What Little League means to me!

What Little League means to me! As I get ready to umpire in Bristol CT in less than a week. I think back to how I started to umpire and be involved with Little League. Takes me all the way back to a youth when I played in Laconia Little League. I started in tee ball and worked my way thru minors and majors. What most people may not know about me is I grew up having epilepsy. I could have a seizure at anytime, sometimes having two to three seizures a week. As an adult I have since had surgery to remove a scar in my brain and have been seizure free and off medications for 8 ½ years.  My parents did not hold me back and did anything possible to live a normal life. That included playing in local sports. As I look back, the coaches and members of Laconia Little League are what stand out and meant that most to me. Mr. O’Shea, Mr. Joyal, Mr. Canning, Mr. Tuttle, and Mr. Stafford are only some that stand out and I will never forget. Mr. Stafford was my major coach, I played on Elks. The chance that he gave me to play really left lasting impression. I played my minimum play for each game, and still felt like part of the team. Given that chance as a youth is what brought me back to coach a tee ball team when I was in high school. I have always enjoyed the younger kids and trying to teach them the basics. As my children were becoming league age I became a board member of Laconia Little League. Much to my surprise some of the very coaches and board members that were there when I played were still there. That showed me that once involved always involved. I later became League President and finally got into umpiring. I have enjoyed every step of my journey thru the Little League program and look forward to the future.