BILL BOND UPDATE!
(May 8th, 2020)

We don't yet have clearance from the city to begin baseball but it is our hope to begin games the week of June 1st.  We have been in conversation with city officials and believe this will be likely given current health trends.

A more specific email will follow next week but we are putting final numbers together so if you have a player who was NOT already registered for the spring season who now wants to play, please register ASAP.  

https://billbond.sportngin.com/register/form/482645322

They will go to the waitlist so we can track who is new, etc ... we will fill spots on teams in the order they are registered so register quickly.  We will close registration by mid-May and possibly sooner depending on registration numbers.

Games will be held predominantly on Tuesdays and Thursdays (no weekends) with at least nine games if not a few more, depending on weather and how many teams are playing!

For those of you who requested a refund, that process will begin soon as well (patience is appreciated)!

Obviously, all of this is subject to change pending final approval from the city whose utmost concern is the health and safety of our community and Bill Bond will fully support their decision!

Thank you,
Bill Bond Board

We Miss Watching our Kids Play!
(from the Babe Ruth League)

During this pandemic, parents are realizing that the next time they get to watch their kids play, they will appreciate it so much more. 

It’s been weeks since most sports parents have been able to watch their kids play their favorite games.  And like all sports parents, they have no idea when they will get to see them play again.

We are living in unprecedented times, at least in our lifetimes, with the global pandemic that is COVID-19.

Senior players are contacting their coaches upset they cannot compete during their final season.  They are reflecting on how much they miss the people, the camaraderie, and going to battle with their teammates. They are talking about their parents, who thought they had a few games left to watch, but now are only left with the realization that it is all over. Did they make every moment matter? Did they savor the final game? What would they do to have one more chance to watch their kids play?

We are reminded by our younger participants how much they miss their friends and their teammates, and just getting together with their teams to play. They miss not the wins and losses, but the companionship. And parents are reminded how much they miss watching them play.

Parents, during your child’s last game, were you harsh with the critiques, frustrated because they played poorly, upset with the team’s performance? Did you think the game was not much of a contest to the point where you spent time catching up on phone calls and emails, figuring you can watch more of next week’s game?

Only there was no next week. Or the week after that. And who knows how many “next weeks” will be canceled. And today, all you can think is I miss watching them play.

Babe Ruth League, Inc. is more than a game…it is about fun, camaraderie, forging friendships and those valuable life lessons learned on and off the field.  Life lessons for the kids and adults alike. 

Over these next few weeks, there will be a lot of hardship and sadness. There are many people who will be struggling with their health, and others trying to keep a business or a family afloat. You must support your leaders and those on the front lines of this crisis.

Please also reflect deeply upon yourself, and your own coaching and parenting. For in these moments of reflection, imposed upon us by working from home, or staying home to care for our kids, we truly hope we can reflect upon how much we love watching our kids play. And how much we miss it when we cannot. And how much we appreciate the coaches and many other volunteers for providing them the opportunity to play the games they love.

And in the end, who really cares if they play well or not, simply that they have the chance to participate, to try, fail, and try again. And all they really want or need from us is our presence, support, and our love. 

We hope that the outcome of this pandemic, at least when it comes to sports, is that we all have the chance to hit the reset button and appreciate what really matters.

Next time we get to watch our kids play; we know we will appreciate it so much more. We will focus more on the fact that they can play, and not how they play. It will be a win simply by stepping on the field. We will savor each and every moment. And most importantly, we will simply love watching them play. 

If we all could focus on that, youth sports will be a better place.

CONGRATS TO OUR 11U AND 12U ALL-STAR TEAMS

2019 CAL RIPKEN FLORIDA STATE CHAMPIONS