JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- As the warmest days of the year begin to arrive at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the Youth Sports Program is scheduled to host the JBER Little League 2018 Opening Day Ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. May 12, on field 8, behind the Kennecott Youth Center.
The event will include the posting of the colors, the national anthem, guest speakers – to include the coach and youth of the year winners – a bouncy house and food. All Little League games will start immediately following the ceremony and will continue throughout the day.
“This sport has such a deep-rooted history at JBER and because of the memories from numerous generations of parents and players stationed here, I feel it is very important and must be recognized in some way,” said Paul Caron, JBER's youth sports director.
More than 1,100 youngsters played in one or more of the seven sports offered last year through JBER’s YSP, and the count has increased in 2018 with numbers for the Little League program alone showing a 25 percent growth in all categories.
A factor in the increase in participation may be the effort Caron and his staff have put into providing a better playing environment in recent years.
“Since 2013, we have moved toward making the program skill-oriented and competitive,” Caron said. "We are teaching them the basics, we want to teach them about winning and losing, and we provide them with actual uniforms and better equipment. It’s also really important to contract with paid scorekeepers and officials, which has improved the caliber of activities since it helps to have an experienced official controlling the game.”
One of the more memorable and recent triumphs occurred in 2016 when the girls’ fast-pitch softball team won nationals for the first time.
Caron also credits successes to the recruiting and training of volunteer coaches. JBER YSP abides by the National Alliance for Youth Sports-affiliated National Youth Sports Coaches Association, which provides education on topics such as the psychology of coaching youth sports, communication, child abuse, injury prevention, and nutrition and hydration, as well as skills and drills specifically applicable to each sport. Since 2010, JBER YSP has trained more than 400 volunteer coaches.
“We simply could not survive without our volunteer coaches and assistant coaches,” Caron said. “Combined, the volunteers have put in more than 12,000 hours into training and certifications including CPR and first aid.”
All registration for upcoming camps or any of the seven sports offered by the YSP must go through central registration at the Kodiak Child Development Center.
All participants must be registered with the youth programs and have a current immunization record and sports physical.
For more information about the JBER Youth Sports Program, call central scheduling at 384-2514.