For the April edition of the Little League® Staff Spotlights, walk through Brent Stahlnecker’s journey from his internship with the Williamsport Crosscutters to his role today, serving as the Little League Senior Director of Risk Management:
Where Passion Meets Profession
From an early age, Brent Stahlnecker knew he wanted to work in sports. He wasn’t sure which sport it would be or the role he would take on, but his passion for sports has been the driving force as he has navigated his professional career.
“The biggest thing about me was that I was an absolute sports fanatic,” said Stahlnecker. “Growing up about 20 minutes away from Williamsport, I’ve always been around Little League, and I’ve always had the desire to get into the sports field one way or another.”
As a sports management student at West Virginia University, Stahlnecker got his start in the sports industry through an internship with the Williamsport Crosscutters, an experience that would not only teach him valuable skills but would also connect him with Dan Velte, who today serves as Little League Vice President of Operations and International Tournament Director. When Velte was hired by Little League, he and Stahlnecker kept in touch about job openings within the organization, leading to Stahlnecker’s first job in San Bernardino, California, as the West Region Assistant Director in 2002.
After nearly 10 years out West, Stahlnecker returned to Lycoming County, joining the staff at Little League International Headquarters in 2011 as the Assistant Director of Risk Management and Insurance Operations. Happy to combine his passion with work and proud to represent Little League, Stahlnecker said the job never gets old.
“When I travel and I wear a piece of Little League apparel, the natural question I always get is, ‘Are you a coach?’ That’s all people think Little League is – that you’re either a coach or a player. They don’t really look at it from the administrative side,” said Stahlnecker. “So, when I say, I work for Little League, my office is right above the stadium, and that’s what I do for a full-time job, they’re kind of amazed that there are those opportunities and a group of people that help manage the program 365 days a year.”
Working at Little League
On a day-to-day basis, one of Stahlnecker’s roles revolves around communicating with leagues and districts that need help navigating insurance-related situations.
“Whether it’s inquiries from the league officials or parents that just generally don’t know how the insurance works, they’re really just looking for that knowledge base to say, ‘what do we do if my child got hurt?’ or, ‘what do we have to do if one of the players or an umpire in our league got hurt?’,” said Stahlnecker. “We’ve always honed in on our department as being the customer service side for leagues and districts. Then, in cases where we have to deal with the parents and the families of kids that get hurt, we’re the eyes, ears, and voice to guide them through the process.”
One of Stahlnecker’s favorite parts of his job is the various training sessions he gets to demonstrate to leagues across the country. In addition to traveling, it also gives him the chance to interact with the leagues and volunteers in person. Although the methods have now largely shifted to virtual sessions, Stahlnecker said the change has helped their effectiveness in preparing volunteers.
“Regions meet monthly with their District Administrators, whereas in the past, you may have had one or two meetings a year where you’re getting in front of your full group of region volunteers. Now they’re doing it more on a monthly basis,” said Stahlnecker. “A lot of our training has gone virtual. That certainly has its benefits because more people can be involved, and it’s not tied to a specific geographical area. Overall, I think our communications and expectations for our volunteers are 10 times better than they were pre-COVID. A lot of that came out of the learning we took from initiating the virtual trainings. We’re able to get out in front of those quicker as opposed to waiting for a meeting that may take place three months down the road.”
In addition to talking directly to volunteers, Stahlnecker said the end of summer is always one of his favorite times of the year.
“Growing up around the area and coming to the Little League Baseball World Series, it’s just always been that natural excitement of not only seeing the faces of the people that are here to watch, but also the players and their parents,” said Stahlnecker. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can always remember my first World Series being here as an employee, stepping outside the box and thinking how cool of an event this is. Coming to it as a spectator is one thing, but then being behind the scenes as an employee, it has been a whole different perspective.”
Keeping Little Leaguers Safe
With April being National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Little League has highlighted its efforts to ensure its players’ well-being and safety. As the resources available have evolved, it has helped Stahlnecker and his team achieve exactly that.
“Technology has played a huge part in being able to increase the scope and the eyes that are on our Child Protection Program. It’s led us to take a second look at ways we can make our program better and safer,” said Stahlnecker. “I wouldn’t say I was really involved in the inception of these programs, but rather the cultivation and development to where it is present day. We’ve learned from past situations and have worked with some third-party groups to learn the best practices and things we can do as the leading youth sports organization in the world to make sure that our programs are as robust as one can be.”
When it comes to advice Stahlnecker gives to volunteers on how to make sure leagues are creating a safe environment for Little Leaguers, his suggestion is to be aware of your surroundings.
“The mantra we’ve always used here at the World Series, ‘If you see something, say something.’ If something doesn’t look right, or you notice someone with red flag behavior, say something,” said Stahlnecker. “A lot of times you see it right in front of you, and that’s where our Abuse Awareness Trainings have helped identify those red-flag behaviors, things to be aware of so that if you do see it, then you can bring it up to the appropriate authorities. It’s also important to bring it up to other people in the league because maybe somebody saw the exact same thing, or there was a different day where somebody saw something similar.”
Advice for the Next Generation
When Stahlnecker was mapping out his career path, he knew his goal was to work in sports. His passion for sports has gotten him to where he is today, and his advice to everyone is to follow what drives them as well.
“The way I’ve always looked at it is to follow your passion,” said Stahlnecker. “If you’re into music, go into music. Make sure that you’re happy each day going into whatever career path you choose, and that can change. You may have started in something and gotten to a point after a couple of years that maybe wasn’t the ticket, and you want to try something new. Follow your passion. Because ultimately, if you can’t go to your job every day and enjoy it, it’s not going to be fun for anyone. With my love of sports, I knew that was what I wanted to do. In any way, shape, or form, I wanted to get into the sports industry.”
This feature is part of a series of Little League International Staff Spotlights, highlighting the career journey of the organization’s employees, which began during Little League’s Girls with Game 50 (#GWG50) Celebration (LittleLeague.org/GWG50) in 2024.