The last Saturday in June signifies the end of the little league baseball season for many Naperville youngsters. In this edition of Sports Story, we review some of the highlights from a fun and action-packed weekend and hear more from some of the leaders in the Naperville Little League Baseball (NLLB) organization about what makes the league so special.
Mike Llewellyn, NLLB Board Member and Former President, said “Growing up I played in Naperville Little League. So it was kind of a natural evolution once my son was old enough to play. I had some great memories in the past and wanted him to have the same enjoyment I had.”
He went on to say, “I love watching these kids grow up and their baseball skills improve. A lot of these kids I coached when they were 7 and now I’m seeing some of them play in high school, and now I see my neighbors’ kids do the same thing: just continue to get better and love the game more.”
Michael Huff, the Chicago White Sox Director of Youth Baseball said “…I was the smallest kid when I was 8, 10, 12 years old. I was never a captain, I was never an all-star, I was never All-State, had to walk on in college, seven years in the major leagues. So it’s all about how do you practice? How do you set up these goals?
He continued saying, They’ve already begun to learn that, you know what, you’re gonna have some ups and downs in these seasons, you’re gonna make a lot more outs than hits, you’re probably gonna lose a couple games. But if we continue to practice and work together and we can pick each other up, every team has one or two players who are really good…it takes the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th player to just develop a little bit to have that one or two hits over the course of the year to get a victory that you might not have gotten.
Jim Meurer, Naperville Little League Vice President & Umpire Director, said “I think getting to watch the special plays the kids make. You’ll see some plays that you don’t think these young men can do, but they can. For me to see those things happen, that’s the most rewarding.”
About Naperville Little League
Since 1952, Naperville Little League has been committed to the goal of providing an outlet for healthful baseball activity and training under good leadership in an atmosphere of wholesome community participation. The programs they offer are dedicated to helping 7 to 12-year-olds become good and decent citizens. These programs strive to inspire children with an awareness and fondness of community. Naperville Little League provides every child the chance to be a team member and develop both skills on and off the field of play. Their boundaries encompass all the schools in districts 203 and 204, including children in Naperville and parts of Bolingbrook, Lisle, and Aurora.
More from 630 Naperville
Stay connected in Naperville by watching the best Naperville content featuring engaging people, local places, and great advice from experts.
