Last evening, June 20, I was invited to participate in the ribbon cutting for the baseball field at Cool Valley Playground in Hempfield Township. Rick Repasky contacted me last year about what they were trying to do, and Hempfield Township officials and the Community Foundation immediately “went to bat” on their behalf.  It’s our job as officials to help where we are able, but the leadership of the community, parents and folks like Rick to complete this type of endeavor is an even more important factor. 

It was great seeing the excitement of the kids and parents alike. Upon arrival there were volunteer firefighters directing cars into the lot, and then we were treated to a major league program by Joe Lutz in which he obviously spent a lot of time putting together. There was the national anthem, the audio clips from old baseball games, everyone sang “Take me out to the Ballgame”, the ribbon cutting, the first pitch and an invocation by Pastor Bob Ross.

Having a baseball field right in the middle of a community where kids can go and play pick up games, as well as league games, means a lot. When we moved into our home 20 years ago my husband put a baseball field on our property. We didn’t have furniture, but we had a baseball field! Our sons and the kids from all over the neighborhood spent hours and hours on that field. Seeing the excitement of the kids at Cool Valley last evening sends a tinge of guilt through me for complaining about picking up all of the empty cups at the end of those long hot summer days when our now empty baseball field was full of boys.