Hello! I'm Jim Dean, and as of October 2005, I am the new District Administrator for Little League Ontario District 2. I've been asked to write this page to introduce myself.
My first exposure to Little League was in 1970, when I played in what was then called “Carlingwood Little League”. I played Little League baseball in both Ottawa and in Halifax until I was 16. Skipping ahead many years, I returned to the Little League fold as a father to a son and a daughter in Pinecrest Little League, starting in 1995. Since then, I've been a coach, a scorekeeper, a manager, and a veritable “utility man” of a volunteer.
I'm also a baseball nut. For example, I am a game-day employee of the Ottawa Lynx, for whom I've run the scoreboard since Day One back in 1993. I played in the National Capital Baseball League from 1983 to 1996. In fact, I was president of that league for the 5 seasons 1989-1993, during which time I grew it from 11 teams to 34 teams. I hope I can bring some of the things I learned from that experience to the D.A. position.
So, what does a D.A. do? The D.A. is not involved in the day-to-day operation of an individual League. Rather, the role of the D.A. is to co-ordinate the activities of the different Leagues in the District where more than one League is affected. This means working with the Leagues to make sure boundaries are set and respected. And it means coordinating several important events throughout the year, such as the Little League Road Show, an interlocking summer schedule, and any provincial championship tournaments held in our district.
District 2 is approximately "Ottawa West", which means Ottawa and area west of the Rideau River, out to West Carleton and Arnprior. The Presidents of the leagues in this area form an Executive Board to run things in the District, while the D.A. serves as a sort of Chairman of the Board. The board is assisted by its District Umpire Consultant, and the Assistant D.A.
Following in the footsteps of Glen Bradley, our previous D.A., is a daunting challenge. Fortunately for all of us, but especially for me, Glen is still with us as our Assistant D.A., ensuring a smooth, consistent, and effective transition. Equally as important to me and to the District, Ken Allen continues as our District Umpire Consultant, webmaster, and my sounding board.
I ask you to bear with me as I grow into this role. If you have suggestions or questions for me, or would like to help the District or your League in some way, including by volunteering at one of our events, please send an e-mail to me at: jimdean@littleleague.ca
Yours in Baseball,
Jim Dean,
District Administrator,
Little League Ontario District 2