You know summer is just around the corner when boys and girls begin gathering at the Trufant-Summerton Athletic Field on Great Island for another season of baseball.
From ages 4-8, players in T-ball and the Rookies division learn in Harpswell’s youth league. Minors and Majors, for ages 9-12, come together to compete in the Ararat Youth Baseball league, organized locally through Harpswell Recreation.
“It’s truly an all-hands-on-deck community effort each year to make the season possible,” says Katie Neal, Harpswell’s recreation director.
Community volunteers do far more than coach. They drag and maintain the infield, mow the outfield and help keep the fields game-ready throughout the season. Families pitch in to run the snack shack, while local businesses sponsor teams and donate funds for equipment and field maintenance.
This year, Harpswell Aging at Home volunteers helped with repairs to the snack stand. R.A. Webber & Sons worked on the field, and Temple Well and Culligan Water helped restore running water to the facility.
And for the kids, it’s their own “field of dreams” — a place where friendships are built, lessons are learned, and memories are made. Many of the coaches once played on these same fields and now return to pass along their love of the game to the next generation.
A sign posted on one of the dugouts says it best: “These are kids. Make it fun. Cheer for everyone.”
