Murphy – Opening day for Blue Ridge Mountains Little League on Saturday was summed up best by the player who said, “This is all about us kids, but we all know the parents take it more seriously than us, and we couldn’t do this without them.”
Blue Ridge Mountains Little League has baseball and softball divisions for T-ball for ages 5-6, AA Minor 8U coach pitch for ages 7-8, AAA Minor 10U kid pitch for ages 9-10, Major 12U for ages 11-12 and Junior for ages 13-14.
The league – which has teams from Andrews, Copper Basin (Tenn.), Murphy, Ranger and Robbinsville – is dedicated to ensuring the league, practices, games and events are always focused on the kids.
The event began at 9:15 a.m. with a free grab-and-go breakfast provided for all players by Julie’s Place, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’ Donuts, Main Street USA, The Oaks Lakeside Kitchen, Young Harris (Ga.) College, and Frank and Kim Barber. It included biscuits, granola bars, muffins, donuts, fruits, juices, waters and more.
The players were also given a free hot dog lunch sponsored by Unlimited Fitness and, after the opening day ceremony, they were given grab bags with sunflower seeds, Big League Chew, Gatorade and other goodies. The grab bags were sponsored by The Block Fitness, Davis Designs, Marina Station, Youth Villages, Brown Haven Homes, Art Amos, Mickie Amos, Bryan and Karie Clayton, and Frank and Kim Barber, while Bill Grove provided sound equipment.
The ceremony began at 9:30 a.m. on Field 2 at Konehete Veterans Park, with all the teams from each community lining up on the field. Eleven-year-old Tegan Bennett started things off, bravely and beautifully, by singing the national anthem from the pitcher’s mound.
Players then took to the mic to thank their parents before trying to get all of the players hyped up for their upcoming games with a little bit of friendly competition in a “Get Loud for Your Community” contest. One by one, each community was called out to cheer and yell as loudly as they could.
Ultimately, Robbinsville was declared the winner. After this, the opening pitch was thrown, signaling the start of the game day and little league season.
It was a challenge to schedule and coordinate so all of the teams, and all of the players, could all be in the same place for opening day, but the effort was worth it. Parents said it shows the dedication the league has to making sure all of the kids have the opportunity to play and be a fun part of their community.
Everything – from the breakfast and lunch, grab bags, organization, concession stand management, field preparation, coaching, uniforms and sponsorships – is done by parents and volunteers, who say they are committed to making this season the best it can be for the kids.