Similar to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, our league decided it needed an eternal body to recognize those exceptional volunteers whose work and involvement with the league was not only outstanding, but exemplified the ideals and principles of Little League baseball. We’re confident our Hall of Fame will stand the test of time in recognizing only those individuals who dedicated a significant part of their lives to the kids of our league, and set the standard of excellence for making Academy Little League the very special organization that it is. In short, our Hall of Fame recognizes the best of the best--those who have made truly significant and long-lasting impacts on Academy Little League.
Academy Little League Hall of Fame. In honor of longstanding, exceptional dedication and service to Academy Little League. Your sustained commitment to the core values of Little League and the quality of our league reflect great credit upon yourself and your family. Your positive influence on hundreds of children will last a lifetime, and preserves the timeless impact of America’s favorite pastime on all generations.
Rob Wise, Inducted 2007
Rob was one of the league's original founding fathers that started the league in 1995. Over a seven-year span (1995-2001), he served in a variety of positions--officially and unofficially--as President, VP, scheduler, treasurer, player agent, safety officer, equipment coordinator, manager, and All-Star manager/coach. His 11-12 All-Star team won the District Championship in 2000 held at the Pine Valley Fields at the AF Academy, and finished State Runner-ups in Grand Junction. He was often seen carrying chalk from field to field, storing equipment at his office, conducting the player draft, reworking the schedule time after time due to weather cancellations, or a hundred other tasks that were required to keep the league operating. More often than not, he was a one-man show for the league. Those that he impacted most--his players--remember him as a passionate and loving coach, a players coach indeed, who not only taught the fundamentals of baseball, but inspired his players beyond the game. Rob was more than a cornerstone of Academy Little League during its formative years; he was, in fact, the entire foundation of the organization that thousands of kids have benefited from over the first decade of its existence. Rob's passion for the league, and more importantly for the kids, was his true motivation for making a difference during his life’s journey.
Wyatt Miller, Inducted 2007
Wyatt served as the league President from 2001 to 2006, and was also a manager/coach for several years. He was a coach for the League’s first ever State Championship Team--the 2001 11-12 year olds that went on to represent Colorado with distinction at the Northwest Regional Tournament in San Bernardino, CA in 2001. Over the year’s, Wyatt’s leadership and dedication has been visible in every aspect of the operation of the league. His character helped influence how the league conducts business today, upholding the highest standards of honesty, sportsmanship, and fairplay. Wyatt's vision, perseverance, and love for the game guided him to lead the effort to have the Fields at Focus complex built. Over a five-year period he developed presentations, identified funding, coordinated meetings, and met with officials from around the Colorado Springs community to make the fields a reality. And despite significant obstacles, he never lost faith or purpose that resulted in the best LL complex in the state. Wyatt’s love and commitment to LL began years ago; in fact, his son Eric along with his teammates from Central Springfield LL, VA participated in the LL World Series in 1994. And you can even trace his LL roots back to his playing days as an 11-year old in Chula Vista, California. So, it’s not surprising that someone who has been a benefactor of the true spirit of Little League chose to give back to others. His players were the ultimate benefactors, and like his former LL coach did a generation ago, Wyatt’s impact on the league, his community, and our nation will best be seen as his player’s move on and give back to others, just as he did to our league.
Robert ‘Fuzz’ Vaughn, Inducted 2008
Fuzz served as the league’s Director of Coaching/Player Development from 1998-2007. Among his many contributions was the development and administration of the league’s coach training program and the annual players’ clinics. He helped run the league during its formative years, to include leading equipment distribution and field maintenance, and authored virtually all league governing documents and policies. He developed and matured the relationship with the Air Force Academy and the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. He was the league’s representative that oversaw the construction of the Fields at Focus--from the initial design, through coordinating volunteer work crews, to assisting with much of the construction up until Opening Day. He was also a role-model coach for the league, to include six All-Star teams--4 as manager and 2 as coach. All 4 of the All-Star teams he managed were District Champions, and 3 were State Champions--his 2001 11-12 year-old team was the League’s first ever. They played with such distinction at the Northwest Regional Tournament in San Bernardino, CA that he was named the Outstanding Manager as the coach that most exemplified the leadership qualities and ideals of Little League. His 13-14 year-olds were the only two Academy Junior teams to win District and State titles, and they did it back-to-back in 2002 and 2003. He set the standard of excellence upon which Academy Little League All Star teams operate. A total family effort, his wife Cathy served as the League President from 1998-2001, and his sons Tyler and Jordan proudly wore the Academy Little League uniform. His passionate combination of commitment to family, love for baseball, and dedicated service to others resulted in a remarkable track record of success and accomplishment during his 10 years with our league.