Geared Up To Play Ball!

North Fayette Baseball and Softball offers kids a chance to develop confidence and character, while helping the community.

North Fayette Baseball and Softball youth organization (NFBS) offers team sports for boys and girls ages 6 to 15. Team sports provide an opportunity for young athletes to learn social skills and develop character that will help them throughout their lives. The president of NFBS, Ryan Bokor, explains, “The kids learn patience and discipline, and the accountability of being a good teammate.”

Beyond making hits or great field plays, the kids learn to become a source of encouragement to each other. “Your contribution to the team is also about cheering your teammates on,” says Ryan. “They develop a sense of camaraderie between them.”

Many lifelong friendships begin on a baseball field while still in elementary school. Teammates learn the value of working together, and sometimes making sacrifices for a shared outcome. This concern for others is also encouraged in community involvement by the organization.

NFBS recently collaborated with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America to create an “Equipment Depot” for the community. This small facility will provide access to baseball and softball equipment for those who may not be able to afford it. The depot will have donated bats, balls, gloves, cleats and other gently used equipment for youth in the community. The Girl Scouts raised funds, along with NFBS, for materials to build the depot.

The Boy Scouts also participated in fundraising and worked on the construction of the repository. North Fayette Parks and Recreation kindly facilitated a designated location for it near the North Fayette Community Center. The Equipment Depot will operate on the honor system.

NFBS also participated in a recent toy collection that was sponsored by Play It Forward Pittsburgh. Heather Soose, the NFBS commissioner of softball, suggested the organization also participate in a Stuff the Dugout toy collection, which was a great success.

The players also partnered last year with high school softball players on a free two-week clinic for area kids to learn the game and improve their skills.

The NFBS offers great opportunities for kids to just have fun after much practice and playing hard. The players often go for ice cream after games, and there’s an end-of-year pizza party for each team. Once a year, the players and their families can attend a Washington Wild Things game.

Ryan says, “Baseball and softball can be tough sports. But they can also be fun. We hope at the end of the day, the kids are learning sportsmanship, and to be good members of the community.”

For more about North Fayette Baseball and Softball, visit facebook.com/NorthFayetteBaseballSoftball.