Partner and Volunteer Highlight: Alexandria Little League Baseball & Softball

Learning the basics of America’s favorite pastime – baseball – is made easy for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) fourth grade students due to the school division’s partnership with Alexandria Little League (ALL). This program for ACPS students began in the fall of 2021 and for two weeks during fourth grade physical education classes, ALL coaches teach the students basic baseball skills. To date, ALL coaches have taught more than 5,000 ACPS fourth graders, many of whom now play in the ALL league! 

ALL’s instructional staff is a mix of professional coaches and longtime little league coaches which include Hughes Page and Nate Alarcon from UpNext Baseball and Sherry Reilly and Steve Sternberg from ALL who have developed a progressive curriculum. It begins with teaching students how to put on a glove, throw, catch and hit as well as how to field grounders and fly balls. By week two, ALL coaches teach the game, beginning with T-ball and base-running skills and then advancing to coach pitching. By the end of the program, nearly every child is hitting a pitched ball in a game situation.

“The positive impacts of these lessons on these students are not just from a skill-based lens. Our students are building confidence, working on their teamwork and learning how to show good sportsmanship when working with others. It promotes positive team relationships through a shared goal on the field, which boosts self-esteem and social connections. Lots of high-fives can be seen,” said Kristin Donley, ACPS instructional specialist for Health, Physical Education and Family Life Education Pre-K-12.

ALL coaches accommodate players at every skill level. Children with special needs are encouraged to participate and are applauded by their coaches and teammates for taking part in whatever way they are able. The emphasis is not on winning or outperforming other students but rather on encouraging all students to learn baseball and appreciate the sport, maybe even by joining one of ALL’s teams to continue playing.

“Our partnership with ACPS has been incredibly rewarding. There is not much more fun you can have than teaching fourth graders how to play baseball. Although a few of the students at each school have played before, the majority of the students we teach have never been exposed to baseball or softball and watching them grow to understand and enjoy the sport over each two-week period is very exciting and gratifying,” said Sherry Reilly, Alexandria Little League, past president and senior advisor on the current board of directors.

“Anytime you can enhance a unit of instruction by bringing in experts, it increases student engagement and participation and makes learning the unit more fun. This is exactly what ALL has been able to do for ACPS fourth graders,” Donley stated. She noted that ACPS’ health and physical education (PE) teachers reported an increase in student excitement and fewer behavioral issues.

Reilly added that the students appreciate ALL’s instruction, sharing what a fourth grader said in a thank you note, “Coach, thank you so much for the last two weeks of baseball. They were the best two weeks of my life.”

In addition to the instruction provided through its partnership with ACPS, ALL also offers programming for players ages four-16. The organization holds summer camps, winter clinics as well as fields baseball and softball teams every spring and fall. Registration is currently underway for summer camps. Programming costs vary and ALL provides financial aid to players who qualify for free-or-reduced-priced meals for all of its programs. This year for the first time, ALL is offering free T-ball for children from four to six years old. Registration information for all ages and a financial aid request form can be found at www.alexandrialittleleague.org. 

ALL is a great place for children to participate in extracurricular activities. Its softball and baseball coaches provide a welcoming environment for all children to learn and benefit from the skills and leadership values players get from playing a team sport. It is a way for children to make new friends, learn how to work as a team with the other players, accept success and failure in appropriate ways and experience how everyone on a team has a contribution to make no matter the skill level.