ISSAQUAH LITTLE LEAGUER INVITED TO USA BASEBALL 13U TRY OUTS

Hiro Fujiwara, an Issaquah Little League All-Star this past season, was one of 3 players from Washington state invited to the 2011 USA Baseball 13U National Team Identification Series. As part of the Northwest region team, Hiro will compete against 12 other regions from across the country in the NTIS, September 9-11, 2011, at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. From the NTIS, USA Baseball will invite a minimum of 32 players to future 14U, 16U and 18U National Team Trials opportunities with the ultimate goal of being selected to represent our country as part of Team USA. Hiro attends Pacific Cascade Middle School and after 6 years in Issaquah Little League he will play for the O'Brien 13U Koufax baseball team this coming season. USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The organization selects and trains the World

Issaquah Little League All-Star Hiro Fujiwara (right) invited to USA Baseball

Baseball Classic. Team and World Cup Team (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 16U and 14U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women's National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Details on USA Baseball's 2011 NTIS

ISSAQUAH LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STARS

Come cheer on the Issaquah Little League All-Star teams in their upcoming Tournament as they battle against the 14 Leagues in District 9. All of the All-Star players can be found on our Issaquah All-Stars page and you can stay up-to-date with the brackets on the District 9 home page.

9/10 Team: Manager Stuart Thieme and team take on Snoqualmie LL at 1:00 pm, Saturday, July 2 on Field A at Everest Park in Kirkland. 10/11 Team: Manager Mike Mahovlich and team drew a Bye and thus play the winner of Snoqualmie Valley North LL or Redmond North LL at Noon, Sunday, July 3 on Field 2 at Hidden Valley Park in Bellevue. Majors Team: Manager Jeff Jones and team battle Snoqualmie LL at 1:00 pm, Saturday, July 9 on Field 3 at Hartman Park in Redmond. Juniors Team: Manager Larry Gillard, along with 8 Issaquah players in a combined team with Snoqualmie LL, take on the combined Bellevue East and Bellevue West team at Noon, Saturday, July 2 at Newport High School JV Field, playing 90' bases. Softball 9/10 Team: Manager Jay Rippel and a combined Issaquah/Sammamish team take on Snoqualmie Valley North LL at Noon, Saturday, July 2 at Torguson Park in North Bend. Softball 10/11 Team: Manager Marty Abraham and a combined Issaquah/Sammamish team take on a combined Kirkland American and National team at 1:00 pm, Saturday, July 2 at Torguson Park in North Bend. Softball Juniors Team: Manager Geoff Gersuk and a combined Issaquah/Sammamish/Falls team take on a combined Bellevue East, Kirkland American and National team at 1:00 pm, Saturday, July 9 at Everest Field in Kirkland. Congratulations to all our Issaquah All-Stars and good luck in the District 9 Tournament! Washington District 9 Little Leagues include over 12,000 players and cover the cities of Bellevue, Carnation, Duvall, Fall City, Issaquah, Kirkland, Mercer Island, North Bend, Preston, Redmond and Sammamish: Bellevue East Bellevue Thunderbird Bellevue West Eastlake Falls Issaquah Kirkland American Kirkland National Mercer Island Redmond North Redmond West Sammamish Snoqualmie Valley Sno-Valley North

2011 ALL-STAR TEAMS

2011 All-Stars 9U / 10U

2011 All-Stars 10U / 11U

2011 All-Stars Majors

2011 All-Stars Softball

2ND ANNUAL BASEBALL/SPORTING EQUIPMENT DRIVE FOR TREEHOUSE

Friends,
For the last 7 years I have been lucky enough to be involved in playing Little League Baseball in Issaquah. Not all kids have that opportunity. Last year, as a part of my bar mitzvah project, I started a baseball equipment drive to help local foster kids have the opportunity to play baseball. Due to the fantastic impact our efforts had last year, I have teamed up with "Treehouse" again to collect sports equipment.

So far, Issaquah Little League has been the first to step up with an equipment donation, but we need your help. If you have any new or gently used baseball or sports items like cleats, pants, gloves, bats, socks, belts, hats, etc. Please drop it off at my house before May 22nd.

My address:
6510 155th Ave SE
Bellevue, WA 98006

We can also arrange a place to meet or we can pick it up if you cannot make it to my house or the field below. Monetary donations of any amount are also greatly appreciated. Please keep in mind that $125 sponsors a child's baseball registration for one season. Cash or checks will be accepted. Please make checks payable to "Treehouse". I will also be at the following baseball field this Saturday…

MAY 7, DODD FIELD, 10:00-2:00

We will be collecting donations until Sunday, May 22nd. Please contact me with any questions at josheastern@yahoo.com.

For more information on Treehouse, please check out their website.

