[sweetka]

I decided not to play in my local league this year. Sometimes there are issues that do come up.

1. My son is starting rehab next week 2-3 times
2. My other sons are in scouting the other two evenings
3. I have one playing Varsity and the coach is starting to play him even after he took off last year to honor band. The coach is allowing him to do both.
4. I have moved on in some respects because my MF time is spent directing my efforts toward more constructive endeavors to better the experience for the entity, not the individual by:

a. Assisting with building a league, tournament, and hopefully sanctioning body which will help with recruiting.
b. Working with coaches who really can't get the best of their imagination because they lack tweak expertise. I went to breakfast in Canton with guys who love the game more than any of us coaches do. That was my epiphany. To be told that guys have purchased 500 bases and two are on their teams? I have now been told that several times. The bad part is I'm not asking around. Just listening. I wonder how many coaches we have lost that way and through bad business dealings?

c. Increased my commitment to the governing body of the MFCA beyond being the MFCAL commissioner.

For your league I offer you the same advice as Raiderman who is dead on:

Rule #1: Never ban people who pay to play and don't show. I have seen guys who were banned because they lost their jobs and their cars broke down. Actually they won games in my opinion.

Rule #2: Make sure that winning isn't the only thing and make sure that anyone running a MF business understands that. If businesses are performance based all kinds of bad things can happen.

Rule #3: Keep your problems in house. I have vented before inappropriately and it is not good for anyone regardless as to whether you are right.

Rule #4: If you have people doing an excellent job don't run them away. Competition is healthy, Napolean complex is not.

Rule #5: Generate feedback. Sometimes there may be problems but they could be ones you never thought of. I have seen that happen as well.

Rule #6: Take what you have and continue to build. Keep improving. Good things will come your way.