Tee Ball’s opening tomorrow morning

The governor, the district administrator, and Verizon representatives will be on hand tomorrow morning for the kick off of the Saipan Little League Tee Ball program, but their support will be eclipsed by the enthusiasm of the eight teams about to embark in the inaugural season of Baseball 101.

After spending a month’s worth of Saturdays learning the basics, the youngsters are ready for the real thing, but they’ll have to wait for one last formality—the Opening Day Ceremony.

Tomorrow morning, roughly 100 players between the ages of five and eight years of age from teams with names like the Cubs, the Sluggers, and the Little Braves will be lined up side by side at American Memorial Park for all of the pomp and circumstance at 9am before they tear off in different directions for the start of the regular season at 9:30am.

One of the reasons that the program has gotten off of the drawing board and onto the field is the generosity of the primary sponsor of the league, Verizon Telecommunications, who literally put the “ball” in “Play Ball.” Thanks to a recent donation to the organization, league officials were able to make necessary equipment purchases and other needed materials for tomorrow’s festivities.

The youngest players will compete in the four team 5-6 age group using batting tees while the slightly older players in the 7-8 age group will use the “coach pitch” format.

Just because the four-week league is getting underway tomorrow morning doesn’t mean that the lineups are etched in stone, as league officials announced that they are still allowing interested kids to register for the program. The time to get in is now, as there will only be four games and a round-robin tournament before the end-of-season barbeque.

Parents and volunteers are needed to assist with managing the field and providing support for their children, and as a reminder, volunteer coaches need to obtain a police clearance from the Superior Court in order for the league to comply with International Little League Requirements.

Due to the unrelenting heat of the Saipan sun, parents are advised that they are to provide players a water bottle and plenty of sunscreen. Though no specific dollar amount has been released, league officials said that they request a registration fee for each child to pay for the cost of insurance, awards, and the season-ending BBQ.

For more information about the Saipan Little League Tee Ball program, contact commissioner John Reyes by calling 664-2502/03.