Every Child Needs a Treehouse
For some it's a room with a teacher, a flute and some sheet music. For others it's a mountain cabin filled with new friends. A dugout with bats, balls and your very own glove. The school library and a kind, patient tutor. Or a store where the jackets are nice and warm and they don't cost a thing. TREEHOUSE was founded to provide just such a place for kids in foster care right here in King County.

Thank you so much for your help!
Josh

Posted 5/5/2011

PICTURE DAY

Below is the photo schedule for Picture Day on Saturday, April 30th @ Dodd Field (by the batting cage). Make-up day will be held on 5/17.

Posted times are tentative as Managers may reschedule so please confirm with your Manager the confirmed time.
Managers and Coaches: If you need to reschedule your picture time, please send an email to Gabriel Dorta and kevin@starimages.org.

A copy of the Picture Order Form can be downloaded here.

Photo Magnets Fundraiser
Each year, Star Images makes one set of magnets and donates them to ILL. The magnets will be distributed to team representatives and are being sold for $5 each. All proceeds go to Issaquah Little League. Contact your coach or team representative to purchase your magnet after picture day. Please do not check the photo magnet option on your picture packets this weekend so you instead, help our League by purchasing a Photo Magnet separately. If you wish to have more than one magnet of your player, you can order additional magnets in the picture packet.

PHOTO SCHEDULE (SATURDAY, APRIL 30th @ DODD FIELD)

7:51AM ... Rob Eldridge Reds Coast
7:56AM ... Brody Hanssen Rangers AAA Kid Pitch
8:01AM ... Robert Ashby Cubs AAA Kid Pitch
8:06AM ... Dustin Stadel Rays Coast
8:11AM ... Jason Ramsey Dodgers T-Ball
8:16AM ... Tila Reynolds DBacks T-Ball
8:21AM ... Tim Kollas Giants T-Ball
8:26AM ... Todd McCommon Braves T-Ball
8:31AM ... Jon Brooke Marlins T-Ball
8:36AM ... George Merlock Phillies T-Ball
8:41AM ... Christopher Prochazka Braves AA Advanced...
8:46AM ... Pat Nangle Yankees AA Advanced...
8:51AM ... Michael Fritch2 TBall SB T-Ball
8:56AM ... Michael Fritch1 AAA SB AAA
9:01AM ... Brandon Leavitt Mets T-Ball
9:06AM ... Mike Mahovlich Rangers Majors
9:11AM ... Martin Abraham Majors SB Majors
9:16AM ... Paul Bernado2 Coast SB Coast
9:21AM ... Michael Roy Phillies A Coach Pitch
9:25AM ... Eric Martorano Mariners Coast
9:31AM ... Don Jeter Astros Coast
9:36AM ... Michael Sturm Cardinals Coast
9:41AM ... Larry Gillard Juniors Juniors
9:46AM ... John Medina White Sox Coast
9:51AM ... Robin Shampine Juniors Juniors
9:56AM ... Greg Crockett1 Giants A Coach Pitch
10:01AM ... Glenn Meyer Rays A Coach Pitch
10:06AM ... Michael Githens1 Phillies AAA Kid Pitch
10:11AM ... Kevin Theis Nationals A Coach Pitch
10:16AM ... Josh Rataezyk Cubs A Coach Pitch
10:21AM ... Jeremy Briggs2 Reds A Coach Pitch
10:26AM ... Jeff Rodgers Cardinals AAA Kid Pitch
10:31AM ... Thomas Askew Red Sox A Coach Pitch
10:36AM ... Summer Shute Mariners T-Ball
10:41AM ... Scott Willbrandt Rockies AAA Kid Pitch
10:46AM ... David Huey2 Yankees T-Ball
10:51AM ... Kyle Buckner2 Yankees AAA Kid Pitch
10:56AM ... Kyle Buckner1 Mariners Majors
11:00AM ... Mark Dow Mets A Coach Pitch
11:01AM ... Ryan Hess2 Nationals T-Ball
11:06AM ... Ryan Hess1 Yankees A Coach Pitch
11:10AM ... Jeremy Kiefer Braves A Coach Pitch
11:11AM ... Corey Nagel Mariners AA Advanced...
11:16AM ... Matt Miller Red Sox AAA Kid Pitch
11:21AM ... Kirk Dickinson Mariners AAA Kid Pitch
11:26AM ... Wisanu Charoenkul Mets AA Advanced...
11:30AM ... Ron Odegard Blue Jays Coast
11:31AM ... Stuart Thieme Pirates Coast
11:36AM ... jay rippel Coast SB Coast
11:41AM ... Dirk Jongejan Giants Majors
11:46AM ... Daniel Weeks AA SB AA
11:51AM ... Dennis Cordova Athletics Majors
11:56AM ... Geoff Gersuk Juniors SB Juniors
12:01PM ... Anthony Tippett TBall SB T-Ball
12:06PM ... Connie Bellas AA SB AA
12:11PM ... James Carr Phillies Majors
12:16PM ... Shawn Taylor Cubs T-Ball
12:21PM ... Brett Lowry Pirates Majors
12:31PM ... Ken Takemura Yankees Coast
12:35PM ... Jeff Gouge Red Sox AA Advanced...
12:36PM ... Drew Herbolich Angels Coast
12:41PM ... David Wilner Dodgers AA Advanced...
12:46PM ... Andy Read Cubs AA Advanced...
12:51PM ... Alif Dhanidina DBacks A Coach Pitch
12:56PM ... Rob Lampman Mariners A Coach Pitch
1:01PM ... David Huey1 Nationals AA Advanced...
1:06PM ... Richard Eastern Giants AA Advanced...
1:11PM ... Michael Githens2 Phillies AA Advanced...
1:16PM ... Tony Bristol Dodgers A Coach Pitch
1:20PM ... Ryan Fletcher Dodgers AA Advanced...

