80-Year-Old Little League Volunteer Young at Heart
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Alice O'Neil, who last year celebrated her 80th birthday and was selected to her fourth three-year term as Massachusetts District 16 Administrator, was recently highlighted on Littleleague.org. Her story demonstrates patience and enthusiasm for today's generation of Little Leaguers and that feeling young is a state of mind:
Serving as DA since 1993, Mrs. O'Neil has been a Little League volunteer for 40 years. Starting in 1966, she kept the scorebook for her husband, Edmund, who was a long-time coach and manager in the East Lynn (Mass.) Little League before his passing in 1999.
"I started as scorekeeper on account of my son," Mrs. O'Neil said. "Patrick (O'Neil) played Little League through Senior Division for my husband who managed in Little League for 28 years." That first year made such a profound impression on Mrs. O'Neil that keeping the book became just one of her many Little League-related duties. She was East Lynn's player agent for eight years, and later served as the district's director for Junior, Senior and Big League baseball.
"When my son was growing up, you couldn't get near the fields because there was so much support from family and friends," Mrs. O'Neil said. She now has six grandchildren (five boys, one girl) who are all Little League graduates. "That not the case so much anymore, because kids are doing so much more now and the parents are not around as much."
"I enjoy working with kids," Mrs. O'Neil said. "Even though times have changed since I first got into Little League, I still talk to leagues personally and keep involved by attending meetings each month with the league presidents."
Administering to a district that services nearly 5,000 children would seem like a daunting task for an 80-year-old grandmother, but Mrs. O'Neil is quick to point out that her staff is experienced and understanding of what it takes to run a local league and district efficiently.
For her staff, and the district at large, having patience has proven to be the linchpin for success, Mrs. O'Neil said. "If there is chance to give some advice to a new DA, I'd say be patient with your staff and your leagues, and always make sure you know someone who knows the rules."
In related Little League news, Little League International has signed an eight year television contract with ESPN that will expand national coverage to include all eight of its baseball and softball world series tournaments as announced by Stephen D. Keener, president and chief executive officer of Little League Baseball and Softball.
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