Courtesy Parkland Little League.
By Jill Fox
Hey batter batter…it’s time to register for Parkland Little League’s 2020 spring season.
Parkland Little League has continued to grow and thrive within the city for 30 years, with nearly 500 participants expected this spring. Evaluations for co-ed divisions for players ages 5 to 16 will be held in mid-January, with practices starting in February and the season running through the middle of May.
“Last year, we had a great year with our 50/70 team coming in second place in the state, and we’re really looking forward to getting back out there,” said Little League President Robert Travinski.
City Commissioner Rich Walker, who has been coaching in Parkland for six years, said it’s a great league, it gets kids outside, and it’s one of his favorite sports.
New this year, Major League players will be coming to the city to encourage kids to play ball.
Three clinics will be offered: one through Major League Baseball, where the players from the Marlins will come out, another with two Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School alumni who were drafted into the Major Leagues, and a third by the Little League themselves.
“We do these clinics in January to get everyone prepared and excited to start the season,” said Travinski.
Parkland Mayor, Christine Hunschofsky believes that the little league is a wonderful sports organization in the city with dedicated volunteers providing a great opportunity to meet other families while the children are developing their baseball skills.
Similarly, the league is looking for volunteers. Parents can sign- up to coach upon registration.
This year, Travinski said, the league would love to start offering service hours to high school students helping out the league, whether umpiring or running the scoreboard, among other responsibilities.
“Our big push this year is that we want to start doing this for the high school students who are familiar with the game or have played baseball in the past,” he said.
Opening Day will be held during the last weekend of February at Terramar Park, and festivities will include bounce houses, rides, a home run derby, a dunk tank full of coaches, and player announcements.
The fee for the season is $180, with a $20 discount for second and third siblings. The deadline is December 31, and there will be a $50 late fee for any registrations after this date with no guarantee for placements.
“We’re always looking to promote, develop, supervise, and teach young girls and boys good sportsmanship and the game of baseball,” said Travinski.
For more information on spring registration or for anyone interested in volunteering their time, visit parklandlittleleague.com.
Author Profile
- Jill Fox is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer. She has worked in public relations and television for over 20 years. Fox lives in Parkland with her husband and their two children.
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