An extra division allows more to participate, and a new district reduces the distance between teams.
By STEVE LEE
Published June 25, 2004
LAND O'LAKES - Annual changes to Little League all-star rosters are a given as baseball and softball players move up and, eventually, out of their respective programs.
A closer look - more or less - reveals a few other differences this season. More is the addition of an 11-year-old Baseball all-star division, and less is distances to be traveled by teams in a new district.
Little League officials in Williamsport, Pa., gave local leagues the option of including an 11-year-old division in this year's tournaments. In Pasco County, all but Hudson incorporated the new division with Land O'Lakes fielding two all-star teams, American and National, for 11-year-olds.
Before this season, ages 11 and 12 formed Major Baseball All-Star teams.
"It gives more kids an opportunity to participate in all-stars, so I don't see a problem with it," said Land O'Lakes vice president Randy Austin, adding 11-year-olds "might have made the (majors) all-star team, but you weren't going to have very many."
Kent Burgan, who coaches Shady Hills' 9-10 Baseball All-Stars, concurred, saying the new division allows more 11-year-olds to play in the postseason.
"I think it's nice because some of these poor kids never get a chance," he said.
Not all parents, however, are enamored with Little League's most recent addition.
"It's got pros and cons," said Jan Spivey, a former president of Zephyrhills. "I think you're going to see a lot of parents say, "We've got a 10-year-old. Why can't he be in a 10-year-old division?' I think we've opened up a can of worms."
As for geographics, Dade City, Land O'Lakes and Zephyrhills will field teams in the newly created District 25. Land O'Lakes formerly played primarily Hillsborough County teams south of Brandon in District 13 while Dade City and Zephyrhills took on District 4 foes mostly from Polk County.
Now those Pasco groups are united with Antioch, New Tampa, Seminole and Temple Terrace.
"It keeps us from going to Lake Wales every year," Spivey said.
"We used to have to go way down as far as East Bay, which is as far as Apollo Beach and could take an hour," Austin said. "From our ballpark, most of the teams are within a half hour, 45 minutes, which makes it kind of nice."
