Opening ceremonies for Bainbridge Leisure Services’ youth recreation leagues brought hundreds of children and their families together at the Bill Reynolds Sports Park to mark the start of an another successful season of play. Players’ families and friends watched them parade onto one of the sports fields in their brightly-colored uniforms.

Nearly 1,000 boys and girls will participate in baseball and softball this spring. It takes almost 200 volunteers, mostly parents, and a team of Leisure Services employees who work late hours at the sports park to make the leagues run as smoothly as they do. A variety of local businesses sponsored one or more teams.

Mayor Edward Reynolds spoke about the importance of youth recreation leagues and threw out the first pitches for both baseball and softball. Several other Bainbridge City Council members were in attendance.

Catching the first baseball pitch of the season was Dakota Eakin, while Desirae Beachem caught Reynolds’ first softball pitch of the season.

Dani Parker sang the national anthem. Ann Sellars of First Presbyterian Church gave an invocation.