The safety of all Little League® players, volunteers, and fans is of upmost importance for Little League International. In 1995, Little League established the A Safety Awareness Program (ASAP), to encourage local Little League programs to create safety plans specific to their facilities and league. This plan would be used to help guide that league to a successful year.
With the support of Musco Sports Lighting and AIG Insurance, Little League recognizes those leagues who go above and beyond with their ASAP plans each year. At an annual luncheon during the Little League World Series, two leagues from each of the five United States regions are recognized for their participation in the ASAP program. Little League District Administrators are also recognized for their work in helping local leagues create their ASAP plans.
This year, the 10 leagues receiving recognition are:
Eastern Region:
Horseheads Little League (Horseheads N.Y.) and Swansea Little League (Swansea, Mass.)
Central Region:
Gull Lake Little League (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and Northcentral Little League (Milwaukee, Wisc.)
Southeastern Region:
Central Springfield (Springfield, Va.) and Capital-Midwestern Little League (Charleston, W.V.)
Southwestern Region:
High Plains Little League (Falcon, Colo.) and Highlands Little League (Highlands, Texas)
Western Region
Chino American Little League (Chino, Calif.) and Concord American Little League (Concord, Calif.)
Horseheads Little League (Horseheads, N.Y.) was named the National ASAP Award Winner and received a Musco Light Structure Green™ lighting system for a 200-foot field for the honor.
ASAP encourages Little League volunteers to submit details of successful safety programs that have been adopted in their league so ideas can be shared nationwide. The program enables local leagues to share concepts and methods of addressing safety issues and help provide possible solutions to safety concerns. Since the inception of the ASAP program, the number of injuries reported has been reduced by 75 percent, and 86 percent of all Little League programs submit ASAP plans each year.
For more on ASAP and how your league can get involved and have a chance to win an ASAP Award and a new Musco Light Structure Green lighting system, visit LittleLeague.org/ASAP.