This summer, the Avillas tried something new. And by the Avillas I really mean my husband Frankie, but I am going to jump in and also take credit. This summer we have become immersed in the world of Legion Baseball, which is a fancy way of saying summer baseball for teenagers.
Now, I thought I was pretty well versed in the world of Lassen County Baseball, but if there is one thing this Summer Ball Season has showed me, is how ignorant I was to the world of summer travel ball.
Holey moley – these parents are just as dedicated to this sport as their children.
As I sat in the snack bar, eating my fifth ice cream for the day, I watched as parents from all over Lassen County arrived with their sons in tote. Dedicated to spending a whole weekend at the ballpark, supporting their kiddo in the heat.
I was happily surprised to see so many of the faces of the parents were familiar favorites from the Wrights to the Schalls to the Moores and even Juanita Williams came and visited me in the snack bar.
I had no idea that I had been missing out on seeing so many of friends these past years at the ballpark.
Here is the thing I think I love the most about summer baseball. (Besides the fact I still get to see Coach Robbie), it’s that even though we are a smaller community, we still have so much heart when it comes to competing.
Our team the Susanville Renegades, is comprised of teenagers who pretty much dedicate their entire summer to traveling to play baseball. They come from all over (Westwood, paradise, Susanville, Etc) to practice and, of course, to play.
These boys who often at the start of the season don’t know each other, quickly become a team and bond in the 100-degree weather out on the diamond.
Watching the home games at Memorial Park, still has the same wonder as watching the college play but is also amplified by the fact of all the local families that are there to watch.
Peach and Pearl run around the grandstands with the siblings of the players getting dirty, eating licorice and making priceless memories.
I sat there in the snack bar with my new friend Valerie Carvalho, as she helped between games, and I just was overwhelmed with appreciation to live in a community where we have this sort of connection with another.
The benefit of having one team, means we, as in Lassen County are all together.
How fun is it that your sons who played little league together will be on the same summer team, unlike bigger areas where your son might play for a team where he knows no one and will never see those teammates again. There is something to be said about small town athletics. I am seeing it firsthand this summer.
If you would like to catch a glimpse, I urge you to come route on our Renegades this Saturday at Memorial for their double header. And you will see why they are now one of the reasons I love the place we live.