Posted 4/26/2011

IHS EAGLES CLINIC

Over 60 Coast and Majors players braved the weather on March 13th to enjoy a fun-filled day with the Issaquah High School Team.

Thanks to Coach Reese and all the IHS players for a great camp!

Little Leaguers can check the season schedule to attend Varsity home games to cheer on the Eagles Baseball team.

Posted 3/23/2011

SCOREKEEPING CLINIC

Saturday March 26, 2011, District 9 will offer two (2) separate clinics about Scorekeeping.

Both Clinics will be held at:

LWSD Headquarters
16250 Northeast 74th Street
Redmond, WA 98052

The Scorekeeping Clinic (9:00 am - 11:30 am) will be the annual class given by John Chadwick.

The Scorekeeping Software Clinic (12:00 noon - 1:00 pm) will introduce the new Little League indorsed scorekeeping software (See the Little League press release attached).This clinic will be given by representatives from the software company who are traveling here from California specifically for this clinic.

Each person attending the Scorekeeping software clinic will receive the software for free.

Read the Little League Press Release about this new Software
Read the Flyer for the Scorekeeping Software Clinic

The important thing to know is:

• Registration is MANDATORY for the software clinic (space is limited).
• The scorekeeping clinic by John Chadwick requires no registration.

Register by going to www.washdist9.org or here.

Posted 3/18/2011

CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS

Does your Little Leaguer want to be on the website? You can help! Send us pictures of your players and teams throughout the season and we'll try to post them up here. Please remember, we will only post pictures of players who expressed their permission to do so during the registration process.

Email your photos to web@issaquahlittleleague.org with the following information:

• Player Name(s)
• Player Team
• Player Division
• Brief Description (i.e. game or practice information)

Posted 3/15/2011

MARINER'S LITTLE LEAGUE DAY

The 2011 Mariner's Little League Day will be held on Sunday, June 5th against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Managers - please assign a Team Mom/Dad to coordinate ticket sales with Gabriel Dorta, who will send instructions to team's fundraising coordinator.

Posted 3/14/2011

Help raise money for Issaquah Little League At the Dine & Donate Fundraiser Event Monday, May 30th from 5pm-9pm… We hope you'll stop in and enjoy a dinner with your family and friends at… Field of Champions Sports Bar & Grill

Just inform your servers you're there to support ILL and 20% of your bill will go directly to ILL!!!

* Delicious food * 16 Plasma TV's * View of Issaquah Creek * Local Memorabilia * Full Bar * Convenient Location

www.fieldofchampionssbg.com 385 NW Gilman Blvd Issaquah , WA 98027 (425) 392-7111 CALL FOR A RESERVATION! ***FOC Catering also available***

Posted 3/14/2011

ISSAQUAH EAGLES BASEBALL CLINIC

RAIN OR SHINE -- Get your Coast or Majors Little Leaguer out to work out with the Issaquah High School Eagles baseball team. A variety of stations to work on everything from hitting, pitching, fielding and throwing. A fun afternoon of working out with one of the state's premier high school baseball programs -- right here in Issaquah. There is no need to register. Just show up with your baseball attire and bring your glove! When: Sunday, March 13 Where: Issaquah High School Baseball Field Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm Immediately following the Clinic, watch the IHS Baseball team put on an Exhibition from 3:00pm to 3:30pm. All ages welcome.

Posted 3/8/2011

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL DAY

YOSHINO PITCHING CLINIC FOR COMPETITIVE DIVISION MANAGERS

Have you ever wanted to have a pitching mentor that you could learn the mechanics from, and ask any question you'd like about the pitching motion? Here is your chance...

