  
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• No makeup games due to lack of field availability.
• All games on the big field at Southern.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes to the schedule are indicated by orange shading and are always announced via email.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Juniors Schedule

• League Information: here
  
• No makeup games due to lack of field availability.
• All games are played on the Henwood Field at Southern.
  
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes to the schedule are indicated by orange shading and are always announced via email.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Majors Schedule

• League Information: here
  
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange and will be announced via email.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Minors Schedule

• League Information: here
  
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• Notice the scores are shown in the rightmost column. (You may need to scroll over.)
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange and will be announced via email.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Big League Schedule

• League Information: here
  
• Changes to the schedule are indicated by orange shading and are always announced via email.
• All Sunday games are double-headers with home team alternating.
• The two teams from Southern are listed in the schedule as "So-Molegraaf" and "So-Vos".
  
• The Michigan District 9 website maintains maps to all the away fields.
  
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

78ers Schedule

• League Information: here
  
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange and will be announced via email.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Weekly Umpire Schedule for Softball Juniors

• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange on the team schedule and will be announced via email.
• Be sure to scroll over to the right to see both umpire columns.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Weekly Umpire Schedule for Softball Majors

• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange on the team schedule and will be announced via email.
• Be sure to scroll over to the right to see both umpire columns.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Weekly Umpire Schedule for Softball Minors

• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange on the team schedule and will be announced via email.
• Be sure to scroll over to the right to see both umpire columns.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Weekly Umpire Schedule for Seniors

• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange on the team schedule and will be announced via email.
• Be sure to scroll over to the right to see both umpire columns.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Weekly Umpire Schedule for Juniors

• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange on the team schedule and will be announced via email.
• Be sure to scroll over to the right to see both umpire columns.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Softball Minors Schedule

• League Information: here
  
• Changes to the schedule are indicated by orange shading and are always announced via email.
• The Michigan District 9 website maintains maps to all the away fields: Lowell Creekside, Northeast Aberdeen (not Huff Park), Northview Airway.
  
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Softball Majors Schedule

• League Information: here
• Changes to the schedule are indicated by orange shading and are always announced via email.
• The Michigan District 9 website maintains maps to all the away fields. We also have maps to the following fields: Lowell Creekside, Northeastern Aberdeen (not Huff Park), Northeastern FH Eastern, Northview Crossroads.
  
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Softball Juniors Schedule

• League Information: here
  
• Changes to the schedule are indicated by orange shading and are always announced via email.
• The Michigan District 9 website maintains maps to all the away fields. We also have maps to the following fields: Caledonia Kraft Meadows, Lowell Cherry Creek, Lowell Creekside, Northeastern FH Eastern.
  
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Playing Fields

Here is a map of our playing fields. Click the blue markers to see the name of each field.

View Southern Fields in a larger map

2009 Tryout Schedule

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE NOTE

First off, keep in mind that the term "tryout" here is a bit of a misnomer. It's actually more of an evaluation to help determine the appropriate league for each child. No one is omitted from participation based on this evaluation. We use the term "tryout" regardless, so bear with us.

To determine your child's official Little League Age, use their online age calculator here. Please use ONLY this official Little League age when considering which tryout session to attend.

All of the time slots listed below are for baseball. There will not be a softball tryout session this year.

Please notice that only kids in certain situations need to come to tryouts. Read the conditions below carefully. If you find that your child does not fit into any of these situations, then there's no need to come to tryouts. Get it? If you're still not sure, you can contact the director.

Here is the schedule for tryouts:

• Date: Saturday, March 28th
• Location: East Grand Rapids High School Gym. Because of the construction, please enter at the front door on Lake Drive.
• Please plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time slot.
• 9:00am-10:00am: all 9 yr olds (baseball)
  
• 10:30am-11:30am: all 10 yr olds (baseball) who were not in the majors last year and who wish to try out for majors this year. (For 10-yr-olds who were in minors last year and want to play in minors again this year, you do not need to attend the tryout.)
  
• 12:00pm-1:00pm: all 11 and 12 yr olds (baseball) who were not in the majors last year
• 1:30pm-2:30pm: all 13 and 14 yr olds (baseball) who were not in the juniors last year
• 2:30pm-3:00pm: umpire sign-up and meeting

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you know your child will not be able to attend, please contact the director.