Madeira Youth Wiffleball League

The Madeira Youth Wiffleball League, sometimes shortened as the MYWL, is a summer Wiffle Ball league for children in the Madeira, Ohio area. The League is known on the national level as Andrew Benintendi, current player for the Boston Red Sox, played in the League. The League was founded in 1988 and is open to children entering the 4th to 9th grades.
Organizational structure
The MYWL is funded, operated, and promoted by the City of Madeira. The Madeira Parks and Recreation Department, headquartered at Dawson Park, organizes and oversees the daily operations of the MYWL. The City of Madeira selects two to three high school or college aged employees, known as "Umpires" or "Safety Green" due to the color of their uniforms, to direct all aspects of the MYWL. These responsibilities include promoting the league, choosing rosters, working with team captains, umpiring each game, keeping statistics, keeping a daily news record, setting up and tearing down the wiffleball fields every day, and a plethora of other tasks. In the early years of the MYWL, the roles of the Safety Green were less defined than in modern administrations. Since 2010, the primary roles of the three Umpires have become clear and established.
Primary management
* Commissioner of Wiffleball - The head of the MYWL, the Commissioner of Wiffleball is the chief officer of the Safety Green. The title is usually given to the Umpire with the most years as a member of the Safety Green. Although the Safety Green traditionally make decisions unanimously in major league decisions, the Commissioner has the final say on all wiffleball related matters.
* Director of Wiffleball Activities - The Director of Wiffleball Activities is often, but not always, the second officer of the Safety Green. The Director of Wiffleball Activities is primarily responsible for the day-to-day operations of wiffleball games. Relevant aspects of these operations include maintaining and overseeing the integrity of the fields, in-game calls, and controlling the social atmosphere of the games.
* Dean of Players - The Dean of Players is sometimes, but not always, the third officer of the Safety Green. The Dean of Players is known for being an ally between the Players Union and the Safety Green. Often known for approachability, the Dean of Players is tasked with maintaining the relationship between the Umpires and the teams. The Dean of Players is also often responsible for any major face to face interactions with parents of the players.
Ancillary roles
Other ancillary roles have developed amongst the organizational leadership of the MYWL in recent years. More and more needs have emerged since a general spike in league attendance in the mid-2000s. These roles are assigned to whichever Safety Green is most qualified on a yearly basis.
* Chief Medical Specialist - The Chief Medical Specialist is in charge of any safety and health related issues on a daily basis. This includes all injuries, freak accidents, illness, and inter-player fighting ailments.
* Head of Player Discipline - The Head of Player Discipline is responsible along with the Commissioner to decide the lengths of suspensions as well as being the primary decision maker in general punishments.
Board of Directors
Outside of the daily operation management of the MYWL, there also exists a Board of Directors consisting of previous and current MYWL employees and players. This Board is in charge of doing year round work on updating and perfecting the MYWL brand and the integrity of the game of wiffleball. The current Chairman of the MYWL Board of Directors is Alex Hertlein.
League Arrangement
Games are played Monday through Thursday each week in June and July. The League is configured much like Major League Baseball with two leagues, National and American. An All-star break occurs as select players prepare and take part in the All-star game and Homerun Derby. An end of season tournament, resembling the World Series, occurs as the winners of each league face off in a series of games for the title.
Rules
Each game consists of 5 innings. Games are to be completed within the hour and fifteen minute time slots they are given and are umpired by the umpires chosen by the City of Madeira. Umpires are in charge of calling strikes, keeping the book statistics (which are later entered into the large database of player statistics), and making the decision on outs. In an at-bat, Major League Baseball rules apply, excepting that there are unlimited balls, thus no walks. Three outs are given to each team per inning.
Regulations
Certain regulations have been put in place to ensure a safe, enjoyable time for all.
* Foul language or back talk to the umpires is strictly prohibited.
* Wiffle Balls must never be scuffed to maximize pitching curve.
Press
The League also has a Facebook group named Madeira Youth Wiffleball League (MYWL). The League has appeared in the The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Suburban Life, as well as WLWT.

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