Over 300 kids signed up to play in the league this season
PASO ROBLES — Paso Robles Police Activity League (PAL) celebrated its Junior Giants opening day on Friday, June 24, at Barney Schwartz Park.
The Junior Giants League is sponsored by the Giants Community Fund (GCF) and presented by the Paso Robles PAL. Their goal with Junior Giants is to develop a further relationship with the youth in the community and provide a free baseball and softball league so all kids can play without having to worry about any additional expenses.
Since the GCF’s inception in 1991, the fund has donated over $34.5 million to community efforts. The nonprofit is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors and sustained by contributions from individuals, businesses, and foundations through a number of special partnerships and fundraisers.
“The first day was very successful. We had a great turnout, and I received a lot of great feedback from parents saying how much fun their kids had,” said School Resource Officer and Junior Giants Commissioner Alexandria Ellis.
Almost 330 youth have registered to play in Junior Giants this summer with 42 coaches and volunteers, making 20 teams for the season, well exceeding their expectations.
This year’s teams:
- Two T-Ball softball teams (ages 5-6)
- Six T-ball baseball teams
- Two Minors softball teams (7-9 years old)
- Six Minors baseball teams
- Two Majors softball teams (10-13 years old)
- Two Majors baseball teams
“The kids had a blast. We have group chats, and afterward, many coaches/parents talked about how much fun they had. I considered our Opening Day a great success,” said Ellis, “The only damper on the day was that we exceeded our registration projects by about 75 kids, so we ran out of jerseys/gloves and have to order more.”
League games are always played at Barney Schwartz Park, with games starting at 5 p.m. every Friday until Aug. 5.
For more information on the Giants Community Fund, visit mlb.com/giants/community/fund/junior-giants/about
For more information regarding PAL-related events, anyone can follow the PAL social media page here @PasoRoblesPAL
