youth sports - Marshall Independent
Transcription
youth sports - Marshall Independent
2009 S P YOUTH O R T S w w w. m a r s h a l l i n d e p e n d e n t . c o m 2 • INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 While high school varsity athletics garners most of the attention, there’s plenty to be said about youth sports and all the work that’s put in to get little kids started in sports. This section takes a look at those youth programs and some of the people behind them. It starts with a ‘T’ Area towns offer kids many opportunities to develop baseball skills By David Griswold dgriswold@marshallindependent.com A long with being America’s, baseball is also southwest Minnesota’s pastime as well. Come spring and summertime, more and more kids are leaving the house and hitting the baseball fields, whether it be in T-ball, coaches pitch or traveling leagues. The area is seeing an abundance of interest throughout the communities. “I’ve noticed our numbers are higher now when they get to the junior high and senior high,” said Canby youth sports director Perry Fink. “We’re getting 10 kids or 12 kids a grade instead of having five or six. So I think it’s helped the baseball program in that way.” The Canby area offers T-ball, a squirts league and a midgets league, all to help progressively develop skills as the kids get older. “It just helps getting to that next level,” said Fink. “Each one of those things is a step and it’s nice breaking it down into three groups.” In the area, the T-ball teams mainly practice and learn the basics of the game, while the squirts league competes against four teams throughout the town. The midgets league, which features players in the fifth, sixth and seventh grades, travels throughout the area and competes against other towns. The Tracy area also has a similar style of progression throughout the town, carrying T-ball and numerous youth baseball programs affiliated with the Tracy Area Youth Baseball Association (TAYBA). “It helps develop and helps get the interest involved in baseball,” said youth base- Photos by David Griswold, top, Per Peterson, right Above: Tracy Tornadoes pitcher Noah Jones delivers a pitch during a 12-andunder tournament in Tyler. Right: Caden Thordson, 8, of Marshall hits from a tee during a recent practice in the Park and Rec baseball league in Marshall. Older kids often use a tee to help develop their swing. ball director and TMB head baseball coach Bill Tauer. “It’s good for them to get involved in the game. A lot of parents are busy and don’t have the time to get out and play catch anymore and have that much interaction, so this is one opportunity to have the kids some introduction to baseball or softball.” The T-ball program is open to both boys and girls, so either gender will get the opportunity to learn the skills involved with baseball or softball as they age. Following T-ball, kids advance to a coaches pitch league, usually consisting of first-, second- and third-graders. “It’s more real gamelike situations,” Tauer said. “They start understanding the games a little more.” There is a peanuts league (10 and under), which plays in the Mini-Cam Conference, that is composed of towns whose high school competes in the Camden Conference, including Lakeview, Tyler and Minneota. Tyler is a relatively new up-and-coming baseball town. This was the first year Russell-Tyler-Ruthton competed on its own at the high school level, mainly as a result of the youth programs in the area. “It really helps us promote baseball to the youth in our school district,” said youth baseball director and RTR head baseball coach Erik Frisvold. “It really helps us build a program and gets them to play a lot of baseball.” Baseball PAGE 3 INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 • 3 BASEBALL’S BACKBONE VFW, American Legion have long been ardent supporters of area teams Josh Hebrink jhebrink@marshallindependent.com T ‘‘ It’s such a tradition with baseball and veterans, and we want to keep that going. hanks to area VFWs and American Legions, the game of baseball continues to be annual summertime tradition for both their respective communities and youth to enjoy. Without funding and support from local veterans, many youth likely wouldn’t be able to feel the excitement of throwing on a fresh uniform and running the bases. Cottonwood Legion Commander Steve Alm ber Ricky “Pooh Bear” Gagnon, “it also gives them a chance to develop as an athlete and a person.” Whether it’s paying for equipment, buying new baseballs or signing an umpire’s paycheck, the cost of sponsoring is always an issue. But year in and year out, area posts somehow seem to come through for the sake of the community’s youth. “Finding the funds is hard to do because of the depleting membership,” said Alm, “but we’re very fortunate to have generous support.” “That’s why we support these boys,” said Cottonwood American Legion Commander Steve Alm. “The satisfaction is that they are having fun and that we’re giving something