Lower Merion (Pa.) Little League has experienced a 134% increase in registration numbers between the 2018 season and 2024, reversing a decline of 27% from 2013-2017. In a boundary area population of just under 69,000 people, Lower Merion LL has 154 teams registered to play in 2025 across 18 divisions of play, making it the second largest league in the East Region and an established pillar in the community.
To learn more about Lower Merion LL, Little League sat down with Wally Orlov, League President; Dee Berkowitz, League Information Officer; and John Heckman, League Softball Vice President, for a Local League Spotlight, a series of content created to help other leagues learn from each other’s success stories. Below, you will find quotes, along with how Lower Merion LL brings these ideas to life in their communities.
Rally Around Your Community
Wally Orlov (WO): Eight years ago, our league had less than 1,000 players. Now, Lower Merion LL has close to 2,000 registered players and participants. We did an analysis of participation rates among our six public elementary schools, and estimate that 38% of all boys in our elementary schools participate in Lower Merion LL. We not only serve the community, we ARE the community. Lower Merion LL offers a broad menu of great programs for our players. Our dramatic growth is due to our highly inclusive and positive culture. We offer a breadth of programs, including many baseball and softball clinics throughout the year, a strong Challenger program for our special needs community, and specific teams for our Orthodox Jewish members. Our success results from a focus on inclusivity AND FUN throughout our league.
- To bring the Little League community together and thank the players and volunteers throughout the season, Lower Merion LL hosts ice cream truck days.
Recruiting Volunteers
John Heckman (JH): In our first year offering Softball Tee Ball, we received registrations from 60 girls, but only five coaches volunteered. We then asked the high school softball team to come out and bring their players to supplement the coaches. That worked out really well. It helped the volunteers feel more comfortable coaching the girls, but it also gave our younger girls a chance to have other role models from our own community who are experienced in the game. Since then, we have gotten more and more coaches and volunte ers, but we have continued to have those high school girls join us to keep that mentoring relationship that we think is kind of unique and special for these girls.
WO: We have an average of one volunteer for every five players, or about 2.5 coaches volunteering per team . We have 350 volunteers in total. We have worked to change the mindset from a rental mentality, where parents just drop their child off for practice, to ownership where parents are committed and involved . We have made strong progress on this goal. In past seasons, if we had 12 teams in any division, we might need to go out and recruit coaches for the 11th or 12th team. Now we have many instances where w e assign 3-4 coaches per team due to a broad increase in parent volunteerism . Because we truly believe in inclusion and not just for the kids, our motto is “the more the merrier ”. That’s helped us significantly improve the quality of coaches for each team as well and deepen the support each volunteer coach gets.
- Teens 13 and older also have the opportunity to register for Lower Merion LL’s Junior Umpire program to stay involved and establish a mentor relationship with current players. This year we have 70 players registered in our Junior Umpire program . For most, this is their first job, and the pay is very good !
The Importance of Communication
WO : Communication is at the core of what we do. We probably over-communicate with our members. We hear time and again that parents appreciate this because of busy family schedules . Many kids participate in a wide range of sports and activities, so we always try to let parents know what’s going to help with schedule planning. Our view is if you focus on quality, details, a fun experience, are apolitical, have a super positive environment (which is the core of what we do), and have constant communication, then you’ll have a successful league.
Dee Berkowitz (DW): The parents take communication very seriously, which is great, because as a parent, you want to know what’s going on around the league. You want to know when picture day is, you want to feel the excitement of the entire league, and you feel like you’re a part of something that’s really special. And you are. So now, as a current parent who is also administering our league’s communication, I feel the importance of that. We try to stay on top of everything. We’re trying to bump up our social media presence a little bit to get into the year 2025. We’re all volunteers, so we do what we can.
- In addition to day-to-day communication, Lower Merion LL also sends out a newsletter to parents and volunteers in the program. Each league officer writes a portion of the newsletter that relates to their role, creating a teamwork-driven product that is both fun and informative.
Sandlot Fun Days
WO : In 2023, we launched the summer sandlot program and had 296 kids sign up. Then, in 2024, we had 314 kids sign up on top of forming teams to play in the tournament season in our area. Using the Little League Sandlot Fun Days program , we just made it easy and free. We’d set up a Google sheet for parents to sign up their kids, and LMLL would have a team for every age group. It’s free, it’s easy, and the kids are in charge. A lot of the feedback I’ve gotten is that the kids love this program the most because there’s no pressure. They can play any position they want. They don’t have anybody to impress or hold them to high expectations except their peers. It’s just very fun .
Growing Your Softball Program
JH : When my daughter started in softball in second grade, girls from kindergarten through third grade were all in one big division, unless you wanted to play Baseball Tee Ball with the boys. We certainly still have some girls play Tee Ball with the boys, and we don’t discourage that, but what we’ve done over a number of years is we’ve gradually built up the divisions for softball. So now, for example, we have about 60-70 girls playing Softball Tee Ball, and we have first-, second-, and third-grade girls in separate softball divisions.
I’d say 50-60% of our softball girls play in the fall as well as the spring, and we’ve also added optional winter workouts for a separate fee over the past few years, where we bring in outside trainers and give those girls who want it a little bit more experience. We’ve also introduced some summer camps in the last couple of years. All those things together have helped make it a really strong program that’s flexible for the girls to get what they want.
- In 2019, Lower Merion LL had 130 registered softball players. Six years later, our Spring 2025 season featured 371 softball players across the seven divisions of play.
Advice for Other Leagues
WO : First, focus on all of the kids, not just your best kids. Two, drive politics out of your league. We often say we run the league for the kids, not the adults . Avoid conflicts of interest. The league has to be viewed as fair and transparent, even to the point of overdoing it. A successful league should also embrace technology. Everyone in your league should know what’s going on. For an up-and-coming league, if you’re fair, you communicate, and you’re positive, it should lead to growth and improved results.
To learn more about the Little League ® program and find a league in your community, visit PlayLittleLeague.org .
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