T-ball love, Yellow Springs style
- Published: August 11, 2011
Someone put a hundred dollar bill in our donation jar Friday night. A hundred dollars! It stuns and gratifies us — and it is perfectly symbolic of this thing called the Perry League, Yellow Springs’ t-ball program for girls and boys 2–9 years of age.
Fifty-two kids picked up their trophies Friday night, Aug. 5, and there are another 20 or so more that I can think of — Tiger Van Ausdal, Mya Jones, Evan Sluss, Lily, Maggie and Jackson Knopp, Sam Foster, Sammy and Oriana Bloom, Jonah Kintner, Eamonn Cary, Carter Hutchison, Luca Acheson, Joseph and Eliza Minde-Berman, Eliza and Miles Gilchrist, Diego and Danielle Bieri, Areya Harker, Loren George, Nevaeh and Shaylee Smith, Luka Sage Frabotta and a few others — who should call me at 708-9243 to get theirs.
The Perry League is our Yellow Springs version of Friday Night Lights, with the “lights,” of course, being the sparkling sky blue eyes of Elijah Yelton, 3. The deep brown eyes of Oriana Bloom, 5, flashing like diamonds in the sun. The Whoops! of Joy! Joy! Joy! blasting out of Dane “BoomBoxBoy” Beal, 5. The marvelously mischievous flashes of happiness radiating from the beautiful Pete Guthrie, 6, and his little brother, Isaac, 2, and likewise from the ever-effervescent explosively happy Evan Galarza, 4. The light generated by the wonderfully deranged shenanigans of Anaya Adoff, 3-and-a-half, and her sidekick and partner-in-crime, the lovely Ms. Mina Brown, also 3-and-a-half. The stupendously wonderful whistle-blowing powers of Kian Rainey, 2. The steady, vibrant solid being of Kian Barker, 4, and the glimpses into state championship athleticism of kids like Devon Deal, 6.
And speaking of harbingers of state championships, we have them a-plenty: in Oriah Foley, who at 3 is like an eight- or nine-year-old player, and in Emma Hall, who in spite of her cerebral palsy is destined to achieve surpassing physical and athletic feats that will surprise all but her mom, Sarah Hippensteel Hall, and her dad, Mr. Dusty Hall. And then there’s Callie Hester, 8, whose flying feet foreshadow a future track or cross country star. And Madelyne Medina, 7, whose raven-hair and beautiful dark Spanish eyes might distract you from her formidable physical giftedness. And Dimitri Wall, too, as handsome as his father Anthony, who cannot get enough at-bats — he, too, I say: state championship bound. And the Sundell-Turner kids, Jai, 4, and Cheyan, 6, both of them powerhouses, overflowing with natural talent, plus the Diamond clan, each of the three children gifted athletically & spiritually.
And speaking of superior talents, there’s Mia Campbell, 4, who was radiant, a feast for the eyes, excelling at bat, again running, rolling the bases like an ace, and the Sajabi boys, too, Sameer, two years two months, and Mateen, four years five months, playing as well, learning as quickly, having as much fun as anyone. And there’s the tiny sunshine blond wonder, the very quiet Alex Boldman, 2, saying good night to the coach, “Tank you, tank you, tank you.”
And that’s our Perry League. We’ve been looking for love in all the right places: in grandfathers and grandmothers whose hearts are wide open, in single moms and single dads, brave and caring, working hard to do the right thing, in the older brothers and sisters, affectionate and doting, in cousins, in aunts and uncles, adoring and proud, in that special Yellow Springs phenomenon, the remarkable two-mother homes radiant with love, kindness and a particularly close attention to detail. And we’ve been finding that love in the “traditional” one mom, one dad homes as well, families happy together, mom and dad both giving and caring, both sharing the load. And of course, we’ve been especially looking to our children — those on-the-field rascals and rapscallions, princes and princesses, kings and queens with their open hearts, their delightful, often hilarious innocence, their unabashed goodness, their surprising and delightful graciousness, their willingness to love, to give you their hearts.
I thank you all, you’ve been just wonderful this summer and I appreciate it. So, thanks, thanks a lot.
One Response to “T-ball love, Yellow Springs style”
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Coach Jimmy,
I also thank you and Coach Jason for a fun summer. We have enjoyed seeing you on Fridays at the field and then again in the paper every week. You bring me to tears each time I read your articles. Thank you for saying such wonderful things about our kids, it means so much to us as parents to hear that, but it also is such a thrill for our kids to see their names and/or pictures in the paper each week. Our kids just love you guys! We already can’t wait for next summer!!!
Love, Carrie Campbell