Unbelievable.
A local mom and dad set out to bring Hope Minor Softball back from the grave... looking for maybe 40 to 60 kids to sign up and... “We’ve got about 120 signed, right now,” said Tammy Shields on Tuesday night.
“That was an overwhelming response,” she added, happily. “We’ve got about 20 parents to help coach and we’re hoping to get a few more recruits.
“There will be a heavy emphasis on parental involvement,” Shields emphasized. “We don’t want people just dropping their kids off and leaving. We’d like them to stay and help, because there’s a lot for the coaches to do.”
Shields said the players have been divided into four age groups, starting at the 2009 birth-year and working back to 2000.
“The numbers are pretty well split amongst the four groups, with maybe two-thirds to three-quarters of them being boys,” Shields figured. “It will still all be at Sixth Avenue on Wednesday nights, starting at 6 p.m. — but we’ll use all of the fields.”
The six-week Learn-To-Play program was set to start last night, June 19, after press time... with rain in the forecast.
“It will be rain or shine, as long as it’s not too extreme,” Shields confirmed.
She added that with the unexpected gain in numbers, the group is seeking sponsorship help from local businesses, to help cover costs of extra equipment and insurance.