Poland Hosts First Regional Meeting of District Administrators from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa

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It was the first complete regional meeting for the EMEA Region, and included a visit to the Little League European Leadership Training Center in Kutno, Poland.

Several items were addressed, including a review of Little League tournament sites and a report on preparations for the 2005 tournament season. Also discussed were training clinics for league volunteers and proposed improvements at the local, national and regional levels. The curriculum for the clinic followed the “Year in the Life of Hometown Little League” that is presented at U.S. regional centers and in the “Little League Road Show” seminars.

Representing Little League International at the meeting were Joe Losch, vice president of operations, and Patrick Wilson, director of regional operations, and Saudi Arabia District Administrator Frank Bergfield (a field member of the Little League International Board of Directors). The meeting was hosted by Beata Kaszuba, EMEA regional director.

“This meeting provided the first time for district administrators from EMEA Region countries to gather and share ideas,” Mr. Losch said. “A wide range of topics and experiences were discussed, and I feel everyone returned home with a renewed sense of purpose and anticipation for the upcoming season.”

The nations represented at the meeting were: Austria, Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Slovenia, Sweden, Uganda, and Ukraine.

Among the distinguished individuals attending the meeting/clinic were: Michal Kaczmarek (member of the Polish Parliament and vice president of the Parliament Sports Commission); Jerzy Bystrowski (director of Copernicus Foundation in Poland); Jan Liszka (president of the Polish Baseball and Softball Federation); Waldemar Szymanski (vice president of the Polish Baseball and Softball Federation); and Jan Smolka (secretary of the Polish Baseball and Softball Federation).

Little League’s European Headquarters oversees the operation of 113 local leagues in more than 50 nations. Less than two decades ago, there were no Little League teams in Eastern Europe. In 2004, the EMEA Region had more than 600 teams chartered and 9,400 children participated in the Little League program.

Attendees for the Europe, Middle East and Africa Region (EMEA) clinic and meeting in Warsaw, Poland, also visited the Little League European Leadership Training Center in Kutno, Poland. Here, they pose outside Edward J. Piszek Stadium, site of annual EMEA and Transatlantic regional tournaments in various divisions of Little League Baseball and Softball. The late Mr. Piszek, a trustee of the Little League Foundation and founder of Mrs. Paul’s Kitchens, was the driving force behind the development of the regional center in Kutno. A story about Mr. Piszek can be found here: http://www.littleleague.org/media/piszek.asp. Kneeling, from left to right, are: Peter Arbov (district administrator, Doupnitza, Bulgaria); Robert Szwajkowski (district 2 administrator, Mazowsze, Poland); William Rush (district administrator, Vienna, Austria); Giuseppe Guilizzoni (district administrator, Novara, Italy). Standing, from left to right, are: Peter Kabiti (district administrator, Meru, Kenya); John Kuykendall (Germany district 1 administrator); Patrick Wilson (director of regional operations, Little League International); Frank Bergfield (district administrator, member of the Little League International Board of Directors, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia); Gela Chikhradze (assistant district administrator, Tibilisi, Georgia); Jacek Zawadzki (assistant district 1 administrator, Brzeg, Poland); Grazyna Adamczyk-Swinicka (district 1 administrator, Brzeg, Poland); Cristian Manea (assistant district administrator, Bucuresti, Romania); Dmitry Demin (Tiraspol, Moldova); Jerzy Bystrowski (director, Copernicus Foundation, Poland); Ruslan Orlov, (Moldova, Tiraspol); Astrid Kouwenhoven (district administrator, Maarssen, Netherlands); Ola Ishola Williams (district 1 administrator, Lagos, Nigeria); Joe Losch (vice president of operations, Little League International); Marianne Schreurs (assistant district administrator, Den Bosch, Netherlands); Basil Tarasco (district administrator, Ukraine); Friday Ichide (district administrator, Minna, Nigeria); Waldemar Szymanski (vice president, Polish Baseball and Softball Federation); Diane Harley (district administrator, Glasgow, Scotland); Michal Kaczmarek (vice president, Polish Parlament Sports Commission); Richard Stanley (district administrator, Uganda); William Beglane (district administrator, Dublin, Ireland); Patrick Pace (district administrator, Mellieha, Malta); and Ola Sund (district administrator, Leksand, Sweden).

The clinic and meeting in Warsaw, Poland, was attended by 30 representatives from 21 countries in the Europe, Middle East and Africa Region (EMEA). Sitting, from left to right, are: Sylwia Smyczynska (officer manager, EMEA Region Headquarters); Ola Sund (district administrator, Leksand, Sweden); William Rush (district administrator, Vienna, Austria); Grazyna Adamczyk Swinicka (district 1 administrator, Brzeg, Poland); Beata Kaszuba (Little League European Region director); Diane Harley (district administrator, Glasgow, Scotland); Giuseppe Guilizzoni (district administrator, Novara, Italy); Frank Bergfield (district administrator, member of the Little League International Board of Directors, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia); Jerzy Bystrowski (director, Copernicus Foundation, Poland); Grzegorz Smyczynski (director, field operations, European Region Headquarters). Standing, from left to right, are: Agata Kucharska (office administrator, European Region Headquarters); Joe Losch (vice president of operations, Little League International); Patrick Wilson (director of regional operations, Little League International); Jan Smolka (secretary, Polish Baseball and Softball Federation); Astrid Kouwenhoven (district administrator, Maarssen, Netherlands); William Beglane (district administrator, Dublin, Ireland); Marianne Schreurs (assistant district administrator, Den Bosch, Netherlands); Patrick Pace (district administrator, Mellieha, Malta); Erwan Godet (district administrator, Rennes, France); Jacek Zawadzki (assistant district 1 administrator, Brzeg, Poland); Robert Szwajkowski (district 2 administrator, Mazowsze, Poland); Richard Stanley (district administrator, Uganda); Zdzislaw Ziolkowski (district 3 administrator, Dzialdowo, Poland); Friday Ichide (district administrator, Minna, Nigeria); Cristian Manea (assistant district administrator, Bucuresti, Romania); Valentinas Bubulis (district administrator, Utena, Lithuania); John Kuykendall (Germany district 1 administrator); Ola Ishola Williams (district 1 administrator, Lagos, Nigeria); Dmitry Demin (Tiraspol, Moldova); Peter Arbov (district administrator, Doupnitza, Bulgaria); Miha Levec (assistant district administrator, Ljubliana, Slovenia); Ruslan Orlov (Moldova, Tiraspol); Luka Kreitmayer (league president, Ljubliana, Slovenia); Gasper Freyer (district administrator, Ljubliana, Slovenia); Peter Kabiti (district administrator, Meru, Kenya); and Waldemar Szymanski (vice president, Polish Baseball and Softball Federation).