By Michael Moran | Development Coordinator
As leagues across the country continue to return to the diamond, the demand for equipment has stayed higher than ever through the first half of 2021. Baseball and Softball are emerging from the pandemic with increased popularity due to the outdoor and socially distanced nature of the sports. Parents are beginning to feel more comfortable allowing their children to play ball as measures to keep players safe have increased significantly. One of the major changes in youth baseball and softball, because of the pandemic, has been the increased need for outfitting individual players with their own equipment. In previous years, most of our work has involved preparing kits of shareable equipment for entire teams. This has allowed us to reach the most children possible. This year however, we have shifted our focus to providing equipment to individual players to ensure everyone can safely participate. Many players now need their own helmet, glove, and bat to play ball. This obviously increases the need for equipment as everyone must have personal gear to avoid sharing. The inability to share equipment, combined with the financial hardships many are facing around the world, has forced us to step-up and do everything we can to help baseball and softball return by the end of this year. In the current state of the world, many families cannot afford to outfit their child with all the equipment they need to play, so we must continue to combat this issue decreasing the accessibility of these sports.
We are currently on track to complete over 1,000 projects this year, which would smash our organization record for projects in a single year (600 projects in 2020). We have responded to the needs of the baseball and softball community, and we will not stop until every child that wants to play these sports can participate. Dollars raised have helped over 20 kids receive all the gear they need to play ball this year. Receiving new equipment gives these athletes a boost of confidence when they step out onto the field. They can feel relieved that one of the largest barriers to them playing has been removed. All they need to focus on now is playing hard and having fun. Reports from leagues this Spring have been flooded with stories of how our work has giving children an opportunity to stay active. For many, this is the first interaction they have had with their friends since the pandemic started, so everyone has been very excited to be back out on the field. It is our hope, that by the Spring of 2022, all baseball and softball leagues will be back to normal, and that more children will be trying out these incredibly rewarding sports. A lot of work still needs to be done to create a safe environment for kids across the country, but we believe that soon baseball and softball will be thriving once again and continuing to have a positive influence on youth.
Impact Stories:
Deer Lakes Youth Baseball Association – Henley is a first-year tee ball player who is 5 years old. She lost her dad last year to a sudden heart attack and has been reserved and shy since. She has struggled greatly with the loss. Her dad meant everything to Henley and her mom. Henley decided to play tee ball this spring with her friend Charlotte, and the difference in her happiness after making friends and playing for Team Pink is amazing. Henley came to her first tee ball clinic scared, shy, and very unsure. However, the girl who collected her tee ball trophy at the end of the season was happy, confident, and loved tee ball so much that she was the very first player signed up for the fall season across the entire league. Henley added a heart to her jersey for her dad and played for him each game. The donation of tee ball equipment (gloves, bats, and helmets) is invaluable to our organization because of children like Henley, who may not be sure they want to play until they have the chance to try it out. We were able to expand our tee ball program from three teams to eight teams because of this donation. -Deer Lakes Youth Baseball Association Media Director
Holbrook Little League – One family that stood out from this project was from a neighboring little league, Turquoise Nation. They did not have a season due to the Navajo Nation closing everything down this year as COVID hit the reservation hard. This gave us the opportunity to have them be a part of our league for this season and we took them in with open arms. Their daughter wanted to play softball and their son decided to play as well. This was his 1st year ever playing baseball. The mom was wondering what the kids would need to play. I told them about the grant we received from PIFBS, and that she would not have to worry because we would take care of them. I gave both children gloves, pants, and some baseballs/softballs that they could have to use at home to practice. Maricio is 6 and Mckenna is 10. They had a good season and have found the love for playing ball. They cannot wait for next year’s season. We loved having them in our league, and it brought us joy knowing how much it meant to their family that we helped them get started for the season. The real thank you needs to go to PIFBS for the grant they provided, so thank you from our bottom of our heart. -Holbrook Little League Board Member
Links:
By Jonathan Dressler | DIrector of Development
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