back to the community.” “Not only does baseball keep the kids off the streets,” said Marshall VFW mem- Backbone PAGE 9 Photo by Kelsey Duckett Cottonwood pitcher Tony Ross delivers a pitch during an American Legion baseball game earlier this season in Cottonwood. Baseball FROM PAGE 2 Marshall has developed an identity of being a baseball town, with dozens of youth teams, multiple VFW teams, a Legion team and an amateur baseball team, but it all begins at a young age. “We have a kindergarten minor league T-ball (league), which is really just practices,” said Marshall Community Services Recreation Specialist Cam Bailey. “It gives the kids their first taste of organized T-ball and it’s always fun watching those little ones for the first time out on a baseball field.” They graduate from there to the junior T-ball program, which is first- and secondgraders, where kids get their first taste of competition. Marshall also has the Marshall Area Youth Baseball Association (MAYBA), which features college league baseball (9year-olds), American League baseball (1011-year-olds) and National League baseball (12- 13-year-olds). “Our numbers this year are as big as they’ve ever been,” said MAYBA director of operations Steve Fleck. “Our numbers continue to grow and grow and it seems the quality of baseball gets better and better.” Fleck said one of the difficulties the area is running into is having the playing facilities to accommodate all the baseball teams throughout the area. Baseball is a growing sport in the region with youth programs being featured in all these areas, plus Slayton, Minneota, Cottonwood, Ivanhoe and Balaton. “We look at it as a learning experience, but also the fun aspect that we would like to incorporate more with it and try to make it a positive learning experience for them,” summer rec director Connie Johnson said. “Summer rec is more for the enjoyment for the kids.” In the Ivanhoe area, the sport is still growing, and one of the reasons is Scott Conner, who helped jump-start the summer recreation program last year. The area now has both T-ball and a youth baseball team open to kids who are too old for T-ball and not old enough for VFW. “It has kids from Hendricks, Ivanhoe — the whole area,” Conner said. “It was mostly coaches pitch and there were a few kids that we would let pitch to each other.” Conner remains optimistic that the growing interest will eventually turn into a competitive VFW team in the next couple of years. “There’s quite a bit of interest with the kids here,” said Conner. “So hopefully in the next couple of years we’ll have a pretty good VFW team with these younger kids.” PROUD SUPPORTERS OF BALATON YOUTH SPORTS! Lakeview House of Balaton Hwy. 14 • Balaton, MN • 507-734-3511 Colonial Manor of Balaton Hwy. 14 • Balaton, MN • 507-734-3511 Balaton Food Center 116 Third St. • Balaton, MN • 507-734-4261 Enviro Pump Plus Balaton, MN • 800-530-9607 SW Insurance Services 146 Third St. • Balaton, MN • 507-734-2244 Western Mutual Fire Insurance Company 125 Third St. • Balaton, MN • 507-734-3541 Western Partners Technology www.westtechwb.com • 888-610-7665 07249h02517dg 4 • INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 Offseason volleyball programs growing beyond Junior Olympics By Jenny Kirk jkirk@marshallindependent.com K ids are picking up a volleyball at an earlier age, and not just during the traditional fall season. Lakeview varsity volleyball coach Phil Lalim believes it’s important to give kids an opportunity to learn skills at a young age and during the offseason. Lakeview School District youth were invited to a week-long camp in early June, which was directed by Christine Sather. “I think it’s good to give the kids options,” said Lalim. “You don’t know what they’ll like, so it’s good to have options.” Kids in Minneota also have a chance to play at night. Minneota summer recreation director Connie Johnson said they have organized volleyball ‘‘ One of the things you’ll notice in volleyball is that it gives kids direction. After they’ve done it for a few years, they have so much more confidence than new kids who haven’t had that background. Dan Westby Photo by Jenny Kirk Cassandra Hook, 12, of Tracy, works on her overhand serve at a SMSU volleyball camp earlier this month. instruction on Monday nights. “It’s for third-graders up to ninth-graders,” said Johnson. “They work more on their passing and setting. “The past couple of weeks, they’ve worked more on movement to the ball.” The Junior Olympic volleyball program, which draws many players from districts in the region, has lowered its participant age to include 9- and 10-year-old players. Volleyball PAGE 7 We are proud to be supporters of MINNEOTA sports! State Farm - Kevin Anundson 100 East First St • Minneota, MN • 507-872-6781 Minneota Vet Clinic 714 E. First St. • Minneota, MN • 507-872-6000 Gislason Hardware 106 E. First St. • Mnneota, MN • 507-872-6472 B&B Electrical CJ’s Bar & Grill Minneota, MN • 507-872-6837 112 E. First St. • Minneota, MN • 507-872-5252 Brick Auto Body Ufkin’s Furniture & Appliance Minneota, MN • 507-872-6842 Minneota, MN • 507-872-6159 Country Side Auto Rick’s Taxidermy & Bait Minneota, MN • 507-872-5941 Minneota, MN • 507-872-6200 Frank’s Electric Gene’s Sporting Goods 712 E. 1st • Minneota, MN • 507-872-5007 202 E. First St. • Minneota, MN • 507-872-6170 Minneota Building Materials State Bank of Taunton Minneota, MN • 507-872-6147 Taunton, MN • 507-872-6136 07249h04281dd INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 • 5 HITTING THE MATS EARLY COACHES CAN ATTEST TO THE BENEFITS OF YOUTH WRESTLING CAMPS By Jenny Kirk jkirk@marshallindependent.com W hile many area schools offer youth wrestling programs in the winter, a good number of coaches and community members are responding to the increased demand of providing summer wrestling opportunities for kids aged 12-under. Perry Fink said there were two wrestling camps offered this year in Canby. “We had St. Cloud State come in twice,” said Fink. “The first time was in June and then July 6-7. You have to have something to keep them interested. We start wrestling in December, so it’s a long wait. We don’t go too crazy, but do just enough to keep them busy.” ‘‘ Sports teaches life skills. Athletics teaches kids to abide by rules and about adversity, pressure and self discipline. They’re also not getting into trouble elsewhere and they’re with friends. Karl Campbell Minneota head coach Joel Skillings hasn’t offered wrestling camps in Minneota for the past few years because he travels around the county doing camps for The SCSU assistant coach and current Canby native University of Minnesota coach J. Robinson. wrestlers Tad Merritt and Alex Kontz were in attendance. “The kids have found different venues to attend when “It’s kind of neat to have the kids come back,” Fink we stopped having camps here,” said Skillings. “Twentysaid. “We also ran something for our first through third one of our youth wrestlers went to the SMSU wrestling graders on Monday and Tuesday. We do basic things with camp.” them because athletic-wise, they can only do so much. But The camp was June 22-24 and was under the direction we let them roll around and teach them to stay off their of SMSU head coach Jesse Nelson. Grades 1-4 attended back.” Youth softball groups, like those in Wabasso and Tracy, benefit kids, high school programs By Kelsey Duckett Tracy has a similar program for its youth, offering traveling fastpitch softball for both the 10-and-under and 14-andThe Wabasso Rabbits have been a high under levels. school softball powerhouse for the past “As a softball association we would like decade, but this is the first summer they to get the same thing rolling for the girls as have offered youth teams. we have for the baseball program,” said Jessica VanLoy, daughter of Rabbits Karl Campbell, coach of the 14-and-under head coach Jon VanLoy, is coaching 12team and member of the Tracy Softball and-under and 15-and-under softball in Association. Wabasso. “We would like to grow and have 10“This is actually the first year that we and-under on up to an 18-and-under teams have had any organized softball in the sum- for the girls to play on.” mer in the form of fastpitch,” Jon VanLoy Campbell said Community Recreation said. “We have two teams, both coached by offers a lot to the youth of Tracy in all my daughter and hopefully it is a trend that sports including softball, but when it will continue.” comes to competitive softball and getting The 12-Under team has 15 players and the girls to the next level, playing traveling the 15-Under team has 12 players. softball and playing ASA is a whole differVanLoy said if Wabasso continues to ent level. field teams in the offseason he can only “We as parents and as members of the imagine the benefits it would bring to the softball association want to get the kids high school team. enough experience to be competitive at the “I think if it continues it can only help,” high school level,” Campbell said. “We Van Loy said. “Any time you get exposed want them to have a chance to make a run to fastpitch pitching and the mechanics of at a state tournament, and it is just like any the game it is going to help you, it is other sport — you have to put the time in important that the girls are exposed to the with the younger kids to build a program.” game.” kduckett@marshallindependent.com the camp from 6-7:15 p.m. Merritt was also in attendance. “It’s not a necessity to start kids early,” said Skillings. “But if you can teach kids to enjoy wrestling and they learn as much as they can, it works out. You have to find a balance and have teachable moments.” Tracy-Milroy-Balaton head coach Karl Campbell believes in the benefits of exposing kids to wrestling at a young age. “If you look at kids in the area that have success, they typically have a strong youth program,” said Campbell. “If you don’t get them going early, they seem to end up struggling to keep up. But there’s always controversy about