Matthew Arnold Stern » Little White Ball (Baseball)

Saddleback and Lake Forest Little League: An Idea

Matthew Arnold Stern — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 05:49:08 +0000

An open letter to the Boards of Saddleback and Lake Forest Little Leagues: A merger? Probably was inevitable. Calling the merged league Lake Forest Little League? Not my preference, but the decision has already been made. Before you throw away the past too quickly though, here are a few things to consider — along with …

How to give an Opening Day speech

Matthew Arnold Stern — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:19:17 +0000

I’ve been getting a lot of visits to my site lately from people looking for ideas on giving Opening Day speeches. Many baseball and softball leagues are starting their seasons this weekend. So, here are a few tips from my experience as a Little League president that may help. 1. Be brief Next to graduation …

Can Pujols and Wilson save Orange County youth baseball?

Matthew Arnold Stern — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:00:19 +0000

Frankly, I wasn’t too excited when the Angels signed Albert Pujols. Ten years, $250 million for a player in his thirties? Perhaps he can do for the Angels in the teens what Reggie Jackson did in the eighties, if he doesn’t get hurt. CJ Wilson was a better catch, a player in his prime who …

“For Good”

Matthew Arnold Stern — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:31:41 +0000

They say there’s no crying in baseball, but this is the sport of Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech and Field of Dreams. We don’t like cheesy sentiment or flowery expressions of emotion, yet we dance around the field and hug each other in victory, or weep in the dugout and slam locker room doors in defeat. …

Bounce – A must-read for coaches?

Matthew Arnold Stern — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:39:26 +0000

Are superior athletes born that way? Or can people become superior athletes through hard work? Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success by Matthew Syed, champion table tennis player and commentator for the BBC, argues the latter. He says that athletes are made, not born. Through purposeful practice, athletes can master skills to …

The bad call

Matthew Arnold Stern — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:11:55 +0000

Bad calls and unlucky breaks don’t just happen in baseball. They once happened to me in Toastmasters. Whether they happen in baseball or Toastmasters, they offer a lesson, if you’re willing to accept it. In 1999, I competed in an evaluation speech contest. The object of the contest is to listen to a brief speech and …

John Wooden’s lessons for today’s coaches and players

Matthew Arnold Stern — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:22:12 +0000

When I was a UCLA student, I looked up to John Wooden. When I became an adult and a parent, I came to appreciate him even more. I liked his approach to coaching and mentoring, and I admired how he used sports to build character. As he said, “What you are as a person is …

“I choose not to run”

Matthew Arnold Stern — Mon, 10 May 2010 04:22:20 +0000

I decided not to run for another term as league president. Just to be clear: I’m still happy with the league. No one did anything to upset me. No one said something on Facebook or in the Mid-Season Evaluations that hurt my feelings. I’m not running simply because I’m a believer in term limits. I’ve …

How to announce at a Little League game

Matthew Arnold Stern — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:15:17 +0000

One of the things I enjoy doing at Little League games is to serve as the announcer. It seems that the players and parents enjoy it too. The only complaints I’ve received are from other teams who are unhappy that I don’t announce at their games. But there are some rules I need to follow …

When it is a perfect game

Matthew Arnold Stern — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:41:37 +0000

As a league president, I don’t need to go to a movie to see a Little League drama. Just this weekend, I had to deal with a coach being ejected from a game, a complaint about parents bringing their dogs on a school district field, an issue a manager had with parents, and parents who …