Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
On Thursday, the Cheyenne County Ladies Chamber presented a check at the Legion Baseball Field on home plate for $945.75 to the Legion Baseball Association to help with the purchase of baseball equipment. The funds will go a long way in helping keep the youth team looking good on their quest to make state again in the 2013 season. Pictured form left are Activities Director for the Cheyenne County Community Center representing Sidney’s Businesses Kiersten Richards, Senior’s Head Coach Tim Herrera, representing the Cheyenne County Lady’s Chamber Margaret Lienemann and board member for the Legion Baseball Association Clay Phillips.
Sidney’s Legion Baseball Association was honored by the Cheyenne County Lady’s Chamber as February’s Dress Down Day recipients.
This is not the first year the Association has received Dress Down Day funds in the past the board members for the Legion Baseball Association have used the monies to upgrade the home team’s concession stand and press box.
This year, board representative Clay Phillips said the funds would be used for, “the overall maintenance of the baseball team, uniforms all the way down to paying for the travel of the team. The good thing about it is it will help us pay for if we go back to state again, which we are really shooting for.”
The Junior Varsity team made it to state last year and this year head coach of the Senior Varsity team, who was head coach of the Junior Varsity team last year, Tim Herrera is shooting for both teams to make it to state.
“I moved up to the Seniors this year,” Herrera confirmed.
In reference to the age group of the players Herrera said, “The Juniors are 15 through 17-year-olds and the Seniors are anywhere from 16 and 19 years old. It’s basically JV and Varsity teams.”
“Hopefully we will go from first of the season all the way to state (again). A lot of those players who are Seniors this year were Juniors last year,” Phillips said, “so we should have a pretty strong team.”
Herrera confirmed there is no association between these baseball teams and the Sidney High School sports teams.
The success of the team comes from the dedication from the coaching staff and players, whom according to Herrera start practices this month.
“We are starting Sunday at 3 o’clock indoors,” Herrera said, “we are going to start throwing at the Youth Center, and we will probably do that once or twice a week up until we get on the field in April. Our first game is May 22.”
Phillips said everyone associated with Legion Baseball is happy to partner with the Ladies Chamber in raising funds for the baseball teams again this year, especially because both organizations are a big part of the community.
Sidney’s Legion Baseball has been around for the past 50 years, coach Herrera said he recalled playing 30 years ago himself.
But more over as Phillips said, “it’s a great event for the community and gives the whole community something to do during the summer time.”
Phillips even spoke about inquiring into having this season’s away games broadcast over the local radio station so everyone can tune in and see how the home team is doing.
Both gentlemen representing the Legion Baseball Association said unlike other organizations like theirs, a fee is charged to come out and watch the youths play, however, Legion Baseball does not.
And because they are not associated with the school system, according to Phillips, the majority of their funding comes from fund raising and the generosity of local business – those banners that hang along the fence every season represent the businesses who are so graciously aiding the continuation of the youth sport.
Herrera also made sure to mention the Legion Baseball field is also used by the Babe Ruth team through Community Center and the community is more than welcome to come out and cheer their youths on all week.
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