Jamestown – It is not difficult to get Jamestown children interested in baseball.
Finding a place to practice – this is a different story.
“We are really running out of space, to be quite honest,” said Matt Perkins, chairman of the Jaibal Board. “Even when those new areas are done, the teams are going to be out there throughout the day.
“We start practice at 8:30 am and go almost every day of the week by evening,” he said.
This is a good problem.
In this summer, 300 children are participating in the Jaybal program Jaybal (Jaybal), who are above 290 in the last summer. Jaibal Program participates anywhere from T-balls to American Legon baseball.
Perkins said, “We will encourage children to gain experience with the team environment and enhance their skills as baseball players.” “We try to promote a competitive environment where children are constantly pushed to improve themselves.
“Failure rate in baseball is incredibly higher,” he said. “You are going to fail so much and baseball helps you handle adverseness and teaches you how to handle failure. It helps us better and more well.
Perkins have been on Jaibal Board for four years.
“Some of my friends who were on the board were looking at some members to change …
Perkins said, “As time passed, we changed through a couple of the board and the presidential positions became available.” “I was encouraged to keep my hat in the ring.”
Since becoming the chairman of the board in 2023, Perkins has seen a steady growth within the program – starting with the lowest age level.
This year 300 children are participating in Jaybal programs.
Contribution / Mat Perkins
In the T-Ball program, there are 10 teams of 10 children participating in a six-week season. The age of children is 4 to 6 years old. They play a game once – or sometimes twice – a week for six weeks.
The next level of the program is home to 7- and 8-year-old children in the Ruki League. Children play a version of the speed ball instead of a true baseball game. Variation includes a team hitting, a team outfield fielding and a team Infield. The first team to score five runs or win three outs. Teams roam so every team has a chance to bat, play outfield and field infield.
Perkins said, “It is very fast and keeps children more.” “This is the biggest complaint about baseball, especially for young children, this game is so slow. This approach has been very successful in the last three years.”
The Minor League (Cap League >>>), 9- and a league designed for 10-year-old children, is the beginning of the travel league. There is a travel team in every age group from 9 to 14. The teams participated in four to six tournaments in Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks throughout the season. Those age levels play around 35 games per season.
“Those six teams begin in early April and pass through the first weekend of August,” Perkins said. “We have extinguished our season over the last few years. It used to be June through July. Once the school goes out, the game starts to ramp up and usually there is at least one game a week if not over, if not, then it is a full calendar to ensure.”
A young baseball team members run an exercise in Ester Turf Field.
Contribution / Mat Perkins
The American Legion team has a single full schedule.
Including the tournament, Gemstown Post 14 Eagles play upwards above 55 games in a season. The lejan season will run from 2 June to mid -August.
It may seem a lot, but in reality it is more game than work.
“I think people like the experience of the community of baseball,” Perkins said. “Especially with travel team schedule, you are going to other communities and spending a lot of time together.”
If you want to play, there is a cost.
The cost of T-ball is to participate in $ 100 while the Ruki League and Minor League cost $ 120. The travel ball is running from $ 350 to $ 450 depending on the age group, while the participants cost $ 700 to participate in the legends. As players are more involved, transportation, umpires, hotels and food are paid by registration fee.
“If you see across the state, I think you will find those prices very comparable, if not even on the low end,” Perkins said. “We are not increasing the price to make more money, it is to provide a better experience for those who are involved.”
A scholarship is available for those seeking financial assistance.
“We certainly don’t want the price to be a barrier to play,” Perkins said. “This is a thing that we strongly believe. We will consider it a way to work.
“I will encourage people to start looking for registration at the turn of New Year,” he said. “Even though it cannot feel like a baseball season, but when things are going for us, hopeful parents will register their children and we can keep growing.”
This year 300 children have been signed up to play baseball in Jamestown.
Contribution / Mat Perkins