06/02/2026
This is just a re-post of what I put on the MPB FB page (about Mike Null, Mitch Coltharp and Sienna Archibek) to start all of this. Realized not everyone here may have come from that page, so might not know what's going on. Also don't want the lawyers to think I'm trying to hide anything once that gets deleted (by someone else) 😀
IMPORTANT MENIFEE PONY MESSAGE
CONCERNING FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT & BOARD ACCOUNTABILITY
My name is Mike Adams. I served as the President of Menifee Pony Baseball during its first six to seven years and have remained an executive board member since the league’s incorporation. I am also one of only two founding board members who has maintained access to the league’s financial accounts throughout that time, giving me extensive familiarity with the league’s finances and operations.
Because of that responsibility, I believe it is important to publicly address concerns regarding board decisions and financial oversight after repeated efforts to resolve these matters internally were unsuccessful. This league is not the board’s league. It is your league, our league, for the community, for the families, and most importantly, for the kids. Transparency and accountability should be among the highest priorities.
For context, the league has established fee structures for Alliance/SIBA registration and field usage that apply consistently to all teams.
I recently presented information to the Board of Directors regarding three executive board members who received substantial reductions in Alliance/SIBA registration and field usage fees, or did not pay those fees at all. These were not individual player registration discounts, but full team-related fees totaling thousands of dollars.
One board member, our vice-president, was reported to have SIBA fees totaling more than $2,000 go unpaid for approximately two years. In addition, it was presented that, for three consecutive seasons after his teams were no longer participating in SIBA, league-allocated field time continued to be used for practices involving his travel ball teams. The board had previously established rates for this type of field usage, and based on the information presented, those fees were not paid. The total amount of unpaid fees and field usage was estimated at approximately $3,500.
Another board member, our president, was presented as having paid hundreds of dollars less than the required amount approximately two and a half years ago and, in a subsequent season, not making any payment. The total unpaid balance in those matters was reported to be in the thousands of dollars.
A third executive board member, the league's treasurer, was reported as having used league fields for her husband’s travel team while paying approximately one-third of the established rate, resulting in an estimated shortfall of approximately $600.
In January, after informing two of these board members that the matter would be brought before the full board, most of their outstanding balances were paid. In my opinion, payments made only after the matter is brought forward do not fully resolve the underlying concerns regarding financial oversight, particularly when there was no prior agreement allowing these balances to remain unpaid for extended periods of time. Both individuals remained on the board.
In May, these issues, along with supporting documentation, were brought to the board to review whether the league's fee rules and approval steps were followed. Two of the individuals involved are also signers on the league's bank account, which currently has nearly $300,000.
The board used a two-step voting process for each board member involved.
The first step was for the full board to determine whether the claims were substantiated.
I presented the claims to the board, which were simply that fees were unpaid or underpaid for a long period of time.
Before the vote took place, each of the three board members spoke during the meeting about the matters being discussed.
One board member stated that a death in the family made it difficult to remember to pay the fees during those two years. Another stated that he was unable to collect enough money from the team to cover the full SIBA fees and therefore made only a partial payment. Three seasons later, that same board member again failed to pay the required SIBA fees, stating that money collected had instead gone toward travel ball tournament expenses. The third board member stated that she believed the established rate for field usage was too high and that she deserved additional discounts because she held two board positions.
The second phase of the process — determining repercussions or disciplinary action — never occurred. The board ultimately voted that the aforementioned claims were not substantiated. Note that Cambridge Dictionary defines substantiate as "to show something to be true, or to support a claim with facts."
In recent seasons, a significant number of new members were brought onto the board. Unfortunately, in my opinion, most appear unwilling to hold fellow board members accountable for these actions.
All three individuals remain on the board, and two weeks ago they were re-elected to executive board positions for another two-year term. In addition, approximately $1,400 in unpaid fees (and possibly more) was ultimately waived by the board.
I am not the only board member who opposed these actions, but we have remained in the minority, and as a result no meaningful action has been taken. I have been able to speak more openly than others because I no longer have children participating in the league, so any consequences for raising these issues have had less personal impact on me.
This will be my last term as a board member with Menifee Pony Baseball. Given the board majority’s position on these matters, as much time, energy and love as I've put into this league for 15 years, I no longer believe I can effectively continue in my role, nor can I remain associated with these actions in good conscience. I remain hopeful that bringing these concerns into the open will encourage the board to take appropriate corrective action. If not, hopefully someone else can get involved and do what I could not.
We have now conducted four Hit-A-Thons, and after each one the league’s bank account has increased substantially. Despite this, the board has twice voted down my proposals to reduce registration rates. With nearly $300,000 currently in the bank — and that amount continuing to grow — I have serious concerns regarding the league’s financial direction and oversight.
Everything stated here is true to the best of my knowledge and based on information presented to the board. I understand the seriousness of making these statements publicly, and I stand behind what I have written.
