Martin Thompson is the man you'll need to contact if you have any questions regarding one of the Maryland District 5 Little League All-Star tournaments. He's expecting your call. Thompson is in his 24th season as district administrator. Along with his staff, he's responsible for operating the 10 District 5 tournaments and any state tournament hosted by a district league. While Thompson is happy to address any questions and concerns during All-Stars time, he spends the other 11 months of the year working to make sure there are as few issues as possible. Thompson gets about six calls a day during the tournaments, considerably more if the weather is questionable. His proactive approach pays dividends but some disputes are bound to arise and it's Thompson's job to mediate. "I've learned you have to be diplomatic," he said. "If you set the tone, it goes from there. I prefer to talk one-on-one as adults and work things out for the betterment of the children." He makes sure he's visible during tournament play, daily making the circuit between all six of the District 5 Little Leagues – Havre de Grace, Perryville, North East, Rising Sun, Chesapeake City, and Elkton. Preparation for the tournaments begin in January. Thompson orders rule books, the flags presented to district champions, and the pins given to each tournament participant. In May, he starts making the schedule for each of the 10 district tournaments. The biggest challenge is setting up the dates so that the winning team will have time to rest its pitchers and travel to the site of the next round. Then he schedules dates for All-Stars rosters (called affidavits) to be officially submitted, a date for a meeting between managers, coaches, and umpires, and a rules meeting with league presidents and district staff. Thompson does not have to do it all by himself. He oversees a group of assistant district administrators, many of whom have volunteered in that capacity for many years. The ADAs – Sharon Arbour, Debbie Schertz (also district secretary), Patti Gilcher, Joe Smith (also the district's umpire-in-chief), Preston Kline, Paul Frost, Tina Jones, Toni Cole, Melanie Tserkis, and Harry McMullen – are present at tournament sites. "Our assistant district administrators are all top-notch," Thompson said. "They are class all around and have volunteered when needed. They are there for the interests of the children." Thompson's work is not limited to tournament play. He visits the leagues during the regular season. "If there are things the league can't handle, they call me for a ruling," Thompson said. "I remind the leagues what they have to do from the regular season on to All-Stars and I make sure they have what they need." He has never calculated the time he spends on Little League. "I don't think I've ever really wanted to," he says. "For one thing, I don't care because I believe you get out of it what you put in." Thompson says the best thing about the job is "seeing programs well run for the children of this district." He has few complaints. "Sometimes, individuals want to change things away from the way it should be, to benefit a small group instead of all the children." Thompson has witnessed many changes in 24 years, the most significant being the must-play rule. He was a proponent of that rule change and it has made his job a bit easier. "It makes things more fair for the children and gives everyone a chance," he said. There has also been several advances in player safety and a pitch limit. "Little League has always been committed to safety," Thompson said. He has learned a lot in 24 years as district administrator. "I've learned to be a better listener and a better communicator," Thompson said. "Those are the two main things." Thompson has been involved with Little League for the past 42 years. He started as a manager in North East then served as president there for 10 years. After serving as an assistant district administrator for six months, he became district administrator following the passing of Carty Dennison. Thompson has served longer than any District 5 administrator and has held the position longer than any other active district administrator in the state. He is also active with the American Legion and will be installed as commander of Post 194 in Rising Sun in August. In April, 2017, Thompson will mark 25 years as district administrator and will have three years left on his current term. He plans to remain on the job as long as his health allows. "I enjoy the games," Thompson said. "I enjoy watching the kids play. I think the best thing is the amount of people I've gotten to meet, moms, dads, grandparents, the kids. That's the most rewarding part of it." Comments are closed.
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