The Forney Youth Baseball Association (FYBA) held its Opening Day Ceremonies for the first time since switching from Little League Baseball to the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA). The memorable league change was accompanied by a memorable first pitch on Saturday morning, April 13, 2013.
The Forney Youth Baseball Association (FYBA) held its Opening Day Ceremonies for the first time since switching from Little League Baseball to the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA). The memorable league change was accompanied by a memorable first pitch on Saturday morning, April 13, 2013.
In honor of Mike and Cynthia McLelland and Mark Hasse, the FYBA Board Members each wore a green ribbon on their shirts. The McLellands were close personal friends with many of the FYBA Board Members, so the league invited their son, Nathan Foreman, to throw out the first pitch that was caught by FYBA Vice President Skeet Phillips. "They [McLellands] will be greatly missed by so many in our community," said FYBA President Bobby Bridges.
Another ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by Angel League, formerly the Challenger League, superstar Taylor Chadwick. Chadwick is a member of the FYBA Forney Angels team. The Angel League is a separate division within the FYBA that allows school-aged boys and girls with mental and physical disabilities to play baseball.
There was also a moment of silence during the ceremonies to honor the loss of the McLellands and Hasse.
Bridges later commended the FYBA Board in an interview with inForney.com stating, "I would like to commend the FYBA Board on the outstanding work they have done on making the transition to USSSA baseball. I think it shows by our numbers that everyone in the league is happy with the change. I think we are on the right track for youth baseball in Forney."