ST. MARY’S COUNTY, Md. – With roughly 104 teams and close to 1,200 total players registered, St. Mary’s Little League (SMLL) is set up to have an amazing 2023 season.
Over the course of the season, SMLL will host well over 1,000 total games scheduled for every day of the week, except for Sundays through June 3.
SMLL has several age groups spread across baseball and softball, starting at league age 4 going to league age 16.
“Every season brings a renewed sense of excitement! I know our board of dedicated volunteers have done everything they could this season to provide every kid in our community an opportunity to play baseball or softball. They are out in the community providing opportunities for every child,” RJ Bean, the President of SMLL, told TheBayNet.com.
“Our volunteers don’t do it for the glory, they don’t do it for political aspirations, they don’t do it for their picture on Facebook, they do it because of the kids! The youth in our community need us now more than ever, and we can’t lose sight of that in our volunteer endeavors, for they are our WHY. I see the dedication and passion our volunteers have for the youth in our community, and every season, it renews my excitement, and I’m simply in awe with the volunteerism that exists in our wonderful community.”
Bean then went on to talk about why youth sports is integral to children’s lives and why it is important for the community to be involved.
“Sports provide an important outlet for the youth in our community. Sure, kids are out there learning baseball and softball, but this sport is about much more than that! This sport teaches kids how to handle failure. It teaches them how to contribute to a team. But more importantly, it teaches them the value of believing in themselves, even when it feels like the odds are against them; and our volunteers do an amazing job ensuring every child knows their worth,” stated Bean.
“We’ve had countless members of our community answer the volunteer call for St. Mary’s Little League, and that’s important for people to see across this county — volunteers coming together to provide our youth with structure and guidance through athletic outlets like baseball and softball. And we see many other entities across the county providing exceptional opportunities through youth sports; wonderful organizations such as Babe Ruth Baseball, Legion Baseball, Youth T-Ball Organization, Travel Baseball and Softball, Focus Flag Football, St. Mary’s Soccer, St. Mary’s Lacrosse and many many more.”
Bean also went on to tell us what he’s most excited for this season.
“I’m looking forward to seeing close to 1,200 kids HAVE FUN this season,” says Bean. “We’ve run into some scheduling issues with the amount of kids we have and lack of resources, but I truly appreciate the parents’ patience with us as we’ve worked through those growing pains. We aim to provide every child in our community the opportunity to play baseball and softball, which has helped our league reach higher participation numbers when compared to other seasons. I look forward to working with our volunteers and parents on a path forward that continues that growth to help sustain this increase in participation.”
“I’m also looking forward to seeing my Facebook feed fill up with pictures from games this week; and I’m looking forward to members of our community understanding the huge impact baseball and softball has on the youth in our community. This attention will ensure our kids get everything they need to stay safe, be successful, and help both sports continue to grow into the future!”
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