Another beautiful evening of Perry League T-ball was fielded on Friday. Now in its 56th year, Perry League is open to all children and operates under a few simple rules: no teams, no positions, no batting order and every kid gets 1,000 strikes. (Submitted photo)
Perry League— For T-ball, everyone plays a part
- Published: July 20, 2026
By Coaches Margi Anderson, Yunus Brevik and Rob Gay
The third week of Perry League T-ball fell on a gorgeous Juneteenth evening, one of those early summer nights that seem custom-made for gathering outside. The air was warm but comfortable, the grass was green and Gaunt Park was ready for another Friday night of T-ball.
Turnout started a little lighter than usual. Perhaps families were enjoying Juneteenth festivities around town. Perhaps summer vacations had already begun. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter much. One of the beautiful things about Perry League is that whether six children show up or 60, we’re going to play ball and have fun. Families continued to trickle in, however, and we had a strong showing of children.
Earlier in the day, Freya’s mom, Jen, shared a story that perfectly captured the spirit of Perry League. When Freya wakes up and realizes it’s T-ball day, she celebrates accordingly. Jen demonstrated the ritual with an enthusiastic arm pump and cheerful, “Yay, it’s T-ball day!” It was one of those sweet stories guaranteed to bring a smile.
The first family to arrive included little Josephine, who isn’t quite 2 years old yet. Sporting two tiny ponytails perched high atop her head, she immediately set about inspecting the field with her dad, Riley. Third base, the batting bench, the chalk line — nothing escaped her careful attention. Every organization needs a quality-control department, and Josephine seemed more than qualified for the position.
As more families trickled in, a sea of Perry League tie-dye shirts began to emerge. The 2026 version is a lovely teal tie-dye, if you have not yet seen the shirts. Tie-dye shirts were not just on the kids, but on parents and caregivers, too.
This week’s gathering also featured plenty of 5-year-old personal flair — from Lily’s patriotic red, white and blue striped sundress and bare feet to Daisy’s bright, daisy-shaped earrings and Luna’s impressive glitter application stretching from cheek to cheek beneath her lavender eyeglasses.
With coaches Yunus and Beth away this week, a wonderful thing happened: The village stepped up. Coach Becky took her usual post at the batting bench, while Coach Margi filled in at the tee. Zach, dad to Colby, volunteered to help guide runners toward first base. Jen graciously agreed to help record names and memorable moments.
Several seasoned Perry Leaguers, including Oly, 9, and Josie, 8, stationed themselves along the first-base line to toss balls into the field so younger players would have plenty of opportunities to make plays. Luna’s family contributed Italian ice pops for “halftime” treats. Many other parents and caregivers jumped in wherever needed.
Perry League has always been powered by volunteers, and Friday served as a lovely reminder that this tradition continues because so many people willingly lend a hand.
Josie returned to Perry League this week with her family. Josie let us know it was her first time here after a break of several years. She was hard to miss: Josie’s temporary tattoos adorned nearly every available surface — arms, legs and even her face. She looked like she had won some sort of championship in the highly competitive sport of Temporary Tattoo Collection.
Jameson, 5, introduced us to his little sister, Ellie, 3, and thoughtfully provided a key biographical detail.
“I was born before my sister,” he explained.
A factually accurate statement and an important clarification for all involved. Jameson sweetly watched out for his little sister all evening, cluing her in on the ways of Perry League and encouraging little Ellie all the way.
Freya, sporting a rainbow dinosaur shirt created by local artist Jennifer Berman, had an adventurous evening. After one successful at-bat, she took a small tumble on her way to first base. A few tears appeared briefly, but like many resilient Perry Leaguers before her, she dusted herself off and was back in action before long.
Part of the process is transitioning from the bench to the batting circle, where bats are splayed out in the grass just safely north of the tee. At her last opportunity to bat, Freya tiptoed carefully between the many choices: the bright yellow-and-orange flame bat; the well-worn royal purple bat; a traditional small wooden bat; or the foam-covered, faded green-and-blue-striped caterpillar bat, whose antennae are still hanging on, amazingly enough.