This Saturday, Mark Yoshino, Bellevue College's Head baseball coach, will spend two hours with just the Issaquah Little League coaches and managers to discuss "How to Teach Pitching to Our Players." No registration is required. I hope you will ALL take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

This Saturday, February 12, 9 AM - 11 AM
Bellevue College Field House (Where our Skills Evaluation took place)
FREE

Kyle Buckner
Director, Coach Development

Posted 2/10/2011

2011 ISSAQUAH LITTLE LEAGUE DRAFT

The 2011 Issaquah Little League Draft will be held for the Competitive Divisions on the following dates:

• Tue, Feb 15: Majors Division at Eastside Fire & Rescue
• Wed, Feb 16: Coast Division at Sunset Elementary
• Thu, Feb 17: AAA Division at Eastside Fire & Rescue

Managers and one adult guest (Coach) are allowed to attend. Please contact the Player Agent with any questions.

Posted 1/19/2011

FEBRUARY ISSAQUAH LITTLE LEAGUE BOARD MEETING

The monthly Issaquah Little League Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 8th at Issaquah Middle School from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Meetings are open to the public.

Posted 1/19/2011

JANUARY ISSAQUAH LITTLE LEAGUE BOARD MEETING

The monthly Issaquah Little League Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 18th at King County Library Service Building from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Meetings are open to the public.

Posted 1/12/2011

DECEMBER ISSAQUAH LITTLE LEAGUE BOARD MEETING

The monthly Issaquah Little League Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 14th at Clark Elementary School in the Library from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Meetings are open to the public. Come join us and help over 800 of your friends and neighbors play baseball this Spring.

Posted 11/30/2010

NOVEMBER ISSAQUAH LITTLE LEAGUE BOARD MEETING

The monthly Issaquah Little League Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 16th at Clark Elementary School from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Meetings are open to the public. Come join us and help over 800 of your friends and neighbors play baseball this Spring.

Posted 11/9/2010

CHANGES TO AAA DIVISION

In 2010, Issaquah Little League made some exciting changes to the AAA division such as full-time player pitch and post-season tournaments. In 2011, we are making some further changes to improve the overall experience for players, parents, and coaches.

CHANGES
The following changes will align the AAA division with the other two Competitive divisions, Coast and Majors:

• Skills Evaluation
  • All players league age 9 and up are required to attend Skills Evaluation
  • Managers will use Skills Evaluation results to conduct a player draft to form balanced teams.
• Stealing
  • Base stealing will be allowed.
  • Eliminate the runner advance rule (50 foot rule).
• Time Limit
  • Shorten time limit to 2:00 after first pitch, no new inning after 1:40

These changes are designed to improve the balance between teams, develop more complete baseball skills, and increase the speed and excitement of games. More balanced and competitive baseball = more fun for players!

The complete set of local rules for all divisions will be published to the website once they are reviewed and approved.

INFORMATION
For more detailed information on the new player selection process, click here.

Posted 11/2/2010

PLAYER SELECTION SYSTEM CHANGES FOR COMPETITIVE BASEBALL DIVISIONS

Issaquah Little League is implementing a player draft system for its Competitive divisions - AAA, Coast, and Majors - for the 2011 season.

All players league age 9 and up are required to attend Skills Evaluation on January 30, 2011 at Bellevue College. Skills Evaluation results will be used by team Managers to conduct a draft of players to ensure an equitable distribution of player talent across teams.

GOALS
The revised approach is designed to improve the overall experience for Issaquah Little League players and parents and address several goals:

• Provide a safe environment that promotes teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play by:
  • Matching player skills with the proper level of play at each division.
  • Improving overall balance between teams and competitiveness of the league.
• Increase the involvement of Managers in the player selection process.
• Ensure local league alignment with Little League International and District 9 rules and guidelines.

IMPACTS
The new draft system will require AAA, Coast and Majors Managers to participate in the Skills Evaluation sessions and attend the draft. The draft acknowledges that Managers are key stakeholders in the success of the league and increases their involvement and ownership. By involving Managers earlier in the process we will improve the transparency and consistency of team formation.

Coast and Majors divisions form skills-balanced teams so the primary impact of the draft will be the increased responsibilities for Managers.

AAA division will shift from coach/school-based to skills-balanced teams which will impact players and parents, and Managers. The old method of team formation often led to significant skills gaps and did not promote balanced teams and competitive, fun games. While these changes may result in some teams who have been together for a few years being redistributed, they are in the best interests of the players' safety and development and will achieve our goals. In addition, there are social benefits to players developing bonds with more children as teammates and parents developing relationships with more families in the Issaquah community.

INFORMATION
For more detailed information on the new player selection process, click here.
For information on policy to petitions to play up or play down, click here.

Posted 11/2/2010

2011 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting of membership and Board elections took play on Monday, September 13th at the King County Library Service Center. The 2011 Board of Directors was elected with Tom Chan returning as the Issaquah Little League President.

A complete list of the 2011 Board of Director members can be found here.

Posted 9/24/2010