2021 Jamboree Donations
David Lane Robinson
11/13/43 ~ 4/14/21
Dave Robinson was president of Arlington Little League from September of 1996 through August of 1999. In his years in this role, it's fair to say that he made a lasting impact on the organization, encouraged dedication to the game, and left an indelible mark on those who followed. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his service to ALL, and we owe him a great deal of appreciation for helming the start of a sustained period of growth in Arlington youth baseball, and inspiring a continuing commitment to volunteerism amongst our coaches and board members and families.
We owe Dave a thank you for his service to our country as well. As a Vietnam veteran, he brought a figher's passion to his Arlington Little League duties, and a larger than life personality to every conversation.
The Robinson living room hosted many a spirited roundtable, and set the stage for discussions that still happen annually -- team formation, local rules, all-stars, and how to provide baseball opportunities to every child who wanted to play. Dave led each dialogue with a commanding baritone that may sometimes have belied his genuine desire to hear all sides of an issue, but his open-mindedness and humor were on full display whenever it mattered most. The heart of Dave Robinson's presidency in the Arlington of the 1990s was his desire for every family to be able to play, regardless of what they could pay.
It is an honor to be asked -- in memory of ALL President Dave Robinson -- to collect funds for underpriveleged children and underserved communities, to help them play ball and to help them get the equipment they need. It has always been our policy (since Mr. Robinson's presidency if not before) to provide a scholarship for a season of baseball to anyone who asks, but we are pleased and proud to create The Dave Robinson Memorial Scholarship Fund. Your contributions in Dave's memory will go to any child who needs help paying to play, or needs a bat, a helmet, a glove, catcher's gear... and his memory will live in the joy that these children will feel from playing the game of baseball.
On a personal note, Dave Robinson was the ALL president who "let me in" to Arlington Little League as a coach back in 1997. I coached his son's team with a coach who once coached me in this same league. We were... not good. We were a historically bad team, but -- as a father and as a league president -- Dave was never anything but jovial and supportive. He was always a joy to talk to about baseball. I like to imagine that, tonight, Dave is sitting at the helm of a pretty loud and smoky poker game of amazing Arlington Little League volunteers up in heaven right now, and that he and Coop and John Rossi will be sending their love of the game down to Barcroft Park every day.
Thank you for contributing to the memory of a wonderful father and volunteer, and to a legacy that deserves to live long in Arlington.
Ed Robinson was one of the most prolific baseball players to come out of Arlington. I know that sounds ridiculous to say about local youth baseball, but it simply has to be said. On the old Barcroft fields, which were of a different design, Eddie was known for blasts that would travel from home plate on Field #1 to shallow right field on Field #2... He was hitting 300-foot home runs at the age of 12, and with those old-style wood bats! Eddie was an Arlington legend from a young age. But that's not what made Ed Robinson amazing.
Eddie came from a family dedicated to the Arlington community. He represented, until he passed away, the best of "Old Arlington." When he returned to Arlington Little League to coach his son, Barry, he brought a toughness and a fierce passion back to the diamonds. He brought grit, and insisted that all players play with pride He was loud, but so gentle, and so kind. He encouraged players in a way that made them stand tall and feel like they had no choice but to succeed.
Working for the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation throughout his career, Ed Robinson helped countless thousands upon thousands of children play basketball, baseball, and other sports in our county. His mother, Dottie, was a legendary Arlington baseball coach in her own right. His sister, Michelle, was a coach with Arlington Little League as well. Dottie and Eddie Robinson are the only mother-son combination in the Arlington Little League Hall of Fame, and the family's commitment to Arlington youth has long been an inspiration to those who volunteer in our organization and community.
Ed Robinson passed away on September 8, 2021.
We are honored to be thought of by Ed's family in this time. Our hearts are with his wife, Suzann, son, Barry, and his entire family. We will always work in his memory, providing opportunities and life lessons to young sluggers of Arlington who want to grow up to be the next Eddie Robinson.
