The political side of little league

Politics in your local Little League?! Who'da thunk it?

1. The only solution is to replace the instigators of this situation. Don't believe that you must replace the entire board. Aside from the fact that this is very hard to do, there are a lot of good people who just suffer from poor affiliation. They can provide a new administration with the transition it needs. Running a league is VERY HARD. A lot of people see the duck floating gracefully on the pond. They don't see that under the surface, the duck is paddling like mad.

I know of a league which has this situation. Some very caring and dedicated people serve on the board, but they are so intimidated by the tyrant (after witnessing what happens to those who dissent) that they simply go along. These people, under good guidance can become very valuable members of the board.

2. Be VERY careful who you talk to. The expression, "politics makes for odd bedfellows" is an understatement at best.

3. Recruit, recruit, recruit. Build your base. Find people who share your belief. Get the to run, or at the very least, vote as a bloc for your slate of candidates.

4. Review the election procedures. If they are not in accordance with Little League regulations, you can get Regional to help you out. Tyrants tend to get sloppy and play fast and loose with the rules. You can get Regional to hold their feet to the fire. If you are looking for a sample, check out website below.

5. Prepare to watch mud fly. Tyrants retain power by crushing dissent. If you aren't prepared to fight this out in the gutter, stay on the sidelines and find someone who will. If you get attacked and cave, it just reinforces this as a tactic for the next guy who might try to stand up.

6. Bring ideas to the table! Don't just get up at the election and say so-and-so is a tyrant and should be ousted. You won't win any allies that way. Remember, the tyrants have some backers that are not going to get swayed. You must win the "swing" vote, and you can only do that with clear and convincing arguments.

7. Get in touch with former board members. They often know where the bodies are buried. Maybe they'll come out of retirement to assist you. They'll often give your candidacy more credibility because they often have allies in the electorate.

8. To quote Winston Churchill, NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!

Best of luck!