Cuyahoga Falls Little League Season Wraps Up

Cuyahoga Falls Little League North President Tom Morehouse has experienced every possible issue during his tenure.

Between scheduling conflicts, finding playing fields for teams and trying to attract kids to the game of baseball, Morehouse has seen it all

The North league finished regular season play this month as 27 teams competed in the league’s five divisions. Close to 300 kids make up the five division league, which starts at tee ball and ends in the majors.

Every summer, Morehouse sets three goals for the league that have one theme-enjoyment.

“The biggest thing is to get kids to learn the fundamentals of baseball, get them out there and having fun and wanting them to come back next year,” Morehouse said. “If those three things can happen to me, it would be a success.”

While 2011 has brought the same amount of players as previous years, the league struggled with countless rain outs and tornado warnings that hit Cuyahoga Falls during the spring.

Morehouse recalled one occasion where crowds were forced to flee from the field when a tornado warning occurred. Kids went weeks without playing and forced the league to cancel a tournament that is held annually on Father’s Day.

“It was horrible this year,” Morehouse said. “I’ve never seen a spring like this.”

While problems arose continuously this spring, the kids continued to play through it all. Morehouse said the league’s participation was high despite coinciding with soccer season and other activities.

“I love what we do,” Morehouse said. “The structure of little league baseball is like American Apple Pie. Kids are branching out to all kinds of new stuff now, but there’s something about baseball that brings it all back home.”

Morehouse said that while the league’s structure is what makes it different than soccer, he said the relationships that kids form with other players is what satisfies him the most.

Kids from every community in the North’s district in Cuyahoga Falls come together to play on the same teams.

“They come there, play baseball,” Morehouse said. “You have friends you wouldn’t normally have without little league baseball. To me, that’s one of the biggest outcomes that we have with our little league baseball. It brings the community together and lets the kids get out.”

Cuyahoga Falls’ South division is very similar to its counterpart. The league is comprised of five divisions-tee ball, farm ball, minors, juniors and majors.