how hard to push kids. You have to keep it fun and find a happy medium.” Campbell is an advocate for participation in any sport, not just wrestling. “Sports teaches life skills,” he said. “Athletics teaches kids to abide by rules and about adversity, pressure and self discipline. They’re also not getting into trouble elsewhere and they’re with friends. You can teach them to compete, but you have to keep it fun or they’ll lose interest.” Campbell said that TMB will try to slip in a one- or Mats PAGE 10 These bussiness are proud to support IVANHOE YOUTH SPORTS! Bank of the West 323 N. Norman St. • Ivanhoe, MN • 507-694-1247 Brick Manor Steakhouse and Bar 102 E. Ivy St. • Arco, MN • 507-487-5531 Divine Providence Health Center 312 E. George St. • Ivanhoe, MN • 507-694-1414 Ottertail Power Company www.ottco.com • 800-257-4044 Ivanhoe Liquor Store 324 N. Sherwood • Ivanhoe, MN • 507-694-1816 Western Partners Technology www.westtechwb.com • 888-610-7665 07249h02517dg 6 • INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 From Youth Leagues to the… BIG Leagues We’re your source for 07249h04839mb SPORTS COVERAGE www.marshallindependent.com cu.marshallindependent.com 508 West Main Street • Marshall, MN 56258 • 507-537-1551 INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 • 7 KIDS ON THE COURT BASKETBALL IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS, AND ONE THAT KIDS CAN START TAKING PART IN AT A YOUNG AGE — EVEN WHEN THEY’RE KINDERGARTNERS By Kelsey Duckett “I think the exposure of basketball to our youth is the main goal,” ot only do youth basket- Hansen said. “Also, being coached by current and former players ball programs give kids gives the girls someone to look up to. The exposure of the girls that more exposure to the have gone through and are in the sport, they also give the kids a program is a big advantage to getchance to work with role models, ting kids involved at a young age.” Hansen and the Canby Girls Canby head varsity girls basketball Basketball Program put on an coach Kevin Hansen said. annual Lancer Legends Camp, Canby, among other schools in which started three years ago. The the area, provides several options in camp has grown in its three years of existence from 40 kids to about girls basketball for youth. 75 preregistered kids. The camp is Hansen said besides the summer open for girls in first through eighth grade. recreation program, Canby offers summer and winter basketball Court PAGE 10 camps. kduckett@marshallindependent.com N Submitted photo Members of the Canby girls basketball team, along with Canby High School alumni are shown with this year’s Lancer Legend participants. Current and former high school basketball players work with Canby’s youth to expose them to the fundamentals of the game. More than 75 kids in grades K-8 took part in the three-day camp that stressed fundamentals. Volleyball FROM PAGE 4 Many area schools or summer recreation programs offered camps and clinics this summer for the 12-under age group in keeping with the JO trend. Marshall offers instructional volleyball for ages 10, 11 and 12 three times a week at Park Side Elementary. “It’s through community services,” said Dan Westby. “The youngest group goes Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30-12:45. We just do basic skills and play. It’s like an introduction to volleyball. We have about 35 kids and it runs for six weeks.” Westby believes that starting volleyball at this particular age group has some definite advantages. “One of the things you’ll notice in volleyball is that it gives kids confidence,” said Westby. “After they’ve done it for a few years, they have so much more confidence than new kids who haven’t had that background. I think all kids need to try things and this gives kids an idea if they want to keep playing it or not. It’s a lot of fun.” Southwest Minnesota State University also has summer camps for younger players from kindergarten to sixth grade. “We had between 60 to 70 kids attend last year,” said SMSU head coach Terry Culhane. “Whether people agree with kids starting the whole sports thing at an earlier age, it is what it is. We look at it as trying to provide a service for young kids.” Some communities, such as Marshall, have had similar opportunities in the past, but kids from other area schools may not have. “Our camp give some younger kids from surrounding areas the opportunity to get some instruction if they want to play and learn some skills. We’re here to promote volleyball.” The camp drew kids from in towns in the region including Balaton, Dawson, Boyd, Marshall, Minneota, Tracy and Walnut Grove, Culhane said. Culhane said the camps focus on basic skills such as passing. “So much in volleyball hinges on the ability to pass the ball,” Culhane said. “So it’s tougher for younger kids. But they’re playing at a much younger age now and many kids can play at the upper elementary age. We have them use the lighter ball so they have more success. But it’s not about how good