NCLL proving to be a hit with Milwaukee and Wauwatosa families

April 1 last week marked an unofficial national holiday: Opening Day. After baseball’s annual five-month hiatus, a new season has begun, awaking new hopes and old memories.

For me, it was simply walking up the concrete hallways at Milwaukee County Stadium and slowly watching the field appear before my eyes. The diamond looked so big and beautiful (it still does). For others, it might be a foul ball that they snagged, a dramatic comeback sealed with a walk-off home run or something as simple as playing catch during a parking lot tailgate.

But for some young fans, their fondest baseball memories aren’t made at major league stadiums. They’re made at little diamonds scattered throughout the city, at places like Columbus Park or Madison Park, where victories are won, lessons are learned and copious amounts of Gatorade and Big League Chew bubble gum are consumed.

That’s where little leagues, like North Central Little League (NCLL), come in.

NCLL is the largest youth baseball league in the city of Milwaukee, though its borders also stretch into the Wauwatosa area. The league was started back in 1977 by co-founders Al and Mary Hirn. With their own money and 34 families, they formed the official Little League organization. Now, entering their 36th season, the 100 percent volunteer-run league has gone up to about 650 kids, spread across 55 teams in five age divisions.

"It’s a major undertaking, but it’s totally worth it," said Rich Eckert, the president of the NCLL. "I have a great board and great volunteers, and everybody pitches in. We’re tired when it’s over, but it’s worth it when you hand out those trophies at the end and see how happy the kids are."

Eckert is a New Jersey native who moved to Milwaukee 22 years ago for a job and never left. He always wanted his kids to play little league, so when the time came ten years ago, he joined and volunteered as a T-Ball coach. He eventually joined the board and moved up the ranks until he became only the league’s fourth president.

Even just in that ten-year time, however, Eckert has seen the league grow and evolve. In 2011, NCLL hosted its first Home Run Derby, and last year, it hosted its first Little League Playoff Tournament. This year’s big addition is one of NCLL’s biggest yet: the opening of its new headquarters at Madison Field this spring. Some of the league’s smaller additions or changes, such as simply adopting an online system for sign-up and notifications, have been just as crucial to the league’s success.

"You have to change with the times," Eckert said. "I think a lot of leagues aren’t doing that, and they’re losing people."

In order to keep games organized and competitive but also fun and safe, NCLL follows the rules – "a lot of rules," according to Eckert – of Little League International. NCLL was even a pilot league to test a new rule involving pitch counts for pitchers.

"Obviously kids want to pitch the whole game, but it’s for their benefit," Eckert said. "It’s to save their arms. This is the fourth year doing it, and now it’s just what you do. In that first year, though, it was difficult."

Working with Little League International also means that at the end of the season, there is a chance for NCLL teams to move onto the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. According to Eckert, the closest an NCLL team has gotten to Williamsport was its majors team – the division for ages 11 and 12 – back in 1989, which made it through the district and state rounds only to get tripped up in the regional round. In his ten years with NCLL, several teams have made it far but never quite to the World Series.

In the past, some sports commentators and parents have called out the Little League World Series – and especially its high-profile coverage on ESPN – for putting too much pressure on kids. Eckert believes being competitive isn’t something kids should fear.

"I think every single kid who plays little league baseball wants to be on that mound and on that TV," Eckert said. "We get a huge spike if an American team does well because that’s what kids want. I think a generation got lost by thinking winning and competition is bad, and it’s not. You just have to do it the right way. We used to not post standings, and once we went online, I said, ‘Kids know what their records are. Why don’t we just post them?’" 

While competition is definitely an element of NCLL, it certainly isn’t the only thing. On the league’s official website, the listing of the divisions notes which leagues are or are not competitively focused, and Eckert himself discussed how "too much baseball" can be harmful to growing kids. Instead, Eckert emphasizes the league’s roots: community and a love for baseball.

For example, co-founder Mary Hirn believed every child should be able to play little league baseball, so she would often take money out of her own pocket so kids could play in NCLL. When she passed away in 2010, NCLL continued her legacy of not turning anyone away by creating the Mary Hirn Fund, which helps struggling families pay the league’s admittance fees.

"We target kids and families who are able to give back," Eckert said. "We’re not just giving out a handout. We want them to be able to give back to the league and to the community."

In addition, NCLL hosts a golf outing in honor of coach Chris Nygro, who tragically died in 2011. The proceeds from the outing help fund the Chris’ Care Package, which helps provide baseball equipment for families that can’t afford it.

"It’s about more than just baseball," Eckert said. "That’s why I love our league. You look onto the field and see kids of all different races and all different economic levels. We have kids who come from very well-off families and kids with barely a roof over their heads. When you’re on a baseball field, it doesn’t really matter."

The NCLL community, one that’s been passed down for more than three decades, just adds to Eckert’s love and adoration for the sport of baseball. While football has somewhat overtaken baseball as America’s sport, for Eckert, there’s no contest.

"Baseball is the greatest spectator sport because the most interesting and exciting things happen between pitches," Eckert said. "You have time to talk about the game. I remember going to Shea Stadium with my dad and just learning about baseball, like you’ll be able to do with your kids, and they’ll be able to do that with their kids. The game hasn’t changed. It’s a perfect game."