Little League Baseball and Softball Research Findings

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Little League Baseball and Softball Research
Findings
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Research Findings

• Background
• Methods
• Findings / Generalizations
• Implications
• Putting the Changes into Effect

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Background
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Questions asked

• What are todays attitudes, emotions and
  affinities of players and parents towards
  baseball in general and Little League
  specifically?
• What is the parent/child decision making dynamic
  regarding participation in sport?
• What are the factors that may increase or
  decrease participation and interest in baseball
  and Little League?

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Questions asked

• What are the impressions of, emotions about, and
  loyalty to baseball and Little League Baseball
  when compared to the range of competitive
  organized youth sports and recreational
  activities?
• How can we apply and integrate research
  information obtained into the strategic
  decision-making process?

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Methods

• The Geppetto Group
• 72 Kids in grades 3-8
• 45 minute mini-groups, sets of friendship pairs
• Divided by
• Grade / Little League division ( Minor, Major,
  Junior)
• Current/lapsed participation
• 32 parents of kids grades 3-5
• 1 hour mini-groups
• Divided by Moms and dads
• Parents of current /lapsed participants
• 2 Geographic locations
• San Antonio, TX
• Morristown, NJ

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Methods

• TNS Intersearch
• Four focus groups
• Boys in grades 4 or 5 currently playing Little
  League (high participation)
• Boys in grades 4 or 5 who no longer play Little
  League (low / lapsed participation)
• 2 Geographic locations
• Chicago, IL
• San Diego, CA

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Findings/Generalizations

• Little League Baseball community baseball, or
  a middle ground between ultra-competitive travel
  ball, and sandlot play.
• CYO and YMCA leagues are just to sharpen your
  skills. Little League is more like real
  baseball.
• Select is more serious players. They play all
  year long. To me thats too much.

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Findings/Generalizations

• In some areas, the brand of Little League
  Baseball is confused with non-Little League
  programs, and assumed to be a catch-all for youth
  baseball.
• Babe Ruth is just another name for Little
  League.
• The Sparta Little League is like the town - its
  everything from Tee ball through Babe Ruth. Im
  not sure if the town is associated with Babe Ruth
  or not.

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Findings/Generalizations

• Children are the primary decision-makers for
  organized sports participation, and they
  specialize at a younger age. It is important to
  children for the parent to be involved and
  supportive.
• Were a baseball family, but its still his
  choice. My husband was a little disappointed
  when he quit, but he didnt force him to stay.
• If baseball is his sport, thats fine and if
  not, well thats fine too. I just want him to
  play something.

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Findings/Generalizations

• Continued participation is based on the childs
  individual experience in the sport.
• My older sons in the majors. Its based on
  age, but also ability. A ten year old can skip a
  twelve year old and I dont think its fair. The
  twelve year old gets his feelings hurt, and
  everybody at school will talk about it. They
  quit because they dont want to play with 3rd and
  4th graders.
• He would have been in minors again this year and
  then he would have been made fun of in school.

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Findings/Generalizations

• Better skills A better experience.
• Lesser skills Relegation to right field and
  eventual quitting.
• I like playing first base, because thats where
  all the balls go. (But) I always play right or
  left field - thats where they put people if
  theyre not good.
• If you dont play very good, you might get
  embarrassed or get thrown off the team or get a
  bad position where the ball never goes.

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Findings/Generalizations

• The manager/coach is the most important element
  in how the child views his/her experience.
• Theres a few kids on our team that arent
  great, but our coach doesnt give up on them. He
  encourages them and gives them extra time at
  practice. Hell throw a few more pitches and
  give him more hits.
• If your coach yells at you and puts you down
  youll remember that forever and could lose
  loving the game because of your coach.

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Findings/Generalizations

• Level 1 players were termed stars
• Level 2 players were termed middle-men
• Level 3 players were those whose undeveloped
  skill levels make them most vulnerable to giving
  up the sport

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Findings/Generalizations

• Players who gave up baseball said
• 1. Coaches did not pay enough attention to them
• 2. They were letting themselves and others down
• 3. Their teammates neither liked nor respected
  them
• Last year, I was the worst person on the team,
  and I only hit 6 balls and four of them were
  fouls. I went on base only 3-4 times, so that
  made me feel kind of bad. People only hang out
  with boys that are really, really good.

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Implications

• Find ways to increase playing time for the Level
  2 and Level 3 players without changing the basic
  nature of the game.
• Minimum infield play?

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Implications

• Increase awareness of Little Leagues brand
  image, particularly in those areas in which
  Little League is not played.
• Devise a communication strategy
• E-mail, web site

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Implications

• Provide more opportunities for positive parental
  involvement with the team.
• Promote readily accessible skill development
  tools

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Implications

• Better educate managers and coaches to focus not
  only on the best players, but the entire team.

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Putting the Changes into Effect

• Communication Integrate the changes into a
  strategic plan, with effective communication
  being the key factor.

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Putting the Changes into Effect

• Aggressively communicate the positives of the
  program.
• Remain true to our mission

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Putting the Changes into Effect

• Make changes where they are needed in rules,
  operations, service, publications, etc., and
  ensure the changes as well as the reasons for
  them are effectively communicated.

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