“It’s all about the kids,” said Gettysburg Little League President Brent Cammuaf as he praised the league’s players, parents, and coaches. “It not only gives kids something to do, it gives them a sense of purpose and belonging, while teaching them the importance of teamwork, discipline and confidence in yourself and those you rely on, in addition to teaching the art of the game.”
As the 2022 season opens, the Gettysburg rec park is hosting more children and more games than in the recent past.
This year there are 15 teams providing opportunities for boys and girls of all ages. T-Ball is offered in three age groups for players 4-12 years old. An intermediate level is offered for players thirteen years of age; juniors for fourteen years; and seniors for those 14 and older.
Practices are now under way and the season begins in the first week of June and runs through the end of the summer.
Coordinating the fields for the increased number of teams has proved to be a challenge, but with some planning and repurposing the task is being accomplished. Gettysburg Area Recreational Authority Executive Director Erin Peddigree said the rec park is using portable pitchers’ mounds and field size conversions to help out.
Another challenge is finding enough coaches.
Cammauf said many parents, because they love the game and want to make a difference for their children, have expressed an interest in coaching. But parents sometimes feel unsure of their current ability or knowledge of the game and perceive themselves as unqualified to coach.
To boost their skills, knowledge, and confidence the GLL is now offering interested parents coaching training programs and courses.
“There is an umpire shortage pretty much everywhere in the little league. Normally we have an umpire in chief as a board member and they would then have a group of umpires under them who do the games. We don’t have a person in that position on our board currently so we basically have to figure out who is an umpire in our area and try to schedule them for our games. We are trying to improve this as we work with local high schools and colleges to see if they have any interest for kids on their teams to get involved with umpiring,” said Cammauf.
“I am so thankful to have the board members, coaches and umpires we do as they are the hardest people to find to be able to commit that time,” he said.
Cammauf said children feel more confident when they play on the same fields they have practiced on and is focused on scheduling more home games in the future. He said traveling to other fields also takes time that could be more productively used in practice.
“We have a lot of expenses to run the league, like paying for rec park fields and lights, equipment and then all the fees associated with being part of District 14 in PA. We basically function off of registration fees, sponsorships and about 5 or 6 fundraisers a year,” said Cammauf.
GLL partners with the Gettysburg Fast Pitch League to raise funds through the annual Vintage Baseball Tournament. The Civil War Era style baseball tournament, made up of 32 teams from across the nation, will come to Gettysburg July 16 and 17 using fields located on Pumping Station Road.
Admission to the event is free and over 600 people turned out last year to show their support.
Anyone interested in volunteering or helping out GLL should contact Brent Cammuaf at bcamm16@gmail.com or complete an online volunteer application form at https://www.gettysburglittleleague.com.
Holly Weaver, Reporter, was raised by two United States Marine Corps sergeants in West Chester Pennsylvania. She is a wife and a mother to four children. She tries to live by and teach my children that while every day may not be good, there is something good to be found in every day.