Stepping up to the tee

By Josh Prewitt for the FCT

There will be eight T-Ball teams participating in the Russellville Parks and Recreation 2015 Tiny Tykes Summer T-Ball league.

T-Ball took a hit May 27 with flash flooding washing through Hal Kirby Junior Park, the intended location for games, which began May 28.

Games will be played at East Side, according to Parks and Rec Assistant Superintendent Jeff Studdard, “until further notice.”

“If we can get Hal Kirby cleaned up enough, we will move back there, but we’ll make sure it’s safe before doing so,” Studdard said.

There will be no entry fee to the games; games will be free to the public and community. Games are two innings long.

All T-Ball coaches are parent volunteers – like Kelly Bragwell, who has been coaching for years, ever since his own children got into sports.

“You can tell the kids who are active, who like sports, out there,” Bragwell said. “Some will just sit down and play in the dirt. I try to encourage them not to. I try to keep them all up and active in it.”

T-Ball will help develop and get children started in their early years. Bragwell said he tries to make sure the children will enjoy and have fun leaning the basics of T-Ball. It will be a great learning experience for the kids participating and their parents.

“T-Ball is hard to teach them to work with each other because they just try to get the ball – they don’t throw the ball back and forth to each other,” Bragwell said. “It starts helping them with sharing – letting each other get the ball … They’re just out there to have a good time.”

Bragwell, who will coach his own 4-year-old daughter this year, encouraged parents and grandparents to come out and support these young athletes.

The 2015 Tiny Tykes T-Ball coaches and schedule for the teams are listed below.

Coaches:

Pirates – Michael Yancey

Braves – Kelly Bragwell

Rockies – Aaron Harbin

Orioles – John O’Neal

Rangers – Derek Ergle

Marlins – Scarlette  Studdard

Blue Jays – Mandy Cole

Cardinals – Neil Rogers

Schedule:

Thursday, May 28

5:30 p.m. – Pirates v Rangers

6:15 p.m. – Marlins v Rockies

7 p.m. – Orioles v Braves

7:45 p.m. – Cardinals v Blue Jays

Monday, June 1

5:30 p.m. – Cardinals v Rockies

6:15 p.m. – Orioles v Rangers

7 p.m. – Marlins v Pirates

7:45 p.m. – Blue Jays v Braves

Tuesday, June 2

5:30 p.m. – Marlins v Rangers

6:15 p.m. – Blue Jays v Orioles

7 p.m. – Cardinals v Pirates

7:45 p.m. – Braves v Rockies

Monday, June 8

5:30 p.m. – Blue Jays v Pirates

6:15 p.m. – Rockies v Orioles

7 p.m. – Cardinals v Marlins

7:45 p.m. – Braves v Rangers

Tuesday, June 9

5:30 p.m. – Marlins v Orioles

6:15 p.m. – Rangers v Blue Jays

7 p.m. – Braves v Cardinals

7:45 p.m. – Rockies v Pirates

Monday, June 15

5:30 p.m. – Rangers v Cardinals

6:15 p.m. – Pirates v Orioles

7 p.m. – Braves v Marlins

7:45 p.m. – Rockies v Blue Jays

Tuesday, June 16

5:30 p.m. – Marlins v Blue Jays

6:15 p.m. – Rangers v Rockies

7 p.m. – Cardinals v Orioles

7:45 p.m. – Pirates v Braves

Monday, June 22

5:30 p.m. – Marlins v Rockies

6:15 p.m. – Cardinals v Blue Jays

7 p.m. – Braves v Orioles

7:45 p.m. – Pirates v Rangers