Havre de Grace Little League’s Opening Day at Stancill Field is an annual celebration that brings out hundreds of local families. It feels a bit like a Disney movie, from the team banner parade to all the folks coming out to cheer on the teams.
Havre de Grace Little League dates back to the 1940’s. In fact, it is one of the oldest little leagues in the country.
There was a lot of excitement surrounding opening day last year with Stancill Field celebrating fifty years. Unfortunately, the league was thrown a curve ball that they didn’t see coming – Covid-19.
It happened very suddenly – the league received a call that fields needed to be shut down immediately and what everyone expected to be a minor delay, ended up being the entire season.
As a mom of four, it was hard delivering this news to my son, who had all his gear out and ready for the season.
“The timing couldn’t have been worse. We are so excited to celebrate 50 years and then we were out of commission the whole season. Many of the kids haven’t been able to play in almost two years,” stated Sean Welsh, league treasurer.
While Covid-19 is still here a year later and we have many restrictions in place, the league is overjoyed to open registration for the 2021 season.
There will be some changes to keep everyone as safe as possible, but it will be worth it to see the kids playing ball with their teammates.
“This year, we want to give as many kids as possible the opportunity to get out on the field. This past year, kids have been connecting with buddies on Fortnite. It will be nice for them to get outside and play the sport they love,” Welsh said.
Overall, Welsh said that he is really proud of the league. They kept their heads up and stayed in good shape financially and were able to provide refunds to every person who needed it. Many chose to roll over their registration fees to the 2021 season.
Havre de Grace Little League is 100% volunteer run, which aligns with the mentality of the community. Enter to Learn, Learn to Serve is the fabric of Havre de Grace. Everyone takes care of one another. No kids will be turned away from playing baseball, softball or tee ball. If parents cannot afford the registration fees of $80 or $200 max per household, the league will work with families to accommodate them.
Stancill Field will continue to be a community gathering spot in the spring and summer for families. The league cannot wait to see the fields filled again with kids of all ages and backgrounds enjoying the game of baseball and softball. The future is bright for Havre de Grace Little League.