Longmire Community Park in Yelm was alive with the sounds of baseball: the crack of the metal bats, ecstatic umpires calling balls and strikes, and the buzz of hundreds of Nisqually Basin Youth Baseball (NBYB) fans on Saturday, April 20.
For opening day, all three of Longmire Community Park’s fields were filled with action from morning until early evening. Rhubarb the Reindeer, the Tacoma Rainiers mascot, made a surprise appearance to take photos with children and sign autographs.
The league, which has been around for approximately half a century, began the 2024 season with one of its biggest rosters yet. About 530 players will suit up for 51 teams — 45 baseball, six fastpitch. The NBYB has five more teams than last season and has more than twice as many teams as it did just three years ago, as well as 200 more athletes. Its fastpitch teams have grown from two to six over the past couple of years as well.
NBYB features athletes from ages 4 to 15 and a number of different levels, including Babe Ruth, tee ball, coach pitch, machine pitch, minors and majors.
Charlie Johnson Sr., the vice president of baseball for NBYB and the coach of the Trash Pandas, said the league’s primary purpose is to develop kids in their baseball skills and beyond.
“We’re not for profit. We just come out here and teach these kids how to play ball and build a little family,” he said. “It was really exciting to see such a big turnout. We stress over the details and getting everything set up, but everybody’s smiling and having a good time.”
The season will run until the middle of June with each team playing about 12 games before a hiatus, and athletes will continue their skills training in the fall. For the first time, the NBYB also features two tournament teams that will play in 10 to 12 tournaments against local teams.
“There’s a lot of really big club ball teams, and all they do is play in tournaments. We have a lot of kids that go off and play in these big tournament teams, and then we lose a lot of our talent and our friends,” Johnson said. “We thought we could offer the same feel and the same kind of idea with a little bit of a smaller price tag. It’s a goal for them to work toward because you have to try out to make the team.”
Jonathan Reno, who is in his first year coaching the Coyotes, is excited to teach his players not only the fundamentals of baseball, but how to be a good teammate, as well.
“I try to give them positive reinforcement and try to bring in as many kids to play as possible. We’re here to have fun,” Reno said. “The community loves their kids, and they love the cohesion of the teams. This is awesome for NBYB to see the local community and the support wrapped around this opening day event. It speaks for itself.”
Reno added that tryouts were “phenomenal” with how many parents and family members supported their children and with the level of talent at all ages.
“That’s a true testament to what the community wants to see: more healthy sports and child development, and these young kids to enjoy baseball,” he said.
Johnson concurred and said he isn’t too worried about the scores of each game. His main goal for the 2024 season is for his athletes to learn how to function as a team.
“We throw a lot of skills training at them, and so I want to see them grow more as teammates. Once they’re gelling and clicking as a team, they’re gonna have success,” he said.
To learn more about NBYB and its upcoming events, visit https://www.yelmbaseball.org/.
Most Popular
Comments / 0