The safety and well-being of all participants in the Little League Program has always been a top priority, and since 1995, Little League® and Musco Lighting have partnered in the A Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) to help local leagues and districts in the United States create the safest environment possible for players, volunteers, and fans. This year, Little League is once again honored to recognize the top two leagues from each U.S. Region for their commitment to the safety and well-being of their players with the presentation of the 2022 ASAP Awards.
Below are the 10 local Little League programs honored as Region Winners in 2022:
Central Region:
- Grand Island (Neb.) Little League
- Ankeny (Iowa) Little League
East Region:
- Banneker City Little League (Washington, D.C.)
- Sunnybrae Little League (Yardville, N.J.)
Southeast Region:
- Greater West Melbourne (Fla.) Little League
- Central Loudoun Little League (Leesburg, Va.)
Southwest Region:
- Arlington (Texas) Little League
- Northwest Little League (Austin, Texas)
West Region
- San Francisco Little League (San Francisco, Calif.)
- Alcoa Little League (Vancouver, Wash.)
The top winner from each of Little League’s five U.S. regions is awarded a cash prize. From these recognized leagues, Banneker City Little League in Washington, D.C., was also named the recipient of the national award and will be provided with a complete Musco Lighting system for a 200-foot field.
A program within the Little League Urban Initiative, which provides opportunities for communities in underserved communities to reap the benefits of having local Little League programs in their neighborhoods, Banneker City Little League has been focused on providing a fun, safe, and memorable opportunity for children within their community since they first chartered with Little League in 2010.
In its more than 25 years, ASAP has helped to increase overall safety awareness, reduce injuries by 80%, and lowered insurance costs for participating leagues. Those results alone demonstrate the “win-win” nature of the program and the positive impact it has had for Little League communities. As part of the ASAP program, local Little Leagues are encouraged to create and implement a safety manual containing 15 basic requirements, with the idea that this basic safety plan can be expanded and enhanced to meet the needs of the individual league.
Little League International will begin accepting safety plans for the 2023 season on December 1, 2022, through the Little League Data Center. If a league is not already participating in ASAP and would like information on how to create or implement a safety plan, please contact Christina Taddeo, 570-326-1921 ext. 2255; or [email protected]. To learn more about the Little League ASAP Program, visit LittleLeague.org/ASAP.