Protecting the boys of summer

Oct 1, 1999 12:00 PM, Carey Adams

In the warm afternoon sun of Williamsport, Pa., eight Little League baseball teams from around the world battle in a double-elimination tournament. The winner will claim the 1999 Little League World Series title.

While the nearly 200 children, ages 9-11 years old, are having fun playing in the tournament, behind the scenes a lot of anxious tournament officials are working hard to keep count on the number of players and support staff involved in the games - nearly 1,000 people. Little League officials are first and foremost concerned about the safety of the young ball players.

Besides keeping watch on the children while they interact during and after games, security officials have to keep watch on the thousands of family members and fans who have come to watch and cheer for their favorite teams.

"With so many people involved from around the world, security is a priority. If you lose one child, you have a major international incident on your hands," says Tom Steg, president of DEI Inc.

All players, coaches and managers are required to stay at "International Grove," a dormitory on the grounds of the Little League World Series site. Although the dormitory is restricted to only players, coaches and support staff, family and friends of the players have attempted to gain access. No major violations have occurred over the years, but Little League officials have been forced to take action.

"We previously had access badges that coaches and managers would wear around their neck, but the players did not have any badge," says Lance Van Auken, director of media relations for the Little League World Series. "The players would get in and out by wearing their World Series cap."

According to Van Auken, tournament officials realized wearing of caps was not the best way to control access to the dormitory.

In 1998 Little League security officials put together laminated photo identification badges for the players, coaches and staff to help identify who should be inside the dormitory. But the badging material was similar to paper, and the photo identification was not up to the quality that Little League officials wanted.

"We were contacted by Little League about how we could help in providing some type of badging system," Steg says. "They said they wanted to be proactive in providing security for the future."

The future includes the Little League World Series expanding from an eight-team playoff to a 16-team playoff format in 2001. The expansion will double the number of people attending the annual tournament.

The Little League organization is non-profit with no budget to support any security implementation.

"That can present a challenge, but we figured out a way to get around it," says Ray Bartholow, executive vice president of DEI. "We wanted to help them protect the children."

Little League officials agreed to give DEI some publicity during the one-week tournament in exchange for the company providing an identification badging system.

Steg says providing a badging system for Little League was no problem; the company has also provided badging and security for larger venues, such as Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

DEI officials contacted Pittsford, N.Y.-based Lenel Systems and Nisca, a Somerset, N.J.-based company that provides ID printers.

"Everyone we contacted was more than willing to help out and donate whatever equipment they could to provide the security to the Little League World Series," Steg says.

Lenel donated ID management software, while Nisca provided a badging/ ID printer. DEI completed the partnership by providing a card and badge. DEI also created a database that included vital statistics on the players, similar to a baseball card.

"We wanted to have all their vital statistics, so they could be easily identified," says Mike Jacobs, a DEI security representative who helped design the ID badges.

According to Jacobs, between 700 and 1,000 badges were made days before the tournament was scheduled to begin. More than 500 badges were produced for Little League security and support staff.

"There is now a way to identify who should be in the facilities and who should not," says Bartholow. "You have areas such as the dining hall where family isn't allowed because free meals are being served. The badges easily identify who should be in certain areas."

The badges must be shown to security guards at the entrances of the dormitory.

Little League officials say the badges also provide a way for children to escape to a place of peace and quiet.

"This allows them to get away from the crowds and the media and keep them focused on the tournament," says Van Auken. "The kids also love the badges."

According to Bartholow, DEI plans to expand its relationship with Little League by providing more security in the future.

"We are going to see if we can do some different things next year," Bartholow says.

Van Auken says Little League may use the badges to limit access to other areas of the Williamsport facility, which includes eight baseball fields and media center areas.

Future badging for Little League will include vital statistics such as medical history, emergency contacts, etc.

"The whole idea is to protect the children and we are going to help do that," Bartholow says.

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© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

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