UNITY – With registrations for Unity Minor Ball ending, one mom has taken it upon herself to find an outlet for the younger kids to get in on the ball action.
Ashley Tanner’s daughter is four years old and has been wanting to play ball like her older brother but is too young for the UMB Association. She inquired if anyone was running a T-ball program nearby and discovered there was nothing for the younger children.
“I know the last year the T-ball program was offered was in 2019. I am not sure if the pandemic affected the program the following year or what happened, but there hasn’t been a program since then,” said Tanner.
Tanner, a busy mom who works alongside her husband at their business, Lonestar Auto Repair & Towing Ltd, opened online registrations with a maximum number 25 children born in 2018 and 2019 to join.
“There was quite a bit of inquires for kids younger than that to join. Unfortunately, it has been a lot of work to organize. It gets too crazy with a bigger group as well for safety reasons, which is why we kept it to a two-year age gap,” explained Tanner.
The cost for children to join the T-ball program was $25 per player, which will include a T-shirt that players can keep after the season is over.
“We are starting from scratch with equipment. We will use the remainder of the fees to purchase the equipment we need. Lonestar Auto Repair & Towing Ltd will donate any additional equipment that is required if we are unable to cover the cost,” added Tanner.
The program will work around the Rally Cap and minor ball’s schedules. Coaches will include Ashley, her husband Daikota Tanner, Toni-Lynn Bryan and Tanner’s son, James as a junior coach. They will be focusing on teaching the basics of baseball and softball such as throwing, catching, hitting and general game play.
“The kids are only four and five years old, so we want to give them a feel for how the game is played and being on a team. A parent or guardian must be always present as we will run various stations directed by the coaches, so parents will be needed to assist with the kids,” said Tanner.
The program will commence once the fields are ready to play on and a schedule has been confirmed from the other ball committees.
