Geary’s Little League is getting ready to go into full swing this season, and they are eager to get as many players involved as they can!
Whether it’s t-ball, machine pitch, baseball, or softball, Geary Little League’s President Rocky Coleman encourages those eligible to join to do so.
While the t-ball and machine pitch division has gained enough participants to form full teams, Coleman said they’ve had some trouble developing the baseball and softball teams.
“The interest for baseball and softball has been off and on here in Geary. It's just not as popular as it used to be in its heyday,” Coleman said. “When the kids are getting up into this 10 and older range, we have a hard time putting together a team and it's carrying into school sports. We're trying to reintroduce baseball and softball to Geary to try to help the kids out in the future.”
Coleman became the president of Geary’s Little League only recently, but his passion for trying to get kids active and interest in sports has been with him for a while as he has three children who he has encouraged to do sports. His oldest of which he says has been playing t-ball since they were born.
“One of the things I love a lot about the younger age sports is that it teaches them to play both boys and girls. There's not a, ‘oh softball is just for the girls’ and ‘baseball is just for the boys.’ It's all the same,” Coleman said.
Some kids may be on the fence about joining and aren’t sure if it’s the right fit for them. Coleman made sure to express the benefits for everyone involved should they join the Little League team.
“It's an opportunity for [kids] to get to play something and be active. They get to stay out of mischief along the way, and it might blossom into a future,” Coleman said. “It could easily change a kid's way if they fall in love with the game and suddenly they want to be a baseball star. It gives them a path and a direction.”
Looking ahead, Coleman said he’s most excited about giving the kids a chance to get out and play after a year of being mostly cooped up indoors due to the pandemic.
“I just want to get the kids interested in baseball again. They've all been cooped up for a year now and it's been challenging,” Coleman said. “We want to get them outside, get some fresh air, and introduce them to something new. Hopefully, it becomes a future for them, and if it doesn’t at least they’ll have some positive childhood memories.”
If your child is interested in playing, there are six teams they can join:
T-ball: cannot be 7 as of January 1st, 2021
Machine Pitch: cannot be 9 as of January 1st, 2021
10 and under Baseball: cannot be 11 as of January 1st, 2021
10 and under Softball: cannot be 11 as of January 1st, 2021
12 and under Baseball: cannot be 13 as of January 1st, 2021
12 and under Softball: cannot be 13 as of January 1st, 2021
The final official sign-up date will be Tuesday, April 13, at 6:00 p.m at the Geary Community Building.
There is a $40 league fee and parents or guardians will need to provide a copy of their child's birth certificate. Discounts are offered for families signing up for multiple children.
If you have any questions or are unable to make it to the final sign-up event, you can contact the Geary Little League via email at gearylittleleague@gmail.com, by phone at 405-830-8741, or through the Geary Little League Facebook page.
The Geary Little League is also currently in need of some new equipment and supplies. Anyone interested in sponsoring or providing a donation to the Geary Little League can contact them to do so.
“We want to have a positive time and leave the kids with some lasting memories. To the kids wanting to try, we're not major leagues. We're gonna work with them, and we're going to practice with them”