With roughly 400 girls set to start softball season at Howard Palmetto in January, Richard Allen has been chosen to oversee the softball program.

Richard Allen

As commissioner of four divisions of softball, Allen's duties often will be time consuming as well as difficult. First he must make sure all the registration is properly taken care of, then he must evaluate the talent of each player and help rate them accordingly for the draft.

Then comes the most difficult task-- finding adults who fit into Allen's ideological mold for coaches.

"My job is to make sure every team has a coach who knows proper field etiquette and has a nice demeanor towards the kids," Allen said.

Because every kid is not allowed to sit more than three innings, regardless of talent, keeping an eye on coaches to make sure they follow the rules can become challenging at times.

Preseason responsibilities are just the beginning. During the season Allen must handle discipline, protests of games and any other problems that may arise.

Over the years, Allen has watched many changes from his days playing in the Howard Palmetto Khoury League.

"The prices of gloves and bats are definitely different from my days at Howard Palmetto," he said. "But the les sons of life these girls learn makes buying the expensive bats and gloves well worth it."

With two girls of his own playing at Howard Palmetto -- Tara, 13, and Katie, 11 -- Allen understands the importance of having the right people involved in the program.