We waited a long time with a lot of excitement, last Saturday it was finally time: With the Opening Day on April 13th, the 14th ALLBB Baseball Season started at the Sachtlebenstraße field. Around 200 children from ten nations – USA, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, France, but also Japan, China, Spain and the United Kingdom – will be taking part this year. They will practice in four T-Ball, six Minor League and six Little League teams until the end of June and play against each other in the ALLBB.
Although the weather was snowy and bitterly cold in April, for many volunteers the day began early in the morning: The baseball field was prepared, the snack shack stocked and the barbecue set up. Already at eight o’clock the first T-Ballers arrived, their games (the first of the day) were scheduled before the official Opening Ceremony. For many it was the second season, so the reunion joy among the youngest players was correspondingly high. Some of the 4- to 6-year-olds, on the other hand, are there for the first time – also great excitement for kids and parents. Finding yourself as a team, getting to know the field, grasping the basics of the game and above all having fun – that was the goal of the first T-Ball games this morning.
After the T-Ball games, the official part of the day began at 10 a.m.: The traditional Opening Ceremony, where all ALLBB teams present each other on the baseball field. Following the year to year tradition, the Color Guards marched onto the field. The Bees Knees sang a-capella interpretations of the German and American national anthem as well as the classic “Take me out to the ball game.”
Florian Schlehofer, President of ALLBB, welcomed all players and their families in his speech. He admitted: “I know that we parents and coaches have a two goal approach – to see our children and their teams win”. But he reminded us that it is much more important to give the children the desire to play baseball and teach values: fairness, team spirit, courage, discipline and above all – lots of fun. “Let’s all work towards that,” he reiterated to the children, parents and volunteers. The ALLBB President thanked the latter and pointed out that ALLBB would not exist without the outstanding commitment of many helpers and volunteers: coaches, referees, team moms and many, many others. The guest of honor at this year’s Opening Ceremony, Scott Robinson, also underlined this. The deputy cultural affairs officer at the US Embassy has been associated with ALLBB for many years through his sons Ashton and Jack. It was therefore a great honor for his son Jack to catch the first “pitch” of the season which was made by Scott. For the record the pitch was definitely a strike and a great catch!
While the Minor League and the Little League started their season after them Opening Ceremony, many T-Ballers and their parents could already enjoy the first hamburger, cheeseburger and hot dogs of the season. What makes the ALLBB so special quickly became apparent: the great atmosphere with the best of the American “way of life” combined with German traditions: Family time on the baseball field, meeting friends, the best barbecue and lots of baseball on or off the field. Conclusion of the day, which only slowly ended in the early evening: Being out on the field again was great, an exciting opening day. Just to say it short: a great start for ALLBB 2019!
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