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President of Altona Minor Ball, Donovan Bergman, says they’re ready for a big season on the diamond, with many programs designed for all ages.
Community excitement grows as the season approaches
Bergman says there’s already a buzz in the community as the outdoor season approaches.
“Kids are very excited. We’ve been practicing indoors for a couple of weeks, watching the snow melt and the temperatures climb. Everyone is excited to get out as quick as we can. We know we have to let things dry out a bit before we can get out there, but the excitement is there. Teams are being made, this week we’re finalizing all the teams and the kids are getting really, really excited.”
Programs for all ages and skill levels
Going into detail, Bergman says there are a lot of options for the community.
“Our program runs from the Rally Cap program, which is through Baseball Manitoba and Baseball Canada, which is for seven and under. Some kids will be in the four- to five-year-old range. It goes up to 18U. Those kids will be graduating. We have from kindergarten all the way up. Our competitive programs start at U11. It goes 11U, 13U, 15U and 18U.”
It’s important to Bergman that they have competitive options for kids to keep growing into.
“There are at each level, when you’re playing at 11U, for the most part, most communities have equal teams. Where you can, you have friends playing with friends, but when you get up to 13U, 15U and 18U, the competitive side gets ramped up. There is tiering there, though. So, if kids are looking to just get out and play ball, have fun with friends, we have that. But, if they’re looking to up their skills and develop, we have levels for that, too.”
Strong grassroots programs fuel the future
Baseball in Altona and the surrounding area is very popular, and Bergman has noticed it.
“We’re right on par or slightly above where we were last year,” he says proudly. “Very similar. It always depends on birth years. Occasionally, there are really strong years, but when those kids age out, you have a bit of a dip on the back end that needs to be filled. While we had a big crop move on, we’re really seeing in our grassroots—our Rally Cap and Grand Slam programs—they’ve seen more. The Rally Cap is quite large this year, and that’s the group that feeds into the Grand Slam program and then into the 11U program. Things are looking really good for the programs and going into the future.”
Challenges with coaching and umpiring
Of course, there are some challenges, but Bergman believes it’s nothing the community can’t come together to solve.
“There’s always a challenge when it comes to coaching. We have great coaches and a lot of great people. We’ve been lucky to have a lot of great people already step up and state early on that they want to be a part of it. Sometimes, you still have spots to fill, and that can be a challenge. I’ve spent the last three or four days reaching out to people, and we’ve had a lot step up. It’s been really great to see. It takes some work, but we have a great, strong group that wants to be involved.”
Another area that needs attention is umpiring.
“Young umpires would be great. We want to develop them into veteran umpires for us years down the road. We put time and energy into that so we have a good pool of umpires. If we don’t have them, we don’t have a game. That’s a really important area to remember, and we always keep an eye on it.”
Contact information for those interested
Bergman says it’s very easy to get more information on the programs for all ages or ask any questions about becoming an umpire or coach.
“The best way is through our website, Altona Minor Baseball: Website by RAMP InterActive. Our email is there. Anyone can check us out on social media—they can reach out there, and we’ll have someone get back to them.”