Tharptown youth players finally get home field
Austin Geisler gets some batting practice during a recent practice. | Scot Beard/FCT
THARPTOWN — Playing youth baseball is a right of passage for many boys and it is something many players in Tharptown have had to travel to Russellville to experience — until this year.
This spring three t-ball teams, an 8-and-under team, a 10-and-under and a 12-and under team are getting to play home games close to home as Tharptown begins its first season of youth baseball.
The teams play home games on the high school field.
Ken Riley, the coach of the 8-and-under team, said the players have been excited to be part of the new teams.
“They are all good kids and they are excited they get to play close to home,” Riley said.
He said the Tharptown program is the result of hard work by John Staggs, who saw the need for youth baseball in Tharptown and made it a reality.
Riley said the members of his team are eager to hit the field each and every game.
“The kids want to play,” Riley said. “They beg to play.”
He said that kind of attitude is needed in players to build a good program because other teams know Tharptown will show up to play its games.
The desire to play is also impressive because this is the first year of organized baseball for all but a few of Riley’s players. The roster includes Kenneth Riley, Nathan Hallmark, Nathan Lucas, Austin Geisler, Cole Lawrence, Sergio Alfaro, Blake Daily, Lonnie Dalrymple, Michael Dalrymple, Ethan Pennington, Maliki Patterson, Destin Rickard and Joseph Thomsin.
Other coaches include Kristy Riley and Greg Hallmark.
The players not only have a desire to play, but to also learn the basics of the game.
“Greg (Hallmark) said the players are 153 percent better than they day they started,” Riley said. “I agree with that 100 percent.”
The coaches do not emphasis winning or losing and rarely discuss the score of the game with the players.
“We tell them at the end of the game if they played as well as they possibly could then they are all winners,” Riley said. “We emphasize having fun, learning and safety.”
Riley is pleased with the turnout this season, but expects the league to grow and said organizers are looking forward to next season.
“We’re going to be around for a while,” Riley said. “We want people to come out next year so we can have multiple teams in each age group.
