It's that special time of year again, the baseball season has arrived. Perhaps your favorite may be football or basketball, racing, golf, fishing, or whatever. Mine is, and always has been baseball. There's just something about the crack of the ball hitting the bat, the smell of leather, and the cry of the umpire, "Play ball," that I find exciting.

Like most kids my age we grew up playing baseball every chance we got. During that time it was all baseball, hot dogs, and Chevrolet. The other sports didn't come into their own until much later. As kids we knew all the teams, (there weren't as many) all the players, and everything about them. Now, I know very few, but I still love the game. If you've ever been to a major league game and seen the ball diamond, the crowd, the vendors, it's all quite an experience, especially for the first time.

It all came back to me last weekend on Opening Day ceremonies at our local Little League Park. If you haven't been, you need to go by just to see the improvements that have been made. Those responsible, and it takes a lot of people, need to be proud of all they've done for the kids. The opening ceremonies were nice, and there seemed to be a lot of support from the parents and other fans. I would encourage you to visit the park and enjoy a game or two, especially the little ones, who are always fun to watch. I worked on the Little League Board for 14 years so I know it takes time, patience, volunteers and money. Our young people need programs like Little League, and more of them, so if you are given the chance, support them through your donations, your volunteer service, or just by being there to cheer them on.

I hope this season is a successful one for the league, and I hope everyone remembers that it's all about the kids, not the coaches, parent's, or other fans, but the kids. If we do that everyone will have a ball. Who knows, we might have a future major leaguer in our midst. See you at the ballpark!