If your son or daughter is one of the 1,400 boys and girls who participate in West Madison Little League (WMLL), you probably know Bill. He’s been a fixture there for more than two decades.

Back in 1995, Bill started helping his brother Bob, coach one of the teams. Four years later, he was elected to the Board of Directors and served as President of the Board. He retired from his day job in 2007 and took on the newly created role of part-time Executive Director for WMLL.

Bill had a vision — to create a new opportunity for kids who couldn’t play organized sports. Kids with wheelchairs, crutches, and oxygen tanks. Kids who had never heard their name announced over a ballpark loudspeaker. Kids who had never stepped to home plate to sound of their own walk-on music and the applause of encouraging fans.

So, in 2009, Bill organized the WMLL Challenger League for children with disabilities. 

As a result of his leadership, families now gather at the immaculately manicured Little League field for some very special games each fall. They stand for the national anthem and introduce the starting lineups, just like in the big leagues. Except there are no outs, and everybody gets a chance at bat. Nobody keeps score, but everybody wins. 

I had the pleasure of joining Bill in the announcer’s booth during many of these games, when my daughter Lily was a Challenger. I saw joy in the faces of children and their families. I saw other Little League players assist the Challengers,  learning the value of community involvement and compassion in the process. I saw Bill beaming with pride.

Bill recently decided to retire from his executive director position. Not surprisingly, the WMLL board invited his extended family to the annual awards dinner, where they would honor his service. Bill was expecting the perfunctory wooden plaque, trophy, or embroidered jacket. Instead, he was very surprised to hear that the major baseball field would be named in his honor. He gets choked up every time he talks about that evening.