Maurice Robinson is almost 5 years old, his regular-sized kids’ T-shirt practically at his knees.
Casey Zellers, a volunteer with Harrisburg Young Professionals (HYP), leans over, showing him the proper way to hold a bat.
Got it? Great. Ready? Play ball!
Whiffle ball, that is.
On a recent Tuesday evening, more than two dozen local youth, ages 4 to 14, packed into the Camp Curtin YMCA gym to have some fun, let off energy, learn about teamwork and even enjoy a healthy snack at the new HYP Junior Sports League.
“He loves it,” said Maurice’s mom Valerie, who watched from sidelines. “He’s in Karate here, and when he saw they were playing whiffle ball, he wanted in.”
The Junior Sport League is the brainchild of Midtown resident Jill Kane, who thought of the idea during last year’s HYP Annual Meeting.
At that meeting, she learned that a majority of HYP members played sports through the organization’s sports leagues.
“I was working in Allison Hill with different mentoring projects and thought–what if I could get just 1 to 2 percent of that group involved in youth sports?” she said. “What if I could get them involved as role models?”
After discussions with the HYP sports and outreach committees, the Junior Sports League was born. The first organized league, kickballl, took the field last year at the Boys & Girls Club on Allison Hill. In addition to kickball and whiffle ball, the league hopes to add a fitness run.
But it’s not just about playing sports. As the 6-week whiffle ball season opened in February, Kane wanted to fortify the program to make it more about mentoring.
So, each 90-minute whiffle ball session opens with a motto and team-building. After the game, the children are treated to healthy snack. At every opportunity, the HYP volunteers instruct the children on sportsmanship and working together to achieve common goals.
“It’s set to be more of a comprehensive approach,” said Zellers. “We understand that some of these children lack mentors and role models.”
Fortunately, many of the whiffle ball players clearly had very engaged parents, as groups of adults gathered on the sidelines to watch their kids and to socialize.
Jame Robinson was following the action as his son, 8-year-old K.C., smacked a few hits. Though he now lives in Lemoyne, James grew up just down the block from the Camp Curtin Y, so he brings his son there regularly.
“He was playing basketball when he heard they were going to play whiffle ball, and he said,’I want to play,'” said Robinson.
For HYP, the Junior Sports League has proven to be a great way to extend its presence and reach. It’s part of a conscious effort to become more involved in city life–from youth to beautification to development.
“We’re trying to see where we can provide the greatest benefit to the city,” said Sara Kehler, who, with Zellers, chairs HYP’s outreach committee. “This is our city, so it’s our responsibility.”
