During May and June 2019, Maine Source Homes & Realty was a proud sponsor of The Maine Source Bumble Bees, a team of lively and vivacious 4 and 5-year-olds playing T-ball in the Auburn Suburban Little League. We love and believe in children’s T-ball so much that our Designated Broker/Realtor®, Jon Mercier, is the Assistant Coach of the team, and his little 4-year-old is a player!
The Auburn Suburban Little League is comprised of 8 teams, with each team being sponsored by a local business. The sponsors include Maine Source Homes & Realty, Auburn Savings Bank, Coastal T-Shirts, Enefco, FRANK 107.5 (WFNK), Play It Again Sports, Rowe Auburn, and Tabers. Each of the teams plays all the other teams once during the season.
Fostering Personal Character and Good Sportsmanship
So what is T-ball … and how does it differ from conventional Little League baseball?
The answer: Quite a lot! There is no pitcher (the baseball is hit off a standing tee, making the game safer) … each game is 3 innings . . . everyone gets a chance to hit … and no score is kept, so every game ends in a 0-0 tie. Also, teams such as the Maine Source Bumble Bees are co-ed, with two little girls joining the boys on the team!
Asked why Maine Source Homes & Realty sponsors the Maine Source Bumble Bees and why he coaches, Jon Mercier said, “Maine Source Homes & Realty is particularly committed to helping to foster youth growth in our local community, and T-ball offers so many great benefits to children. It teaches friendship and allows 4 and 5-year-olds to get out of their homes, and experience a team situation and social interaction for perhaps the first time in their lives. For the two little girls on our team, they can enjoy female friendship outside the home, perhaps for the first time. And, for all the children, participation in team sports can be fundamental for personal growth and good sportsmanship.”
Baseball—and Its Variations—Still the Grand Old Game
Across the U.S. in recent years, youth baseball, softball, and T-ball have been forced to compete with numerous other sports for children’s and parents’ summertime attention. Basketball, football, and soccer, in particular, have enjoyed steep increases in popularity, and have cut into the number of American kids officially playing Little League baseball.
But there’s good news for fans of The National Pastime. A recent national study revealed that baseball and its variations (softball and T-ball) are still the most popular sport among kids in the U.S. And, with local children like the Maine Source Bumble Bees rockin’ the tee and having so much fun, it doesn’t look like that popularity is ending anytime soon.
About Maine Source Homes & Realty
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