Freya narrowed it down to three: the bright pink bat a T-baller recently left behind, which has become very popular; the silver-and-blue bat; or the purple bat. Freya was frozen with indecision.
After an appropriate amount of time, Coach Margi suggested and carried out an “eenie-meenie-miney-moe” session to aid in the deliberation. The silver-and-blue bat was selected, but Freya put her finger to her chin, picked up the pink bat after all and trotted off to the tee.
Charlie, 4, spent much of the evening alongside her friend Emerson, whose freshly self-trimmed bangs suggested an independent spirit and, perhaps, a recent encounter with a pair of scissors.
Luna came ready for business. Each trip to the tee seemed stronger than the last, and by the end of the evening, her confidence was unmistakable. During one at-bat, she proudly shared some important news: She had recently graduated.
After a bit of conversation, we learned she meant from Safety Village, the Yellow Springs program that teaches kindergartners and first-graders important life and safety skills. Graduation is graduation, and congratulations were certainly in order.
Daisy, 5, arrived wearing her bright 2025 Perry League blue tie-dye shirt, matching daisy earrings and a winning smile.
Later, Jo stepped up to the plate wearing his red batting helmet — for safety, he informed us — and carrying his own lucky teal-blue Rawlings bat. The bat appeared to live up to its reputation, producing several impressive hits throughout the evening.
After their at-bats and runs into the dual-purpose home plate and batting tee, friends Jo and Daisy could be found sitting near the chalk line, engaged in what appeared to be a technical discussion regarding dental matters. While the specifics escaped this reporter, there was considerable pointing, wide-open mouths and close inspection. The topic was clearly important.
At one point, none other than Jack, 7, delivered a ball to the tee. He had not been seen since last year, and, man, has he grown!
This week, Sarah, 8, almost 9, sporting her usual very, very long braid and zebra pants, shouted “pickle” during one of her at-bats as her mom took the opportunity for a photo shoot.
Ender, 8, once again wielded his beloved “Tiny Bat of Destiny,” delivering solid hits with his usual enthusiasm. But baseball wasn’t the only thing on his mind. At one point, he announced plans to steal a base. Most observers assumed he meant figuratively.
They were mistaken.
A short time later, Ender was spotted running across the grass toward the adjoining baseball field carrying first base itself, while a pack of children pursued him in a determined effort to return the bag to its rightful location. It may have been the most literal base stealing in Perry League history.
Elsewhere on the field, Colby, 4, sent a beautiful hit straight up the middle, while Paxton, now a Perry League alum who has graduated to Minor League baseball, stopped by to take a few swings and remind us how quickly these children grow.
Aquilla, 5, and Charlie were additional bright spots Friday evening. It was nearly impossible to catch either girl without a smile. Whether waiting for a turn at bat, running the bases or simply soaking in the joyful chaos that is Perry League, both seemed to glow with happiness.
Their cheerful dispositions were matched by the kindness and warmth of their mothers, who stepped up to help support their daughters at the tee throughout the evening. Watching the girls laugh, play and enjoy every moment, it was easy to see that their sweet natures come honestly.
As the evening wound down and families gathered equipment, folded chairs and blankets, and rounded up children, it was hard not to notice how many people had contributed to making the night a success. Coaches, parents, older kids, grandparents and enthusiastic supporters all played their part.
That’s always been one of the special things about Perry League, and we so appreciate the support and contributions!
Now in its 56th year, Perry League is open to all children regardless of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, disability or level of skill. The league operates under a few simple and unique rules: There are no teams, no assigned positions and no batting order, and every batter gets 1,000 strikes.
Perry League is designed to provide children and their caregivers with a positive, low-pressure introduction to team sports, emphasizing participation, inclusion, fun and community over competition.
We’ll see you next Friday, June 26, 6–7:30 p.m., at Gaunt Park. Game play will take a week off the following weekend, Friday, July 3, for Independence Day celebrations.
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