By Kathy Chouteau
The sun is shining in Richmond, making dreams of spring baseball season easy to conceive. Right on cue, the Richmond Baseball League’s registration is open through Jan. 31 for coed tee ball, coed baseball and girls’ softball for children 4-16 years old, as well as the inaugural coed Challenger Division team for players with disabilities ages 4-18 years old.
Players can sign up online on Richmond Little Leagues website or in person at Richmond Police Activities League’s (RPAL) front desk at 2200 Macdonald Avenue in Richmond (see website for related fees). Teams form and start practice in February and Opening Day is set for March 8 at Nicholl Park.
During Opening Day, the league’s baseball players will march in a parade from the Richmond Civic Center, down Macdonald Avenue to Nicholl Park that morning, followed by the first pitch and a full day of games. Local dignitaries, community members—and sometimes, even an MLB player—also come out to help launch the league’s Opening Day.
This year marks the first time the Challenger Division for children with disabilities is at play and the league has been engaging the local school district’s special education programs to help spread the word about sign-ups.
The league’s Coach Coordinator Pablo Ramirez, who works along with league President Eva Padilla, said “spots are going fast” and that they are not only on the lookout for players, but also volunteers and sponsors. Contact [email protected] to inquire about volunteering or support the team via a sponsorship.
Ramirez said that the league will be hosting a series of Free Baseball and Softball Clinics Jan. 18 and 25th, as well as Feb. 1 from 10-11 a.m. to tee-ball (4-6 years) and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for baseball/softball (7-16 years) at Nicholl Park if the sun is out and at RPAL if it rains. He said they “teach the kids how to throw, catch, check their gloves and bats…We get them out there and start throwing the ball…”
Again, register for the Richmond Little League by Jan. 31 here.
