Oregon Ducks

Youth Day Camp (Babe Ruth Complex) July 5-8
Players who will be in enrolled in grades 2-6 in the 2010-2011 school year.
Youth Day/Overnight Camp (PK Park) July 19-22
Players who will be in enrolled in grades 2-8 in the 2010-2011 school year.
High School Prospect Camp August 2-4
Players who will be enrolled in grades 9-12 in the 2010-2011 school year.

Oregon Beavers

Grand Slam 2010 Summer Camps

Willamette Valley Baseball Academy

Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Baseball is not composed of youngsters from a single community. Kids come here to play baseball from the surrounding and distant communities of Jasper, Lowell, Dexter, Drain, Creswell, Cottage Grove and  Oakridge. When you add the populations of all of these little communities together we are but a fraction of the size of  Springfield and Eugene and yet we are a true success story.

So what is it that makes Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken such a youth baseball success story? It certainly is not the state of art training facilities that you will often find in larger cities! It is not the ability to select players from a large pool of players! It is not the number of wins each season though our teams do well! So what is it? What makes Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Baseball great is the players, families, coaches and other volunteers.

Not having the distraction of movie theaters, skate parks, public swimming pools, malls and the like, many of our children take up sports such as baseball, softball, basketball, football, soccer and wrestling. Many of the children of our communities want to go on to college so education plays a big part in the lives of our families, and yes sports is important to education for strong bodies support strong minds.

I would need to fill a book to tell you about the many great coaches and volunteers Pleasant Hill has. Still, a person that I would like all of you to know that works effortlessly to bring the Pleasant Hill success story together is a man by the name of Forest Tomlinson.

Forest is the president of Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth Baseball. As president he is not paid, in fact he often spends his own money to assist our teams. As president he is called on to make the hard decisions that others are unwilling to make. He puts in countless hours along with other volunteers building and maintaining our fields. He works closely with coaches, players and other volunteers and still makes time to coach a Babe Ruth team.

During any given year you will find Forest coaching or assisting with soccer, basketball, football and a championship chess team.  How one man does so much and still makes time for his family, tutoring children in Spanish and music and playing the fiddle with the Coast Fork Ramblers I sometimes wonder?

Forest is not alone. Working hard beside him are so many other volunteers and parents that I will not mention their names for fear of leaving someone out. Together these many families, coaches and volunteers with the leadership of Forest make Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Baseball a true SUCCESS STORY!

A very serious looking Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth player thinking this ones mine as he prepared for a ball coming his way. In Pleasant Hill, Oregon we like our baseball and have a great time playing the game.

Want to see more stealing base, running, pitching, batting, catching and other great baseball photos? Check out Deborah Mundorf of Deb’s Action Shots

Want to see more stealing base, running, pitching, batting, catching and other great baseball photos? Check out Deborah Mundorf of Deb’s Action Shots

For more great Pleasant Hill and Willamette Valley Babe Ruth League Player Photos visit Deborah Mundorf of Deb’s Action Shots

Want to see more Pleasant Hill and Willamette Valley Babe Ruth League Player Photos by Deborah Mundorf of Deb’s Action Shots

Want to see more Pleasant Hill and Willamette Valley Babe Ruth League Player Photos by Deborah Mundorf of Deb’s Action Shots

Click to see more Pleasant Hill and Willamette Valley Babe Ruth League Player Photos by Deborah Mundorf of Deb’s Action Shots

Does your child want to participate at this level?
As parents we sometimes want to push our children into a sport or other activity that he or she may have no interest in. As an example my 10 year old grandson loves baseball and prefers playing Babe Ruth baseball as it is more competitive than some of the other leagues in the Pleasant Hill, Eugene, Springfield area. He also enjoys martial arts and wrestling. While I would like to see him take an interest in soccer, football and basketball he only likes playing these other games with his friends and not as a member of a competitive team. As parents and grandparents we need to understand that if his or her interest is only lukewarm or nonexistent we should not be pushing them too hard towards a competitive team even when we believe it is in their best interest. Kids need to be the primary driver in extracurricular activity decisions. There are times when a less competitive recreational league or even a different activity may more suitable for a child.

Does your child have the ability to succeed at the sport?
When a child really enjoys a sport and wants to play it he or she is more likely to succeed than the child that is being pushed into the sport. My personal opinion is that if a child is one of the better players on a recreational or less competitive team, then they should play on a more competitive team. To expand ones skills a child or adult needs challenge. On the other hand, a kid that barely makes the team especially at the middle school and high school level may experience friction from team mates over skill levels. On teams that do not have the rule that all children play the child may be spending a lot of time on the bench. In competitive sports a winning team cannot be expected to play at the level of the least skilled players. While mastering challenges is good for children, getting a youngster in over his or her head at a young age is not a good idea and may even kill their enthusiasm for the sport or worse, destroy their self-esteem.

Can you handle the financial commitment?
While playing on teams such as Babe Ruth Baseball, Little League or Pop Warner usually requires travel within about a 30 mile radius and the fees are usually reasonable this is not the same as playing on a traveling sports team. Traveling sports team may travel long distances and the fees for participating on the team can be prohibitive for some of us. While some teams have fundraisers and donors that cover many of the expenses of a traveling sports team others do not. For some teams especially those that are not connected with your school parents are expected to foot the entire bill for hotels, meals, and transportation along with uniforms. Many teams have a fee that must be paid each season that could be hundreds of dollars, or you may have to pick up your share of tournament fees. These expenses can add up quickly. This information should always be available to you in advance so you can check it out and determine if it fits within your budget. If the cost is prohibitive and your child really wants to participate also check on the availability of scholarships.

Can you and your child handle the time commitment?
For many children and parents participation in sports is extremely important to them. This participation though needs to be a family commitment. Usually, at least two practices are held per week along with games and tournaments on the weekends. Tournaments can involve multiple games on both Saturdays and Sundays. Especially when there are multiple children in the family a family needs to determine what is best for them. Will the activities of the other children in the family still be possible or does the team or sport that one child is participating in require you to neglect the activities of your other kids. Will your child be able to participate with his or her team and travel while still completing homework and school projects on time?

While traveling sports teams have a lot to offer an aspiring young athlete, make sure that you make the best choice for your child and family. Family commitment is highly important to the success of your child and the team.