During all of this, I have noticed a few other things as well. First, I noticed that the number of players in the league was awfully low. I, along with everyone else, blamed this on the good game of lacrosse becoming popular in The Valley. This assumption, I have come to find out, is all wrong.
Baseball is not dying in the Mad River Valley because of lacrosse, it’s being killed from within. Frankly, I have no interest in placing blame in anyone’s hands, as this would be a waste of my time. The reason I write this is to call everyone to action.
Baseball is a fantastic sport that has changed my life in more ways than you could imagine, and I want to give every child the chance to have the same experience. Let’s all stop worrying about politics and nonsense and make decisions that improve the game for kids. Let’s all stop using Little League as a mere time filler in our already overbooked scheduled, but instead get everything out of it we can. Let’s all volunteer and help for the satisfaction of improving the game and not for the expectation of something in return. Let’s all see that baseball is more than just an activity or sport, but it is something truly special. Let’s all go out and have fun when we step on the field. Let’s all take the time to teach something we know so well to kids, even if it takes a lot of work.
I had the honor of giving a speech to the players on Opening Day and I ended it with a quote: “Baseball is made for kids, and adults just screw up.” This Bob Lemon quote was more than just for laughs; it was also an underlying message. It’s time that we all come together and bring that “C” word back to baseball. Because, after all, it really is all about the community. I look forward to seeing you all on the field.
Logan Cooke
Waitsfield
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