Cal Ripken baseball registration underway
By JOSH FRYE
News Sportswriter
Signups for Atmore Cal Ripken Youth Baseball are now in full swing.
Registration will run through February 29 and includes Majors Division (11 to 12 years old), Minors Division (9 to10), Machine Pitch (7 to 8) and T-Ball (4 to 6).
Registration is $40 per player for all divisions, and interested players and parents can sign up their child Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Atmore Public Library, 700 East Church Street in Atmore, and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Atmore City Hall Auditorium, 201 East Louisville Avenue.
The league, headed by Murray Johnson since the 1970’s, has been a success for Atmore youth of all ages.
“Johnson has coached or had something to do with local youth baseball for a very long time,” league representative and coach Bobby Sullivan said.
Sullivan, a long-time coach, stressed that the league is in desperate need of coaches and players.
“This is a great program for the community,” Sullivan said. “It gets kids involved and into sports. We need a ton of help from interested adults. Dependable coaches are always needed.”
Sullivan expressed that the league helps to teach sportsmanship, communication and how to be a team player, and helps draw youth out of negative situations.
According to Sullivan, teams will play between 15 and 17 games and the league will play teams from Flomaton, Poarch, Century and Walnut Hill.
Practice is slated to start in March; games will begin in April.