To the current and former Board Members of the Stafford Little League,
Imagine, for a moment, that you are a parent eager to volunteer your time to coach your child and their friends in baseball or softball. You sign up, complete the required paperwork, pass the background check, undergo abuse awareness and CPR training, and step up for your first season with excitement and nervous anticipation. You envision teaching enthusiastic kids about teamwork, fostering a love of the game, and you wonder if your kids will be strong enough to hoist you onto their shoulders after the big win. Or at least raise the Gatorade bucket high enough to give you a good celebratory shower at the end of the season.
And yet, when you sign up, you find yourself added to an email list and little else.
At the beginning of the season, you show up, pick up your equipment bag and are assigned a team. You introduce yourself to the players’ parents, many of whom are eager to support their children but may not always have the time or experience to step in as assistant coaches. You quickly realize that the league offers no formal guidance, no structured mentorship, and no real engagement beyond a few one-on-one interactions with your division coordinator. There is no season-end review, no constructive feedback, and no discussion of how to improve for the following year. You simply hand in your bag and are thanked for your time.
If you return for a second season, you might learn that the league is directed by a Board. You might even discover, after some effort, that board discussions occur – though they are usually organized via group texts or emails that do not include all volunteers. If you persist, you may manage to attend a meeting or two, eventually making it onto the invite list.
But what you will quickly realize is that influence over league matters in the Stafford Little League is concentrated in the hands of a select few. Many board members are married to each other, some work together, and many are lifelong friends. You wonder why some continue to oversee little league operations after their children have aged out of the program.
Which raises a fundamental question: What does it mean to be a “member” of this organization?
Are volunteers truly part of this league in any meaningful way? Or are you just another volunteer name in a spreadsheet whose time this league can utilize to operate their organization in a manner that pleases them? Does the league provide guidance to help volunteers grow as coaches? Does it welcome them into the fold and provide them opportunities to have a voice in the league’s future? Or does it merely expect them to be “good little helpers” while the board operates in the background and works to protect their privileged status.
One might ask: But don’t the board members stand for election?
Yes, elections are held. But the nominations are collected via a secret signup process, whereby no one knows who intends to run for which positions. Candidates’ intentions for board positions are not announced, leaving members uninformed and in the dark. There are no platforms or qualifications shared – just names on a ballot sheet. Most incumbents run unopposed, and those with the deepest local ties inevitably win. Volunteers who might challenge the status quo hesitate, worrying about stepping on the wrong toes.
Is this how a Little League should function? Should an organization designed to serve the children of this community operate like an exclusive, self-congratulating club?
And now, this JJ Martorelli issue has laid bare the worst consequences of a board that operates like a tight-knit clique where accountability seemingly takes a backseat to personal loyalty.
The volunteers and families of Stafford Little League are demanding a common-sense response to the present scandal. The board’s handling of recent financial discrepancies has been an insult to the intelligence of those who fund and sustain this league – not just through their valuable time and registration fees, but also through taxpayer support allocated by the Parks and Recreation Department.
Suggesting that fraudulent checks were “honest mistakes” with “no malicious intent” is simply wrong. The attempted misuses of league funds were too substantial and too closely spaced to allow that statement to be considered credible.
To those who may argue, “We all make mistakes – nobody is perfect,” we wholeheartedly agree. No one expects perfection (on or off the playing field). But there is a clear distinction between an honest isolated mistake and a pattern of suspicious transactions and shady behaviour. Holding people accountable is not about punishing human error – it is about ensuring that those who sit on the Board live by the ethical standards of the league. Dismissing repeated incidents of the same issue as mere mistakes sets a dangerous precedent. If the league’s board members cannot be held to basic standards of responsibility and integrity, then how can we ask volunteers and parents to continue to trust in this organization?
Therefore, we demand the following actions:
Immediate resignation or removal of JJ Martorelli. His misuse of league funds, regardless of intent, represents a serious breach trust and has damaged the league’s reputation. Allowing JJ Martorelli to remain in a decision-making role sends the message that financial carelessness is tolerated.
A public vote on his removal. If JJ Martorelli refuses his opportunity to resign, the board must hold a public vote on whether to remove him – not a secret ballot. The volunteers and community members who sustain this league deserve to know where each board member stands on this issue. Obviously, JJ Martorelli should not be allowed to vote on this matter or be present during the voting process to ensure fairness.
An independent audit of the league’s finances. The discovery of the recent banking irregularities raises concerns about the historic handling of league funds. An independent audit of the league’s financial records from previous years is necessary to confirm that all funds have been properly managed. The results should be shared with all interested stakeholders. The league’s finances belong to the entire organization, not just the board.
Official recognition of David Galotto for exposing financial misconduct. Instead of attempting to quietly sweep this issue under the rug, the board should formally acknowledge and thank David Galotto for his role in uncovering and bringing to light these issues. His willingness to do what is right exemplifies the kind of leadership and responsibility the league should encourage. This should be commended, not ignored.
As a league, we must decide what we stand for. Do we accept an exclusive, unaccountable Board that prioritizes self-preservation over all else? Or do we expect a league that is truly dedicated to the young baseball and softball players it serves – one that operates with fairness, transparency, and a genuine commitment to integrity?
Stafford Little League is at a crossroads. The league must reckon with its structural deficiencies now, or it will fail in the end.
Sincerely,
On behalf of the Volunteers and Families of the Stafford Little League
Andrew R. Roland
P.S. The following is borrowed directly from Little League’s website:
It was important to publicly acknowledge the embezzlement in order to avoid the perception of a “cover-up” by the Board. Simply recouping the financial loss to the league [is] secondary to the reputation of the Board and league. The league [must] re-establish trust and good faith with its families and volunteers by assuring that this was an isolated incident. For these reasons, simply receiving restitution from the perpetrators [is] not enough, and calling local authorities [is] necessary.
Source: Little League University, Don’t Let This Happen: Married Couple on Little League Board of Directors Embezzles Funds, https://www.littleleague.org/university/articles/dont-let-this-happen-married-couple-on-league-board-of-directors-embezzles-funds/
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