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Diamond Talk
The official newsletter of Vienna Little League |
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Nats Player to Visit Yeonas Park June 3rd
The Washington Nationals have selected Vienna Little League for a special player visit event – "Donuts & Dingers" – on Saturday, June 3, the final day of the regular season for our Majors, 3A & 2A programs. We have shifted our game schedule to allow all players to attend this Yeonas Park event from 10-11 a.m. at Crabtree Field. After a Q&A session between the Nationals player (TBD) and players from our Minors program, the event will feature a two-round Home Run Derby involving four of the regular-season HR leaders from our Majors program – the top two each from the AL and NL – plus a final round between the youth winner and the Nationals player.
Special Thanks to Our Town & County Government Partners
 VLL could not succeed without the help of a number of employees of the Town of Vienna and Fairfax County. In honor of Public Service Recognition Week, VLL would like to acknowledge the essential contributions of a handful of key local government partners:
The Vienna Parks & Recreation team – specifically Leslie Herman, Brandy Wyatt, and Lily Widman – have been tremendous allies for VLL. Whether they are assisting us with issues on and around the ballfields we use at Glyndon and Southside parks, coordinating our involvement in special events like the July 4th Fireworks or Chillin' on Church, or securing help from town services at Yeonas Park, Leslie, Brandy and Lily routinely go above and beyond to support our baseball programs.
Likewise, VLL depends heavily on the Fairfax County government for access to and maintenance of the fields we practice and play on. Of the 20 fields VLL uses every spring, 14 are county-owned facilities. Lori Barb from the Department of Neighborhood & Community Services works with the league to schedule thousands of hours of field use time every year at county parks and schools. Michael Harris and his team from the Fairfax County Park Authority provide critical financial and labor support for all of our activities at Nottoway Park, including facility repairs, field maintenance, and capital improvements.
Many other public servants in the town and county come to our assistance routinely. Please join us this week in thanking them for contributing to the best youth baseball program in Northern Virginia.
Spectator Decorum Reminder: Keep It Positive
 All spectators at Vienna Little League games are reminded to limit verbal commentary to polite cheering and encouragement of all players. We believe in fostering a lively and competitive atmosphere that loudly celebrates team efforts and accomplishments while also promoting sportsmanship toward both opponents and officials. Parents and other fans are asked to kindly respect the role of our volunteer coaches to provide all in-game instruction and the role of our amateur umpires to make essential judgment calls and enforce rules; please refrain from usurping either role (and consider joining those ranks in the future). By doing so, you help support our 72-year mission to "implant firmly in the children of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and respect for authority." Review the VLL Parent Code of Conduct and the Little League Parent and Volunteer Pledge.
Take Me (But Not Fido) Out to the Ballgame
 Yeonas Park may resemble a public park, but it is not. It is private property, and the safety rules of Little League and our insurance provider require that we strictly prohibit any pets (other than certified service animals) from the confines of VLL ballparks.
So please leave your furry family members behind when you come to watch VLL games. And if you or someone else forgets this rule, please accept a polite reminder and graciously return the dog home.
Thank you.
Missing Something? Picked Up an Item? Let Us Know
 Misplacing or forgetting sports equipment, clothing items, water bottles, etc., is a routine occurrence in youth athletics. If you think your player left something behind or you can't find it, or if you've retrieved an item belonging to someone else around one of our events, you can now report it though our Virtual "Lost & Found" spreadsheet HERE. There is also a physical Lost & Found closet at Yeonas Park. This closet is behind a door that faces the Yeonas parking lot on the back side of the snack bar (it is the second door from the front, left side of the building). It has a combination padlock; ask a manager, umpire, league official, or snack bar worker for the code. When you open the door, the lost-and-found table is on the right side. Feel free to look for missing items or deposit any found items in this closet.
Be Vigilant to Avoid Car Break-Ins
Vienna Police have reported a recent increase in vehicle break-ins, and some of these incidents have occurred around the parks we use. On Saturday, April 29, around noon, the back window of a VLL coach's car was shattered in a smash-and-grab incident in the parking lot of Nottoway Park near Curry Field during a game. The vehicle (a van) was parked adjacent to the woods in the furthest row from the field. If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Vienna Police at 703-255-6366. The Police Department recommends residents always lock their cars in parking lots and secure out of sight any items of value in the vehicle (such as wallets, cash, bags, etc.) that might be attractive to an opportunistic criminal.
Drop Us Your Best VLL Pics All Season Long
 We want to see your photos! Help us document all the memories being made this season by sharing your photos with the league. We plan to feature images of the great baseball action and off-the-field fun in a web album and in our social-media feeds. We will select the best photo in each category at the end of the season, and the winners will receive a fun prize as well as recognition in Diamond Talk.
To submit a photo, please follow these steps, which you can do right from your phone:
1. Visit the following link on the device that has the photo:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/M2Zm89r9HwIsulFI3WQ1 (or go to the VLL website and click on "Submit Photos" under the "Team Central" menu).
2. Click "Add files" and then browse to the "Photo Library" or other photo location.
3. Select the item(s) and click "Add."
4. Provide your name and email address and click "Upload."
Then keep an eye out for your photo to be featured in our season album or other posts.
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