Young Bash was outstanding in his field at the most recent Perry League T-ball match, Friday, June 13. He had to be coaxed off the field at the end of the evening — he didn’t want to go home. (Submitted photo)
2025 Perry League Season | Rain? What rain?
- Published: June 21, 2025
Like the week before, the second week of Perry League T-ball on Friday, June 13, flirted with the threat of cancellation, thanks to another round of drizzly, mischievous spring rain — a familiar foe to any outdoor plan this season.
Families rolled into the Gaunt Park gravel lot with windshield wipers clicking and eyes raised to the cloudy sky, wondering if T-ball would actually happen.
Due to the soggy conditions, field prep was minimalist at best: No chalk lines. Bases tossed down hastily after some quick “that-looks-about-right” pacing. The tee and mat plopped into place in the blink of an eye.
But as it turns out, none of that mattered.
Because the moment Coach Yunus blew his whistle and called out, “T-ballers, line up!” — it was game on. (Unlike the week before, when weather conditions allowed everything but the actual game.)
As the kids gleefully sprinted to the outfield fence for warm-ups with Coach Yunus and Coach Rob, a quiet little hero emerged. Miss “A”— who kindly requested anonymity — chose to help this year rather than play. After a speedy tutorial on first base coaching — Step 1: Smile! Step 2: Cheer and wave batters into first base! — and equipped with an umbrella courtesy of Dad, Miss A took her post and became the sunniest, smiliest first base coach Gaunt Park has ever seen. It’s a little bittersweet to see our players grow up, but oh, how sweet it is to see them give back.
First to bat this season? Henry, 8, perched proudly, and practically vibrating, with “let me at it!” energy. Next up: Sarah, who told us that her sister Erin, a Perry League alum, turns 14 tomorrow, and she herself will be 8 in just two weeks. Time does fly!
Third in the lineup was Alan, 5, who was practically airborne from excitement. After running a few warm-up circles, he carefully selected his bat — once known as “the Caterpillar,” but he rebranded it as “The Monster Bat,” which he used at each at-bat with heroic flair, growling for good measure.
Bat choices, by the way, are carefully and thoughtfully considered at Perry League. Violet — no surprises here — chose the violet (purple) bat every time. Arlo, age 2, insisted on swinging a bat nearly bigger than himself, fingers barely clinging to the handle. Ender, a seasoned T-ball sage, took the opposite approach — selecting the tiniest wooden bat and christening it “The Tiny Bat of Destiny.” We’re honestly considering putting that on an official inventory tag.
Despite the drizzle, we welcomed a batch of brave and bouncy rookies! Little Arlo got some help from his big sister, Alyce, aka Aly, 5, who guided him to the tee and watched him give it a strong one-armed swing. When complimented for being such a good helper, Aly confidently declared, “I know.” The whole Fox family joined in for the next at-bat and a perfectly posed photo op.
Bash, (shortened from Sebastian), 2, younger brother to Harrison, 3, had a fantastic debut — strong hits and some delightfully energetic ball chasing in the outfield. Six-year-old Mary, shy at first, took a few quick pointers and then ran the bases like she was born to it. Bennie, whose debut was rained out the previous week, came back with rainbow shoes and the kind of confident sparkle that turns heads. He hit like a star and fielded like a seasoned pro.
We also had grown-up helpers galore! Kylie, mom to Paxton, Dillon, and Colby, helped keep the bustling batter bench organized and scooching in the proper order. Dillon, meanwhile, enthusiastically recounted her recent Dayton Dragons game to Coach Rob: “We got, like, a million balls and took pictures with all the guys!” After a quick clarification, we figured out she meant Gem and Heater, the Dragons’ adorable mascots.
New volunteers Maddy and Desmond Truitt were a wonderful addition. Maddy took on the crucial role of Ball-Thrower-Inner Coach — making sure kids of all sizes got plenty of chances to field balls, both hit and tossed. Desmond served as On-Deck Coach, helping kids choose bats and recording their names for Coach Yunus to call out. Both Truitts were fabulous and full of heart — we’re so grateful for their help!
Fielding, age 2, was another new face — initially hesitant in the whirl of Perry League energy. We gave him a little “fast pass” to the tee, and after one brave swing, he was off and running like a champ!
Halftime popsicles were a smash hit, especially given the humidity and many sweaty heads. Elsie, 6, who had been hit with a rogue ball, found her mood brightened by the icy treat.
Returning stars included athletic Oliver, 6, with his gorgeous curls peeking out of his cap and trusty turquoise bat in hand, which, by the way, was clearly lucky, as he had a couple of really nice hits. Nio, 8, wore bright rain boots and became a ball-collecting champ for Coach Yunus. Sweet Emi, 4, brought her signature shy smile and delivered a brilliant at-bat, then bounced down the baseline with the cutest curls bobbing behind her.
Sisters Isabel, 5, and Sophie, 3, were cheered on by Dad and Grandpa Whitmore, while Mom Roslynne helped corral outfielders, smiling the whole time. Brothers Jonas, 3, and Jacob, 6, returned with their signature goofy grins, clearly having a blast.
Now, let’s talk Perry League rules. There aren’t many:
Kids can hit a thousand times if they want.
They’re welcome to field their own ball they just hit off the tee (a very common Perry League occurrence).
They can take breaks as needed and choose to hit or field at will — no innings, no outs.
Pure, beautiful, chaos-friendly freedom.
This week, we noticed something especially lovely: T-ball buddies were waiting for each other at the bases so they could run together. Ellie, wearing a cherished necklace gifted by her dad, and Elsie were spotted gleefully skipping to home plate close together. Stevie, 5, joined the fun too, giggling alongside her friends.
As things wrapped up, Lee — dad to Harrison and Bash — noted that Bash had to be coaxed off the field at the end of the evening. He just didn’t want to leave.
And honestly, who could blame him?
That’s it for week two of the 2025 Perry League season. 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. We meet every Friday, June through July, at Gaunt Park, 6–7:30 p.m.
See you next Friday!—
—Coaches Yunus Brevik and Margi and Rob Gay
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