Here & There Column 7-13-10

Summer Little League & Youth Traveling Baseball

The best time of the year for Little League, American Legion and various Youth Traveling baseball & softball leagues is the months of May through August.
Little League is played during the months of late June and July while various American Legion and Traveling Boys and Girls baseball and softball leagues compete through the end of August.
All of this great competition brings out the best in baseball and softball.
The learning process and the continued growth of area youth baseball and softball players is a great benefit to both our youth and the school districts these youth compete in during the school spring baseball and softball season.
It takes a great amount of commitment for both players, coaches and parents when they agree to participate in summer youth baseball and softball.
At times its difficult for both players and parents to learn what mandatory practice means but everyone learns quickly that if a practice or game is missed that player will not start the next game.....and this applies to each and every player.
Little League and traveling baseball and softball teams are taught using drills and practice game strategy, baseball fundamentals and the responsibility they have to become a team player.
Coaches of these Little League and traveling teams all agree that their players greatly improved their level of play by playing good competition and also developed lifetime friendships in the process.
This is a great experience for any of the youth to play. "The level of competition you play, the camaraderie between the parents and kids and just the overall traveling baseball/softball get together will benefit everyone involved," an area coach told us.
A sign we remember seeing at an area youth baseball complex really tells the story about summer youth baseball....it reads, "Remember They're Just Kids."
Little League explains their definition as "better than any other youth activity, baseball and softball have become the thread that has sewn together a patchwork of nations and cultures around the world."
We salute Little League, American Legion Baseball and the various boys and girls traveling Summer Leagues for the services they provide in our communities. We thank the many coaches, umpires and parents who commit to many hours of dedication to the betterment of our youth.