By Coach Rob Gay

The Fourth of July holiday traditionally marks the midpoint of summer vacation for local schoolchildren, a sure sign that summer is in full swing. It also marks the point in the Perry League season when time seems to accelerate. With just four short weeks remaining, another memorable season is already entering its final stretch.

Due to preparations for the Fourth of July festivities at Gaunt Park, there were no Perry League games Friday, July 3. Instead, our players joined the Yellow Springs Youth Baseball League in the annual Independence Day parade on the Fourth. While we had planned to walk the route, the extreme heat convinced us otherwise. Thanks to the generosity of the Odd Fellows, we were able to ride on one of their floats — a much appreciated lift on a sweltering day.

As we made our way through the village, we heard countless cheers and words of encouragement from parade spectators. Baseball continues to thrive at every level in Yellow Springs, and it’s exciting to see so many people embracing America’s pastime. We are grateful for the tremendous support from our community.

Of course, summer baseball in the Midwest always comes with one unpredictable opponent — the weather.

This time of year is the peak growing season. Farmers certainly appreciate the steady rainfall, and the surrounding corn seems to grow a foot every day — almost fast enough to hear it. Those same favorable growing conditions, however, make scheduling outdoor events a constant challenge as pop-up thunderstorms find their way into nearly every forecast.

This past Friday, the 10th, was no exception.

When I arrived at Gaunt Park, the wet pavement and tree limbs scattered throughout the parking lot told the story of a storm that had just passed through. One large limb had fallen onto a parked vehicle. Village crews were already on the scene, removing the debris quickly and efficiently while minimizing any additional damage to the car. Their quick response and professionalism deserve recognition. “Well done.” to everyone involved.

With the return of Perry League Plus games on the adjacent field — known proudly by our young players as “the big field” — both diamonds required preparation before the evening’s games.

Shortly after the fields were ready, our first T-baller arrived. Sully and his father, Eric, had claimed a shady spot beneath a tree where they patiently waited for game time while enjoying HaHa’s pizza. It looked like a pretty good way to spend a summer evening.

Nearby, Cameron, Addilyn and Ainsley Swenberg gathered with their mother, Mandy, along the third-base line. I noticed the children weren’t wearing their Perry League hats and jokingly asked if they had received them.

“Yes,” Mandy replied with a smile, “but we’re committed to wearing our Milwaukee Brewers hats since we’re from Wisconsin.”

That seemed like a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Keeping one eye on the skies, we began warmups promptly at 6 p.m. Coach Yunus led the group through his ever-expanding collection of warmup exercises after a spirited race to the right-field fence. His colorful descriptions, infectious enthusiasm, and natural ability to connect with children never fail to capture the players’ attention.

The evening’s first batter was Miles, who opened the action with a solid base hit.

Next came Kai — introduced, as always, as “Kai, the Barefoot Guy.” His younger brother, Miko, cheered enthusiastically from the infield. There is something especially heartwarming about the encouragement only siblings can provide.

Sarah followed with her trademark spinning swing, a unique approach that regularly produces a satisfying “thwack” as bat meets ball.

Zorin joined us again for the first time this summer, and promptly sent his very first hit through the infield — an impressive beginning to what we hope will be a memorable season.

Cassian, following in the footsteps of his two older siblings who now play in the Yellow Springs Youth Baseball League, confidently picked up a larger bat. The determined look on his face reflected the influence of his baseball family, and his upgraded equipment delivered equally impressive results.

Alyce’s batting routine was briefly interrupted when a gust of wind sent her cap tumbling across the field. After a quick reset, she stepped back into the batter’s box unfazed.

Arlo generated so much momentum with his swing that he spun himself completely around before regaining his balance, drawing smiles from everyone nearby.

Meanwhile, Holly’s father had been volunteering by fielding ground balls at first base before taking a quick break from his duties to help his daughter enjoy her turn at the plate.

On the “big field,” our players were joined by Coach David Miller, along with Judah Shultz, Evan Collier and Otoño Roeth from our middle and high school baseball teams. The seasoned players taught our Perry League Plus participants how to field a ball using a glove, with several of our 6- to 9-year-old players joining in — including Oly, who had been especially looking forward to this day.

It’s always heartwarming to see players from our school teams share their knowledge, experience and love of the game with their younger counterparts. Their willingness to mentor the next generation helps foster not only a love of baseball, but also the sense of connection and community that makes our program strong.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had one more surprise in store. As another round of threatening weather approached, the difficult decision was made to end the evening early in the interest of everyone’s safety.

No one took the news harder than Cameron. His disappointment was unmistakable, with tears flowing freely as the reality of the early cancellation sank in. Hoping to soften the blow, we offered him a freeze pop, but he emphatically declined. You know the disappointment is genuine when even a cold summer treat can’t mend a broken baseball heart.

We’ll give it another try next Friday. Our all-volunteer program is noncompetitive, free, and open to children aged 2–9, regardless of their race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, spiritual inclination or practice, ability or disability. You are welcome to join us Friday evenings through Aug. 7, starting at 6 p.m. in Gaunt Park.