From left: Yunus Brevik, Margi Gay and Rob Gay have took up the Perry League mantle following the retirement of longtime program leader Jimmy Chesire. (Photo by Lauren "Chuck" Shows)
2025 Perry League Season | Season opens with joy, minus game
- Published: June 27, 2025
Opening night of the Perry League T-ball season is typically full of firsts. There are some first-time players, first hits, first time attempting to field a ball, first time we notice a child who went from baby teeth to big teeth, or first time we realize a child can and did grow about 12 inches in fewer than 12 months. This year’s opening night, Friday, June 6, presented a new first for many of us: the first time we started the season without a game of T-ball.
The coaches usually communicate early Friday to make sure all is well and that we’re ready for another game. Sometimes that communication involves speculation about the weather. Will it rain? How hot will it be? Do we have enough popsicles? This week we had to debate the condition of the field. Was it dry enough that we could play without requiring major effort to drag the infield back into shape? In other words, could we play without turning the infield into one gigantic mud pit?
Alas, it was determined that in order to be most considerate to the maintenance crew, we needed to avoid a regular game. What to do? We settled on being present at Gaunt Park to manage registrations and allow time for children to just be children and family members to socialize and catch up with friends. We wanted to offer a brief warm-up and freeze pops, because a couple stretches and a run up the sledding hill clearly must be followed with frozen sugar water.
Coaches Rob and Margi were the first to arrive and set up the table with registration forms along with the new dark blue tie-dye shirts and standard black baseball caps. The Brevik crew arrived shortly thereafter with a cooler full of popsicles and a few bags of donated Perry League shirts. A neighbor proposed having a table for sharing previous years’ T-shirts. Thanks for the idea. It was well received.
Another helpful contribution came from Logan, father of Indie and Jaxon, who told us he secured two different donations from local businesses and would bring checks next week.
A little before 6 p.m., or when a game would normally start, we saw Grandpa Sterling pulling into the lot with grandsons Jordan and Jeremiah. And so began the steady flow of families coming into Gaunt Park in their cars, on bikes or just walking over. Even though the infield was off limits, children did what they do best and found ways to play. Some were seeing how far, with a running start, they could leap off the highest elevated row of the bleachers. Others were experimenting with the water fountain pressure and determining how hard the button must be pushed to get that stream of water as high as possible.
And even though no T-ball game would be played this evening, some children still presented us with their firsts. Millie, who had just turned 5 a few days before, found a toad near the bleachers, so we had our first amphibian. She wanted others to know: “It’s not a frog. It’s a toad.” Someone else helpfully added, “It’s not a pet.” At one point, there was a large gathering of children at the bleachers, all observing the toad. And that moment, even though it wasn’t T-ball, really captured the magic and wonder children bring to Perry League.
We enjoyed our first meetings with two new members of the Perry League family. The Hsu-Mazur and Boyer families have introduced babies since last season. Welcome to the world, up-and-coming Perry Leaguers!
Our first 2025 Perry League rookie to arrive was 4-year-old Bennie. Although there was some disappointment there would be no stick and ball action due to the muddy field, the Perry League tie-dye team shirt and hat seemed to cheer Bennie up.
We were happy to welcome back some seasoned T-ball players: Isla, Harry, Bash, Pippin, Alan (who made sure we noticed he was taller!) and so many more returning players joined us on opening day. And in typical T-baller fashion, held our attention with stories that covered a wide range of topics.
Each Friday night is a large gathering of children. T-ball is for ages 2–9. In this mixed-age grouping, children learn from and interact with each other. Language and social skills are learned from older ones, while leadership and nurturing skills are developed by taking care of the younger ones. Play with a wide range of ages promotes empathy and understanding as they learn to make connections, compromis, and play with each other. The group of children watching and commenting on that toad, from 1- and 2-year-olds to 8- and 9-year-olds, was a beautiful example of the power of mixed-age children’s play.
At around 6:15 we decided to proceed with our warm up. The whistle blew and all children were called to one spot. A brief comment was given about not being allowed on the field and then directions were given to run over toward Coach Rob, who was standing by the sledding hill. At the base of the hill, which was absolutely begging children to climb it, we ran through a few stretches before the pull of the hill was just too overwhelming. There were arm circles and toe touches, but the highlight was running, crawling or being carried up the hill and then turning back around to run or roll back down.
Warm-ups are our “play before we play some more.” Perry League T-ball games are opportunities for children to engage in play, whether it’s the very loosely structured play of the game while batting, running bases or fielding balls, or the very open-ended free play of those who choose to pursue activities like sculpting in the sand, drawing with the chalk or making up their own games or fantastical scenarios with whoever wants to join them.
In order for children to thrive, they need love, affection and plenty of free, unstructured time. The families and the community of people who gather each Friday clearly bring the love and affection. We hope the little window of time we’re together for T-ball contributes to that plenty of free play time.
At one point this evening, Elsie, 6, was pumping away on the swings, while brother Henry, 8, was determining how to scoot across the top of a bar on the climber. Brothers Miko, 4, and Kai, 5, were running around in the outfield. Another set of siblings, Rubi, 2, and Jimi, 4, were also enjoying the outfield. The respective dads, Matan and Josh, were tossing a frisbee. Alyce, 5, and little brother Arlo, 1 — but almost 2 — found ways to entertain themselves on the bleachers. Others, including brothers Jory and Teddy, as well as Jo, Charlotte, Alice, Emi, Bradlee and several more, continued to enjoy the sledding hill. Stopping to look around Gaunt Park, it felt very T-ball, even without the T-ball.
As we were packing up, we commented on 4-year-old Miko’s raccoon tail, which he sported as he climbed the bleachers. He had grown this new appendage since last season, and we were curious how it came to be. Miko informed us his mom caught the raccoon and his dad “cutted off the tail.” We are impressed! Miko’s mom, Angie, who is part of the outfield parent gang, reported that the raccoon tail has become part of Miko’s identity.
And that was our first night of this season’s Yellow Springs Perry League T-ball. 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 in June and July, starting at 6 p.m. in Gaunt Park.
—Coaches Yunus Brevik and Margi and Rob Gay
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