Little League group appreciates support

To the editor:
    As board members of Houlton Area Little League, we are extremely pleased with the success of the recently completed 9/10 District Three Little League tournament held in Houlton. The board would like to thank all of the volunteers and sponsors who donated their time and resources to make this tournament a resounding success. A special thank you goes out to Eric and Audra Cowperthwaite and their family for their role as tournament directors.
    To understand how far our League has come in such a short time, the board felt it was important to outline where we have come from.
    Back in the fall of 2007, Houlton area baseball began a transformation with a group of parents, coaches, and volunteers, to breathe new life into a sport that all parties believed, if successful, would be something that the Houlton community could be proud of.
    This group agreed to incorporate and charter with Little League and become Houlton Area Little League. A board of directors was elected and the board immediately began outlining our short-term goals for the league. The goals were ambitious, including; the introduction of Little League softball, the Field of Dreams project, and hosting a District Three Little League tournament.
    In the spring of 2008, Houlton Area Little League offered softball to girls ages 9 to 12 years old. An entire infrastructure was created, including purchasing uniforms and equipment, scheduling games, selecting volunteer coaches and umpires, and educating parents and girls to this new opportunity. We have just completed our third year of Little League softball and the board is pleased with the progress. The board is also excited about the future with softball, because there is so much room for growth in this sport.
    Also, in the spring of 2008, the Field of Dreams project began with the goal to have four new baseball/softball fields to allow more opportunities for children in Houlton to play baseball of softball. With the help of donations from area businesses, we have now completed two new baseball/softball fields. We continue to push forward with this project, but feel tremendous pride in the completion of the first two fields!
    Dozens of coaches, players, parents, and other District Three leadership from the greater Bangor area northward, have expressed how great all of our baseball/softball facilities here are in our community, and this is something we are extremely proud of. We also greatly appreciate all of the support that our League continues to receive from the employees of Houlton’s Parks and Recreation Department, for the maintenance and upkeep of the two Little League ball fields in Community Park, as well as the support from the SAD 29 staff who have supported the creation of our additional ball fields.
    In 2009, Houlton Area Little League hosted the 11/12 District Three Softball All-Star tournament. This tournament, while successful, was a precursor to the tournament that was hosted in 2010. The 9/10 tournament brought 14 teams, as well as hundreds of spectators, to Houlton for a two and a half week, double-elimination tournament. Many volunteers contributed to the success of the tournament including umpires, scorekeepers, announcers, pitch counters, ground crews, concessions, and clean-up crews. Thanks again to all of the volunteers; you should all feel proud of the results. Our community has benefited from all of your hard work!
    With all of these successes, Houlton Area Little League has continued to adhere to our mission statement: Houlton Area Little League offers the opportunity to develop player’s skills in the great American pastime of baseball and softball through positive guidance and leadership to our area youth. Houlton Area Little League assists youth in learning life lessons such as sportsmanship and teamwork. The virtues of loyalty, courage, character, volunteerism, and citizenship are espoused by our League, and we encourage all area youth to achieve these both on and off the field. We also strive to promote a healthy lifestyle in our community through participation, competition, and fun. Before every single game is played, our players recite the Little League Pledge as a reminder of these virtues.
    As our League prepares to turn the page toward yet another season, our board encourages even more parents to get involved by attending our annual preseason, post-season, and board meetings, so that they can see all the planning and logistics involved with the operational aspects of our league. We have strived to provide a well-structured program for our area youth, and the more parents who become involved within the League, the more informed people will be. We will always continue to look for positive role models to volunteer their time as coaches, umpires, and many other operational positions integral to the success of the Houlton Area Little League. The key to the success of our league starts with the involvement of our selfless volunteers, and we greatly appreciate all that they do.
Board of Directors
Houlton Area Little League
Ben Drew
Dean Clark
Eric Cowperthwaite
Joe Porter
Shawn Graham
Chris Brewer
Trapper Gentle
Steve Fitzpatrick
Don Dee
Brian Howe
Marty Bouchard