STONINGTON LITTLE LEAGUE BYLAWS
ARTICLE I – NAME
This organization shall be known as the “Stonington Little League, Incorporated”.
ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVE
Section l. The object of the Stonington Little League shall be to implant firmly in the children of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage, and respect for authority, so they may be well adjusted, stronger and happier children and will grow to be good, decent, healthy, and trustworthy citizens.
Section 2. To achieve this objective, the Stonington Little League will provide a supervised program under the Rules and Regulations of Little League Baseball, Incorporated. All Directors, Officers, and Members shall bear in mind that attainment of exceptional athletic skill or the winning of games is secondary, and the molding of future citizens is of prime importance. In accordance with Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Stonington Little League shall operate exclusively as a non-profit educational organization providing a supervised program of competitive baseball games. No part of the net earnings shall insure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual; no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and which does not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate of public office.
ARTICLE III – OTHER COMMITTEES
Section 1. Building and Property Committee. The Board of Directors may appoint a Building and Property Committee consisting of three (3) Directors. The Committee shall investigate and recommend available, suitable sites and plans for development, including ways and means, the latter in cooperation with the Finance Committee. It shall be responsible for repair and improvement recommendations, other than normal maintenance, and supervise the performance of approved projects.
Stonington Little League Rules
The following important rules and regulations shall apply to the Stonington Little League complex:
a. No dogs or other pets allowed in the complex, with the exception of service animals.
b. 10 m.p.h. speed limit on league property.
c. Be aware of pedestrians and children.
d. No alcohol or tobacco products.
e. No throwing balls against dugouts.
f. Respect coaches, umpires, and players.
g. Stonington Little League is a baseball/softball facility. No organized lacrosse, soccer, football, or any other non-baseball/softball activity is allowed unless it is considered to be a fundraising activity.
h. Posted Batting Cage rules must be complied with.
i. Parents are responsible for the conduct of their child/children and it is strongly encouraged that children are not left unsupervised at the Stonington Little League complex.
Violation of these rules may result in disciplinary action or action by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IV – PARTICIPATION FEE
Section 1. A reasonable league participation fee may be assessed as the parents’ obligation to assure the operational continuity of the Stonington Little League. There will be an annual review of comparable area little leagues participation fees in order to adjust fees on a year to year basis. At no time should the inability to pay any fee hinder the participation in any league program.
ARTICLE V – MANAGER AND COACHES
Section 1. Team Managers and Coaches shall be appointed annually by their respective Division Director, and be approved by the Board of Directors. Managers shall be responsible for their actions on the field. In addition, Senior and Majors Managers are responsible for the selection of their teams in accordance with established draft procedures of the Rules and Regulations of Little League Baseball, Incorporated, unless there are two (2) or less teams in a division. Minor Managers and the individual Minor team shall be determined by the Minor’s Division Director. It is desirable that the managers and coaches be fathers/mothers of a player on the team. When determining a Manager, factors to be considered include, but are not necessarily limited to:
1. Previous managerial or coaching experience.
2. Past performance (e.g. substantiated letters of complaint, disciplinary actions by the Board of Directors, game ejections) in positions of similar responsibility.
3.Knowledge of the game, Little League rules, and Little League philosophies.
4, Willingness to support the Stonington Little League and promote the philosophies of Little League Baseball.
5. Prior service does NOT guarantee re-appoint.
It shall be the responsibility of each Manager to select their own coach and/or coaches and submit the name of each coach, or coaches, to the respective League Director for appointment and approval by the Board of Directors.
In the event a Manager’s vacancy occurs during the current playing season, a new Manager shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors to finish the current season.
All Managers, Coaches, and league volunteers are required to submit to a background check, in accordance with Little League Rules and Regulations.
Section 2. While holding such office, the President, Player Agent, and Vice President(s) may manage, coach, or umpire in any division, including their respective divisions as well as All-Star tournament play.
Section 3. In addition, to all managerial decisions, the managers shall be responsible for the following:
The distribution of uniforms at the beginning of the season and the collection of uniforms and equipment at season’s end.
Field preparation before the game, and all field maintenance after the game, including, but not limited to: pulling bases, dragging infield, cleaning the dugouts and press box, as well as picking up any garbage.
Each team will be assigned a minimum of one (1) or maximum of two (2) nights to cover the concession stand during the season. Coaches will be responsible for getting enough volunteers to adequately staff the concession stand for an assigned night. In the event a manager cannot cover an assigned night, they must give 24hrs notice to their division director who will then ask for other volunteers from managers within the division.
All efforts will be made to have an annual coach’s clinic to:
1. Review Best Practices when teaching the skills of the game
2. Provide training on field maintenance
3. Review all safety protocols
ARTICLE VI – General Selection of All-Star/Tournament Team Representatives
Section 1. General Selection Criteria
a. Little League Rules and Regulations shall govern the selection of tournament team players. The President or Player Agent shall meet in separate private sessions with the current league managers to select All-Star/Tournament team players. All efforts will be made to include coaches input when selecting the All-Star/Tournament Team Roster.
b. Only those players who satisfy the following criteria shall be eligible for All Star/Tournament play:
1. Must meet criteria as so stated in the Official Rules and Regulations handbook.
2. All league-supplied equipment/uniforms have been returned to a league representative from the prior year.
3. Displayed good sportsmanship on and off the field.
4. May not have declined promotion to the major division
5. Must have played sixty percent (60%) of games during regular season.
6. If an All-Star player quits an All-Star team, he or she may not be eligible to play All-Stars the following year.
c. Subject to appointment by the President and approval by the Board of Directors, the All-Star/Tournament managers shall be selected by the respective Division Director. Subject to appointment by the President and approval by the Board of Directors, the All-Star Tournament managers shall select the coach(s) from the remaining current season’s managers/coaches.
d. Players who don’t return league-supplied uniforms and equipment are not eligible for All-Stars. Managers/coaches who don’t return items for which they are responsible are also not eligible to manage or coach a regular season or All- Star team.
ARTICLE VII – AMENDMENTS
This Constitution and Bylaws may be amended, repealed, or altered in whole or in part by a two-third (2/3) vote at any duly organized meeting of the Members and/or Board of Directors, provided notice of the proposed change is included in the notice of such meeting. All proposed amendments to this Constitution and Bylaws adopted by the Board of Directors and the membership shall be submitted to Little League Baseball, Incorporated for approval before implementation. (Revised November 2025)