First of all, I would be remiss if I did not thank the Board of Directors for their support and hard work during the year; these people are the real “heroes”.  As President I simply, along with the approval of the Board, delegate duties and responsibilities to various Board members.  The Board members take their duties and responsibilities very seriously and always try to do what is best for the league.  You may not always agree with their decisions but always remember that they are doing what is in the best interest of the league. The fact that many Board members have been on the Board for several years speaks volumes to their commitment and dedication to our slo-pitch league.  

My past year as President has been very enjoyable for the most part.  I have been President of several organizations, and I know that our Board members, me included, will be criticized from time to time for decisions that we make on your behalf.  We always try to make decisions that will benefit you, the players in our league.  If we find that one or more of our decisions are not well received by the players, then we adjust as needed.  

Unfortunately, we have some players (luckily a very small minority) who continually like to criticize the Board for their decisions and spread their discontent to their fellow players. As President I can accept criticism of myself and that of my fellow Board members when “warranted”.   What irritates me is the spreading of false information about the board and its’ members. As President, for example, I have been accused of making decisions arbitrarily without consulting the Board. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.  I, as President, do not even have a vote.  As president I simply carry out the decisions made by a majority vote of the Board members.  The President may be the “face” of the Board but in no way the decision maker or decision influencer.  The Board is the ultimate decision maker.  All decisions are decided by a majority vote of the members, not just one or two members.  To be told otherwise is false and misleading and detrimental to the wellbeing of our league.

I have not decided whether to run for a second term even though for the most part it has been a very enjoyable experience.  I can accept criticism when it is warranted.  The same is true with other Board members.  The only thing that I/we would ask, that going forward, if you are told certain things about the Board in general or about any Board member including the President, please contact the President directly.  Do not believe everything you hear. The President will give you the true facts and the reasoning behind the decisions made by the Board.  You may not agree but at least you will have the facts not hearsay, lies or innuendos.  

In closing I truly believe that the vast majority of our players are very supportive and agree with the decisions made by the Board on their behalf.  These same people also believe that if decisions are not being well received, the Board will take immediate action to rectify the situation.  Also, these same people realize that the Board members put a lot of work and effort into making our league the “best it can be”.

Have a great off-season and hopefully you plan and are able return to play for another season of WECSSO Summer slo-pitch. Also, remember if you want to know the latest happenings regarding our league, go to our much improved and up-to-date website.  

Ron Ottogalli 

President