they are, it’s about the awareness and just giving the kids an opportunity.” View and purchase photos from select games at cu.marshallindependent.com 8 • INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 Photo by Deb Gau We are proud to support the Tyler youth sports community! Bruender’s Corner Mart 103 Tyler St. • Tyler, MN • 507-247-5587 DeBoer Motors 210 N. Tyler St. • Tyler, MN • 507-247-5595 Log Cabin Drive Inn 106 E. Hwy. 14 • Tyler, MN • 507-247-3430 Tyler Lumber 215 W. Lincoln St. • Tyler, MN • 507-247-5546 Western Partners Technology www.westtechwb.com • 888-610-7665 07249h02519dg Matt Knutson, a member of Minneota’s summer youth baseball team, takes a swing during an away game against Milroy recently at the Milroy baseball field. PLACES TO PLAY From schools and city parks to privately maintained fields, the region has a variety of facilities available for young athletes By Deb Gau recreation program, said a lot of youth sporting events, like softball games, are held at the athletic fields behind Canby It could be a field complete with Elementary School. There’s plenty of room dugouts and bleachers full of fans. Or it there to get spectators together, he said. could be as close as the local school or city “That’s what’s fun about it,” Hansen park. Either way, there’s no shortage of said. “You can get the family together and places for area youth to participate in hang out to watch a game.” sports. School facilities are also made to be Many of the gyms and sports fields flexible. When Chris Johnson of Tyler was available to youth are city or school-main- looking for a place to start up a summer tained. This gives the facilities the benefit soccer camp for kids ages 5 to 8, he decidof being accessible to the public, and in the ed to go with the RTR High School athletic case of schools, they’re often sized to accommodate younger players. Kevin Hansen, of Canby’s parks and Places PAGE 11 dgau@marshallindependent.com INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 • 9 SHOWING HIS RANGE WE ARE PROUD TO SPONSOR… d o o w n o t t o C YOUTH SPORTS COTTONWOOD COOP OIL CO. CONVENIENCE STORE 147 Barstad Rd., Cottonwood 507-423-6282 Photo by David Griswold Marshall Cardinals Ben Jones makes a backhand grab during a youth baseball game at Independence Park on Tuesday. Backbone FROM PAGE 3 With the population of veterans from World War II and Vietnam declining, membership has taken a dramatic fall. “And new veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan just have too much stuff going on,” said Gagnon who has been VFW member since 1981. “So we have to find sponsorship.” One way Marshall cuts the costs of sporting a baseball team is by borrowing equipment from the high school. Cottonwood combines with the Wood Lake American Legion and the Lakeview Booster Club to raise money through charitable gambling in Wood Lake and special events held by the boosters. “We split the costs three ways and that makes it easier to afford,” said Alm. The Tracy and Milroy legions also merge together to financially support their team. “It’s just something we need to do because it’s a good thing for the kids,” said Tracy Legion Commander Orwill Wigen, who noted that his post typically donates anywhere from $500 to $1,500 each year. But for these posts and their members, it’s not about how much work or money goes into aiding a baseball team, it’s the results that serve as a reward. “I enjoy going to watch these kids play,” said Gagnon, who routinely made it out as a spectator last summer. “They’re very competitive and play some amazing games.” “It’s such a tradition with baseball and veterans,” Alm said, “and we want to keep that going.” COTTONWOOD COOP OIL CO. AGRONOMY CENTER UNITED SOUTHWEST BANK 86 W. Main St., Cottonwood 507-423-6488 COTTONWOOD BUILDING CENTER 31 E. Main St., Cottonwood 507-423-6227 999 W. 1st St., Cottonwood 507-423-6251 NORTH STAR INSURANCE CITY OF COTTONWOOD 269 S. Barstad Rd., Cottonwood 507-423-6262 86 W. Main St., Cottonwood 507-423-6488 EXTREME PANEL TECHNOLOGIES HARDWARE HANK 475 E. 4th St., Cottonwood 507-423-5416 177 W. Main St., Cottonwood 507-423-6231 ART’S REPAIR 109 W. Main St., Cottonwood 507-423-6000 TNT PLUS 134 W. Main St., Cottonwood 507-423-5617 HYDROSWING, INC. 400 E. 4th St., Cottonwood 507-423-6666 WESTERN PARTNER TECHNOLOGY www.westtechwb.com 888-610-7665 07249h04282md 10 • INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 Mats FROM PAGE 5 two-day wrestling camp for the younger kids in August, sometime after summer recreation is finished. Yellow Medicine East head coach David Wingert said that Granite Falls area kids finished up a three-day clinic on July 10. “This was our first year putting on a camp,” said Wingert. “We had about 15 to 20 kids that were 12 and under. We tried to cater to the kids because they don’t always have a lot of time to get to camps elsewhere. Plus, we could do it at a cheaper price with all profits going back into the program.” Wingert said they brought