What: New board member recruitment meeting

When: Nov. 7, 7 p.m.

Where: Albany Elks Lodge (25 South Allen St.)

Why: Because National needs you!

How: Just show up. It's that easy.

National family,

As we reach the end of Fall Ball and begin to plan for spring, National is in immediate need of new board members to help provide our kids the fun, safe and welcoming baseball season they deserve.

Our ability to recruit new members this off-season will directly determine the quality of the experience we are able to provide our players in April, including our ability to open the concession stand for the many families that love and rely on it.

Right now, we do not have enough board members to complete the many tasks that go into staging a successful season. We are asking for help because many hands make light work.

These tasks include:

• Baseball operations: Assembling teams, recruiting coaches, building schedules and troubleshooting on-field issues   
• Grounds maintenance/project management: Keeping track of needed repairs, recruiting volunteers for projects and organizing/scheduling routine field maintenance
• Concessions management: Team leaders to help open/close concessions and train new volunteers
• Sponsorships: Managing our relationships with sponsors and recruiting new businesses to the National family to help keep registration fees low for families
• Financial management: Keeping track of revenues and expenses and making bank deposits
• Player/family relations: Answering questions from families and assisting with any issues that arise during registration or the season
• Board member on duty: Being present during games to answer questions, ensure everyone is adhering to our code of conduct and handling any emergencies that might occur

Other welcome skills include: graphic design, fundraising and events coordination.

We are asking anyone willing to help to email playbaseball@nllalbany.org as soon as possible and to attend a board member information/orientation at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at the Albany Elks Lodge (25 South Allen St.).

We understand that everyone is busy. But National’s success depends on enough people being able and willing to do a little bit to distribute the responsibilities in a more equitable way.

We know not everyone can join the board. But some of us can, and if you can we ask that you please consider doing so. New voices, ideas and perspectives are always welcome!

Serving on the board also happens to be fun and rewarding. We promise!  But even if it weren’t, a few hours a week is a small price to keep National the special place is has been for so many generations of Albany families.

A relatively small group of dedicated volunteers kept National afloat through the pandemic, but now many of them are moving on as their kids age out of the league. We owe them our gratitude, and it’s up to us keep the tradition of Albany’s original Little League alive for all those following behind us.

We hope to see you on Nov. 7!

Sincerely,

The NLL Board