Staff Spotlight: Dan Velte

Baseball has always been a part of who I am. Growing up, my dad owned the Geneva Cubs, a Class A farm club for the Chicago Cubs for nearly two decades, so in a lot of ways, the ballpark always felt like home. I was constantly surrounded by the sights and sounds of the game — the crack of the bat, the smell of the popcorn, the freshly cut grass, and the excitement of the crowd. I didn’t just watch every game, I lived it. I was a bat boy, I hung around the players, and most importantly, I saw the joy that baseball brought to a community. However, it was not until I stepped onto a Little League® diamond for the first time that I truly fell in love with the game.   

Little League gave baseball meaning. For me, it was never about the stats or the wins or losses —  it was about being a part of something bigger than myself. I loved every part about it, the friendships, the competition, and the feeling of making a great play. It’s special. I would spend hours at the field, even if I wasn’t playing, just watching my friends’ games, and the next day at school would be spent sitting around in class or the cafeteria talking about last night’s clutch hit or game-winning pitching performance. It felt like our whole town revolved around these moments, and I could never get enough of it.   

When I was 12, I had the chance to take a trip to the Little League Baseball® World Series as a fan for the first time. That trip opened my eyes and changed everything for me. I went to as many games as I could, and I remember thinking that it was the coolest experience. Everyone always talks about the games and what happens on the field, but for me, even at a young age, there was a feeling around the complex that I could never put my finger on. You just knew that it was special. That trip to Williamsport sparked something that has stayed with me ever since.  

As I got older, I carried that same love and passion for the game with me. I played baseball through high school and college, and when graduation came, I knew I wanted to work in the game somehow. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what that would look like, but I knew baseball was where I belonged. In 2000, my dad suggested I go to the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings for their big job fair. There, I met former Little League President and Chief Executive Officer, Steve Keener. After talking to him about open opportunities, I was immediately intrigued. A few months later, I interviewed with Pat Wilson (who oversaw the operations department at the time), and not long after, he called and asked, “What do you think about moving to Waco, Texas?” Without hesitation, I said, “Let’s do it.”

I spent three years in Waco as the Southwest Region Assistant Director, learning every aspect of how Little League works: the operation, tournament management, league development, and, most importantly, working with volunteers. Every step since then, from Director of League Development to my role now as Vice President of Operations and the International Tournament Director, has been built on that same foundation I learned as a kid — a love for community, teamwork, and the game itself.   

If I could go back and tell my younger self or anyone new trying to break into the sports industry, it would always be to appreciate the people and the journey. That is what makes Little League so special. The coaches, the families, the volunteers who give so much of themselves and their time, so kids can experience the joy of the game. To succeed here, you have to care deeply about others. You have to be a good teammate both on and off the field.

Baseball and softball teaches you early on that nobody can ever do it alone, and that lesson has guided me in every step of my career.

Today, I get to live that lesson again, but this time as a dad. My son, Cooper, and my daughter, Claire, both play Little League, and I have been lucky enough to be there for them since they picked up a ball and glove for the first time. Watching your kids experience the same game that shaped your life is something that I can’t put into words. It’s emotional. It’s humbling. It brings everything that I have been through full circle. When the two of them come to the LLBWS and have that same wide-eyed excitement I had as a kid — talking about the teams, trading pins, or sliding down the hill — I am reminded of that 12-year-old version of me and what I felt when I saw the complex for the first time, the magic of Little League that never fades.   

Every year, when the LLBWS comes around, I still get chills. The light shows, the crowd, and the kids from all over the world coming together are incredible. My favorite part isn’t just what happens on the field, but what is happening in the Grove, where players might not even share a language, bond over a game of wiffle ball, or a simple high-five. That is what makes this place different. It is not just about the competition; it is about connection, about belonging. It’s about seeing kids discover the same love for baseball that I did all those years ago, first through my dad’s team and then now, even more deeply, through Little League.   

After all these years, I still believe no matter how the game evolves, no matter how many roles I take on, I’ll always be that kid who fell in love with baseball because of what it meant to be part of a team, a family, and a community. That is what Little League is all about, and it always will be.