Led by police and firefighters, a parade of young athletes marched from Boothbay Common to Clifford Park where they were greeted by the sounds of the Boothbay Community Band. The crowd of kids, families and friends gathered May 11 for the opening ceremony of the Boothbay region youth baseball program. 

Duane Goud, director of the Wiscasset Parks and Recreation Department, led the ceremony at the baseball diamond where Y Arts performer Imij Armstead sang the national anthem. Afterwards, Tom Nickerson, a longtime advocate for youth baseball and improvements to ballfields, threw the ceremonial first pitch.

Opening day was organized by Goud, Boothbay Town Manager Dan Bryer and Boothbay region youth baseball organizer Julia Peters. Goud said he hopes the program will continue to grow because it helps build strong school teams. He also said the baseball league ties communities together and gets people out.

“They get to see what's going on. They meet people they haven't seen in some time, especially between Boothbay and Wiscasset. I think it builds community. And I'm hoping that we can build a community together.” 

There were 12 games scheduled for the day, including T-Ball, Rookies, Minor and Major leagues. Teams from Boothbay, Wiscasset, Richmond, Topsham and Mount Ararat were in the line-up. According to Peters, the Boothbay teams alone have 108 kids signed up.  

Peters, a self-described “chaos manager,” said she started doing it because her boys play sports all season; she wanted to help the programs run smoothly and build interest. She remembers growing up when the community would come watch games. She wants to get back there.

"I know there's these kids that want to play. So, I want to make sure that we can grow the numbers to what they need to be,” she said. She added that in the four years she has been organizing the league she has “100%” seen growth.  

Peters said this year is the first time the facilities were completely ready. Three fields, including the baseball diamond, hosted games. In addition, lines built up around the concessions stand which offered a packed menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, sides and drinks.

Peters encouraged parents to sign up their kids for baseball regardless of experience level. She also said although the season is a few games, it’s not too late to join. “It's the funnest season ever. It really is,” she said about baseball. "Even if you've never touched a ball or anything, by the end of the season, they just fall in love with it. And I guarantee they'll play again.”  

For more information, visit https://wiscassetme.myrec.com/info/default.aspx