Player membership registration is one of the major events to start Owego Little League’s (OLL) 61st season at Hyde Park. What’s unique for OLL is there never has been a signup fee for players of Little League Baseball, Tee Ball or ASA Girls Softball. Parent volunteerism and a generous community are the keys.

Player Agent Karen Vinti has scheduled three sign up sessions at the Central Fire Station on North Avenue across the street from John’s Fine Foods. League officials encourage early registrations.

Parents may sign up their sons or daughters for Tee Ball, Baseball, Girls Softball or Teener Baseball from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Saturday, Jan. 28, and Saturday, Feb. 5. Last chance to sign up is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Why is it important to sign up on one of these three dates? VP Baseball Chris Rieg, VP Softball Mark Warfle and VP Teener League Mark Felice must organize teams by age and division, ensure uniform availability, line up managers and coaches, recruit umpires and prepare for the player drafts.

Parents are encouraged to get more details by reading the OLL Sign Up advertisement in today’s Pennysaver or from Webmaster Eric Hawkins on the OLL website (www.eteamz.com/owego).

Volunteer Tasks

President Ken Winters says the league is run entirely by volunteers and Treasurer Steve Lounsberry says he depends on sponsors for teams and outfield billboards.

Parents may sign up for Volunteer Tasks when registering their child.

Secretary and Uniform Manager Brandy Beach says Team Support Roles include uniform parent, team parent, scorekeeper parent, safety parent, information parent, field parent, coach and manager.

Equipment Managers Dan Martin and Andy Hafer say OLL Support roles include umpire, uniforms, special events like opening day, registration, equipment, concessions, other talent and skills you’d like to share.

Write 61-year history

The World of Local Sports Harbors a Million Memories. There are 61 years of special memories in Owego Little League. This is a call for those memories – “In Your Own Words.” Email to jraftis2@stny.rr.com.

Volunteers are needed to research and write “OLL Look Back” stories of interest to them. Steve Lawrence has volunteered to gather material from all sources to write a composite history of Owego Girls Softball. Contributors from their eras will include Mark Warfle, Rocky Conte, Joe Fuller and others.

OLL Homepage

Now is the time two add two Little League websites – www.eteamz.com/owego for Owego Little League and www.littleleague.org for Williamsport International Little League – to your Favorites.

Webmaster Eric Hawkins has posted these local stories on www.eteamz.com/owego: OLL Not Eligible for FEMA Aid, Thank You to the Floyd Hooker Foundation, 2012 Sign Up Details, Pictures of Hyde Park’s 2011 Flooding, Bat Rules Before Buying a Bat, Understanding the Uncaught Third Strike Rule and Rule Changes in the Majors (National) for 2012.

Williamsport online at www.littleleague.org has stories for Players, Parents, Coaches and Managers, Umpires and League Officers. There’s special material for Coaches, Umpires and Softball.

What’s important now is the video for the Little League Coach Resource Center. This provides the Little League Baseball and Softball Coach or Managers with the tools they need to be effective leaders of children, to run efficient and productive practices, and to teach children the baseball or softball skills they need to be able to excel