Mayor Allison Silberberg shows her batting technique. Photo by Vernon Miles.
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Mac Slover, the regional program director for Alexandria’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Activities, loves baseball. He played it as a child in the streets of Macon, Ga. and in high school. He’s coached baseball and softball as an adult and his daughter plays it in college. But Alexandria’s streets and playgrounds aren’t as populated as they once might have been. While the Little League baseball teams in Alexandria have had a resurgence, Slover says he’s still noticed a change.
“Kids aren’t out playing on their own because there’s other, easier things to do,” said Slover.
“Baseball is an individual and a team sport at the same time. You have to work hard on both levels. It teaches self-discipline.”
— Mac Slover, Regional Program Director, Alexandria’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Activities
But the “Play Ball” initiative is trying to change that. On Aug. 15, Slover and a team of staff and volunteers helped more than 300 local children from the Power On and Power Up summer programs practice the basics of the game.
At the Lenny Harris Field adjacent to George Washington Middle School, children rotated between stations where they practiced swinging baseball bats or running around bases. Play Ball is a national initiative promoting events themed around baseball through the United States Conference of Mayors. Alexandria initially signed on with Mayor William Euille and has continued under Mayor Allison Silberberg, both of whom were present at the event. Out in the field, Silberberg and Slover helped teach children the basics of pitching and batting.
“The Play Ball initiative is bringing awareness to something non-traditional for a lot of these kids,” said Bertha Coleman, recreation coordinator with the City of Alexandria, who runs the Power Program summer camp. “Most of the kids around here prefer football and basketball.”
But for Slover, there’s something special about baseball that makes it important for children to learn.
“Baseball is an individual and a team sport at the same time,” said Slover. “You have to work hard on both levels. It teaches self-discipline.”
Slover says the program is also huge on teaching good sportsmanship. After each game, Slover says the opposing team picks a player on the team based on their sportsmanship and hustle during the game.
“We try to make that a centerpiece,” said Slover, “and most of all, the kids have to have fun, or else you’re going to lose them.”