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A baseball team requires a group of individuals who all contribute their unique skills and abilities toward a common goal to achieve success. To achieve this success a youth baseball team will also require the support of a strong community.

My experience this last spring and summer, as board president of the Albert Lea Youth Baseball Association, reinforces my belief that we in Albert Lea are fortunate to have many community-minded individuals. So many people willingly share their time and energy in making Albert Lea a better place for our youth to grow and prosper into better, well-rounded individuals.

I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who helped in making the experience of this past season for our 370 children participants a rewarding and fun experience. Behind every successful youth baseball organization is a community of volunteer coaches. Your volunteer coaching has proven that one person can make a significant difference. On behalf of everyone you helped, thank you for bringing your passion and energy to making our community-based organization a much better one.

Our school district provided space for our youth to get started this spring, building their skills and getting ready for the season. Many local businesses donated to our banner sales, which helped us purchase equipment and keep the fees for our youth the lowest in the area. Our youth also experienced superb umpires, helping to keep our games moving in an orderly manner.

Lastly, I want to call attention to the city and the staff of Albert Lea’s Park and Recreation Department. The Park and Recreation staff supplied us with nice and well-maintained baseball fields.

We hosted three different sanctioned baseball tournaments at the Snyder complex with two of them in the middle of our record rainfall period of June. The fields held up because of the newly enhanced drainage system and more importantly the second to none city staff who worked tirelessly during those tournaments.

Thank you to all that supported our great 2024 season and looking forward to even a better 2025 season.

Jeff Hutchins
Albert Lea Youth
Baseball Association