Youth baseball and softball registrations are underway in Yazoo, and supporting our local program is one of the best ways we can invest in our community and its future.
Our local youth are indeed the future, and any program designed to keep them healthy, active, social and, yes, busy is a good start. There are several generations of Yazooans who have actively participated in our local baseball and softball youth programs, and many of those former players continue their support with volunteering, organizing and signing their own children and grandchildren up for the program. It’s a trend that this newspaper hopes will continue for future generations.
During the youth program, our local parks are filled with families and supporters of our local players. The diamonds are filled with players of all ages and from all walks of life. Although it may be a very social atmosphere, the season does more than provide a few photo opportunities and exciting games. It allows our youth, and perhaps even some adults, to interact with others that they may not have ever met had it not been for the love of the game. Bringing an entire community together is a blessing for all.
This newspaper hopes our city and county leaders remember that blessing. As the world continues to adjust to the new social norm, there was a time when the future of our local Little League program was put on hold as politicians went back and forth with operating procedures. So far this year, operations and preparations seem to be running smoothly. This newspaper is optimistic that continues to be the case this season.
Our local youth need to be on those fields with their teams, mentors, coaches and friends. Having a positive program available to our local youth keeps them busy, in shape, and most importantly, too busy to find other ways to keep themselves occupied. We noticed an increase in juvenile crime when the program was put on hold in the past. Granted, the absence of athletic programs may not have been the main culprit. But we can’t help but connect the two.
Having an active Little League program is beneficial to our community. It teaches our youth valuable lessons beyond the fields. Lessons of patience, teamwork, socialization, communication, victories and handling losses spill over to other areas of their life; areas that help create a path for the future of our community.
Former players who now support the program remember those lessons. And look what it did for them. It taught them to support local initiatives, promote positive direction for the youth and to give back to the community that provided for them in their own path to adulthood.
Remember those lessons and pass them onto our current players. Register your own child or grandchild. Or maybe even look for ways to help a child who needs that positive direction.
It is certainly more than just youth baseball and softball. It is one of the many ways a community can remain active, impress the younger generations and prepare the path for our future leaders. Invest in our local youth and the programs designed for them. It’s an investment that will certainly come back to this community in the future.
