We would like to thank everyone who took the time to complete the survey for the Little League Pathway Championships. Feedback from participants and parents allows us to acknowledge where Baseball Queensland (BQ) can improve events moving forward.
Survey responses were positive with the average rating for each question being above 7.5/10. Additional comments were provided to help us improve for future events. Rating results from specific questions are as follows:
How would you rate your overall experience of the QLD LLPC?
8.44 Average Rating
How would you rate the playing facilities provided for the QLD LLPC?
8.82 Average Rating
How would you rate the amenities provided for the QLD LLPC
8.07 Average Rating
How would you rate the communication between Baseball Queensland and yourself for the QLD LLPC?
7.98 Average Rating
How satisfied were you with the level of competition and gameplay within your division?
7.77 Average Rating
How satisfied were you with the level of umpiring throughout the tournament?
7.68 Average Rating
Additional text comments were provided about the Facilities, Competition, and Umpiring. These comments are summarised as follows:
Facilities:
Baseball Queensland acknowledges the fantastic effort of Redcliffe Padres Baseball Club in helping to deliver the largest ever baseball tournament in Australia. The introduction of Intermediate League, Rookie Ball and Teeball added breadth to the tournament and this also means additional workload for the host venue.
A common comment shared was in regards to bathroom facilities and the lack there of as well as these facilities not always being maintained to an expected standard. This is important feedback which will be addressed for future tournaments.
Shade continues to be a challenge, particularly with growing spectator numbers. We rely on community groups, clubs and regions to assist in providing shade and appreciate the support provided in this area. We include information on social media to alert spectators to limited shade availability so that they can bring additional resources.
A greater range of food options was requested by some respondents. This will be considered alongside the practicalities of catering to a large player and spectator group.
Competition:
With the increased number of participants, we have created competitions at two levels for Little League, Junior League and Senior League – Division 1 and Division 2. Feedback suggested that clarity on how these divisions were run would be helpful. We intend to continue to communicate the qualification requirements for each division to the regions.
Division 1 games are played to innings with no time limit. This rule comes from Little League International and is required for teams to qualify for Nationals and potential Australian representation at the Little League World Series. We recognise that some games may take longer than others and this can have an impact on game start times. Every effort is made to provide a draw that has the athlete’s wellbeing in mind.
Division 2 games may be run to innings or to time, with the intent to maximum amount of games and participation for players. Timed games may mean that some games conclude mid inning with mechanisms in place to ensure equity in determining the final outcome. When developing the draw, consideration will be given for the potential for games to be stopped owing to low light, with strategies implemented to try and minimise this occurring.
Regional teams use the same database that clubs use when players register. Club are responsible for checking birth certificates at the time of registration. This ensures that players available to the regions are utilised in their natural age group.
With the largest Little League (LL) Division 2 competition taking place this year, BQ will be reviewing how the competition was run, the draw, timings and the number of tournament days for this division. Future growth and development of this competition is important to provide tournament baseball experiences for a wider range of players who will be able to grow their skills and create lasting memories.
Umpiring:
Umpire decisions will always be contentious as half those in attendance are likely to disagree with all their calls. While it would be optimal to have officials free from any real or perceived conflict of interest, it is often not practically possible in junior sport as the pool of officials prepared to officiate for a given event rarely extends beyond those who are related to the participants. In an environment that relies ‘voluntold’, it is difficult to ensure all officials are free from perceived conflicts of interest.
It is also important the we do not allow the integrity of the umpire to be challenged. BQ would like to be in a position where we do not have perceptions of conflicts of interest being levelled at umpires, but traditionally we have been left with little choice. We can address this issue by growing the capacity and capability of umpires – we need more officials. You can help by upskilling yourself to attain the necessary qualifications, then volunteer to umpire at an event. This will help us to build on the small number of umpires willing to officiate games where they currently have no other interest thus helping avoid perceptions of conflicts of interest. To this end we will discuss this topic with the Regions to develop initiatives to identify and train all those who are willing to help.
Again, a big thank you to the Redcliffe Padres Baseball Club and the Redcliffe Softball Association for hosting the event and facilitating a very enjoyable weekend of baseball.