Youth Baseball Bats Away 'Old Days' Process for Registration

The Port Washington Youth Baseball and Softball league is reminding residents that registration for the 2013 season is underway — but interested players must head online this year to sign up.

"In the old days, registrations would trickle in all the way through (March)," board member Patrick Modjeski said of the former mail-in paper registration system. The group switched to taking online registrations only on its website starting this year.

"It's a smoother process — you're automatically registered and everything like that," he said.

Last year the group had about 500 youths sign up for the program, which offers a variety of leagues depending on age and skill level including:

• Tball
• Rookies: Machine pitch league usually made up of first-, second- and third-graders;
• Minors: Kids-pitch league mostly of third- and fourth-graders;
• Majors: Kids-pitch league of fifth-graders and up.

Girls and boys are allowed to play on all of the above leagues, though the program also offers a fast-pitch softball league that the majority of girls chose to participate in.

Registration lasts through March 31, though that deadline may be extended, Modjeski said.

The program is also seeking donations as it continues its plans for building a new set of baseball diamonds at the former Schanen Farm property, located on the corner of Jackson Road and Hwy. 33.

The entire tentative plan includes concessions, lighting and parking as well as four fields with various sizes to accomodate both baseball and softball standards, with an original estimated cost of $2.4 million. Modjeski said the group has recently been visiting other area diamonds and researching other details the group would like to include at the new diamond before the final cost amount will be known, but it's possible it will be much less.

"We just want to enhance the baseball relationship with the communities (in Ozaukee county)," Modjeski said, adding that they hope the complex will one day be a "destination facility" for area baseball and softball teams.

Because of the facility's "gateway" location into Port Washington, Modjeski said he's hopeful its something residents can get behind and be proud of.

The land will need to settle for some time as mounds of dirt from the Hwy. 33 construction project currently cover much of the area, and Modjeski said even with a full donation of funds needed today, 2015 would likely be the first summer a game could be played at the new location.

Residents can support PWSYB by which will be available in May as well as through purchases of team apparel (which also supports Port Washington High School baseball) or a general donation.