in clinicians like Zach Sanders from the U of M. “We had a good turnout,” Wingert said. “Kids had a fun time and learned a lot from our clinicians. We covered a lot of the basics. Sometimes you have to take it down a notch with the younger kids.” Wingert said it varies from athlete to athlete on whether there are benefits of starting young. “It depends on how much a kid puts into it and how much they’ve wrestled before,” said Wingert. “But I’ve seen kids come out as juniors in high school and do well, too.” SAFE AT THIRD Photo by David Griswold Xavier Towne of the Marshall Tigers 10- and 11year-old team slides into third base while Marshall Angels third baseman Matt VanKuelen attempts to make a tag at a youth baseball game at Independence Park in Marshall on Monday. BIG TO SMALL We’ve Got It All! • Sports Equipment • Sports Apparel & Shoes • Sports Accessories • Custom Screen Printing & Embroidery 1963-2009 07249h02515mg East College Drive • Marshall, MN 532-4880 • 800-732-2919 • www.borchs.com Mon thru Fri 8:30-7:00 • Sat 8:30-5:00 • Sun Noon-5:00 Court FROM PAGE 7 “Anyone who plays or has played in our program here at Canby High School are considered legends,” Hansen said. “The camp is first off meant to be fun. We stress fundamentals; we have games and contests and we try to make everyone feel good about themselves.” Marshall Community Services offers a winter basketball program for girls in kindergarten through the fourth grade. The program runs Saturday mornings in January and February and is focused on the fundamentals of the game, said Cam Bailey of Marshall Community Services. “It is set up so that the first four Saturdays are more directed towards the fundamentals,” he said. “They are about learning the game of basketball, learning he basics and the rules. The last four Saturdays are geared towards scrimmages and games.” Bailey said Marshall Community Services works with the various sports associations in town, including Marshall girls basketball. “It is a good collaboration,” he said. “We work real close with all the different associations, and our main goal is to target kids K through 4, and then the associations come in and target 5 through 8, and then the kids get into high school and AAU and ‘‘ The camp is first off meant to be fun. We stress fundamentals; we have games and contests and we try to make everyone feel good about themselves. Kevin Hansen stuff like that.” Marshall Community Services and Marshall girls basketball association provide the opportunity to get involved at the game at a very young age, 4- or 5-yearsold, and stay involved as long as one chooses, Bailey said. “You can play organized basketball as a 5-year-old or kindergartner,” he said. “And then you can continue to play the game and continue to be involved in the game all the way through you senior year in high school or beyond. We have a great turnout and we get a lot of kids involved.” INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL, MINN. • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 • 11 Places FROM PAGE 8 field. Add some goals, he said, and it’s a functioning soccer field. “You can play soccer almost anywhere, but the fields help for a level surface,” Johnson said. City athletic fields are often used by both youth sports programs and local adult teams. This gives kids a chance to play with the benefit of lights, dugouts and other resources and equipment, organizers and coaches say. “The kids can dream big,” Hansen said. Hansen said the city of Canby was recently able to update its athletic fields through a Minnesota Twins grant. Local youth teams make use of city fields for T-ball, baseball and softball in Hendricks and Ivanhoe, coaches said. In Hendricks, youth softball coach Shari Johnson said the city baseball field is a center of activity in summer. “It gets used a lot. Monday through Thursday it’s really swamped,” Johnson said. In some cases, athletic facilities may be privately owned. That’s the case in Milroy, where kids in the city’s summer youth baseball team play on the same field used by the Milroy Yankees. The field is maintained by the Milroy baseball association. “We usually have the younger kids play at the (Milroy) school, which is understandable,” said Isaac Dolan, coach of the Milroy youth baseball team. But for the nine to twelve age bracket, playing on the big field is both fun and feasible. “I think the kids have a lot of fun,” Dolan said. No matter the arrangement, sports facilities are an asset for their communities, coaches said. Not only do sports bring people into town to play, but after the games are over, some fields are available for public use. When the Hendricks field isn’t in use, Shari Johnson said, “You’ll just see families or kids playing pick-up games.” “As a parent, it’s just huge to know my child has the opportunity to have fun, and learn about a sport,” Hansen said. We’re proud of our Canby Athletes & all they have acomplished! 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