Opening day for the Forney Youth Baseball Association took place on Saturday March 24, at Mulberry Park in Forney. FYBA President Bobby Bridges said, “It's an awesome day for baseball!” He couldn't be more right. The sun shone bright without a cloud in the sky and eager young baseball players ages 4 to 12 bubbled with enthusiasm to play the game they love.
Opening day for the Forney Youth Baseball Association took place on Saturday March 24, at Mulberry Park in Forney. FYBA President Bobby Bridges said, “It's an awesome day for baseball!” He couldn't be more right. The sun shone bright without a cloud in the sky and eager young baseball players ages 4 to 12 bubbled with enthusiasm to play the game they love.
Bobby Bridges has been involved with the league for nine years and he has been the president for three years. He says he wants to continue to grow the league for the kids who are playing and for those who will play in the years to come. This season lasts until July and the fall season starts in September and runs through November. Bridges thanked Chevy for donating a truck to be raffled off. The raffle sales allowed the league to re-do the baseball fields at Mulberry Park. He said, “The fields are in much better playing condition because of Chevy. Our local sponsors make it possible for these kids to play baseball. We couldn't do it without them.”
The opening day ceremonies were not unlike opening day for major league baseball teams. Sure there was no jet fly-by, but they had a wonderful flag presentation by the Trinity Valley Young Marines, a beautiful, live rendition of the National Anthem by X-alt Quartet, and local hero Blake Watson threw out the first pitch.
Lance Corporal Blake Watson is a 2006 graduate of Forney High School and he is an inspiring and honorable young man. In December of 2010, Watson was severely injured by an Improvised Exploding Device (IED) while serving in Afghanistan. The explosion cost the proud Marine his left leg. Despite his injuries, he walked out onto the Field 8 pitching mound and tossed the first pitch to a young FYBA player. The crowd gave him a thunderous applause and many took the time to shake the young man's hand and thank him for his service to our country.
After the first pitch, a young group of baseball players led the crowd in singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”. Teams with names like the Rangers, the Astros, the Long Horns, and The Dirty Dozen, clamored around the field, barely able to contain their excitement at getting the season started. The coaches seemed just as anticipatory and ready to play ball. As soon as the kids ran out to each of the eight fields, the sound of baseballs popping into gloves and nervous laughter could be heard. As fun as it was to watch these little ones play ball, another league associated with the FYBA may bring even more smiles.
FYBA PR Director Cheryl Mason shared her excitement about an FYBA related league called the Challenger League. It allows for special needs children with varying degrees of physical disabilities or learning disabilities to come out and play baseball. The Challenger League is still open to new players and they will have their opening day at Mulberry Park at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 31, 2012. Each child is teamed up with a baseball buddy from the FYBA who will assist them at bat, running bases, and in the field. If you have a special needs child living within the FISD boundaries, who may be interested in the Challenger League, contact Cheryl Mason at fybaprdirector@gmail.com. The Challenger League is free to join, thanks to wonderful local sponsors.
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