Youth baseball just around the corner

WINSTED —  Winsted Youth Baseball and Softball’s new season is scheduled to start on Friday, April 22, with a kick off event at the Little League Baseball Field on Willow Street.

In the meantime, the league is holding signups throughout the month at Pearson Middle School on three consecutive Saturdays, Feb. 13, 20 and 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon at each sign up event.

An additional signup event will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The league is made up of area children from 4 to 15 years old.

Sign up fees vary per league and full information is available at the league’s website at www.winstedyouthbaseball.net and www.facebook.com/groups/WinstedYouthBaseball/

Joe Nichols is a long standing member of the league and is a past league president.

Nichols is one of two senior board members of the league.

“How long has the league been around for? Oh my gosh, since I was a kid,” Nichols said in a recent interview with The Winsted Journal. “It has been a very longstanding tradition. I played in the league when I was growing up in the 1960s. I don’t know if baseball is as popular as it used to be, but there is still an interest in the town when it comes to youth activities.”

Nichols said he thinks interest in youth baseball has waned over the years.

“I think the problem is that, to children, baseball nowadays is seen as a slow sport,” he said. “With soccer and lacrosse, there is a higher intensity of activity. It appeals to children much more than baseball.”

He added that enrollment numbers in the league have gone down in recent years.

“The number of children enrolled has dropped from around 300 to 200,” he said. “Parents also want their children to concentrate on one sport, which has dwindled the numbers down quite a bit. I think video games are part of that. We’ve all gotten lazy. Not just children, but Americans in general.”

Nichols said he thinks baseball is very beneficial for children.

“One of the many things you get out of baseball in commodity,” he said. “When I was growing up as a kid, everyone was heading out to the baseball field. Friendship and team camaraderie are two of the biggest things you get out of the game today. Children need to be stimulated to get outside.”

He said that players in the league should concentrate on how to properly play baseball.

“One of the problems we have had in recreational sports is that we’ve gotten away from learning how to play the game,” he said. “Instead, it’s more about ‘Oh, we just need to have fun.’ There is nothing wrong with having fun, but it has gotten to the point where we’ve given children at every age level a trophy for everything. We’re losing a grip on how to teach children to play the game.”

Nichols said the league now plays teams from Barkhamsted, New Hartford, Colebrook and Hartland.

“We belong to the league because of the dwindling number of players,” he said. “Those teams have all seen their numbers dwindle because of one reason or another.”

Nichols added that he hopes to see a higher enrollment this year and parental support at each game.

“The parents need to come out and support their children,” he said. “They need to attend the games and cheer in a respectable manner.”