Rec Sports
Kalamazoo PAL baseball season kicks off, teaching fundamentals of baseball to area kids
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Nearly 200 local kids gathered at the Dickinson Sports Complex on Saturday for opening day of the Kalamazoo Police Athletic League baseball season.
Launched in 2017, the Kalamazoo Police Athletic League, or PAL, aims to strengthen relationships between youth and law enforcement.
Additionally, organizers chose the game of baseball, due to the many valuable lessons the sport can teach kids.
“Just because it was a sport that me and my dad used to play in the backyard, it teaches us a lot about life lessons. It teaches accountability, it teaches you a lot of skills that you can transfer into later on in life,” said Evan Gray, the director of Kalamazoo PAL.
Kids ages four to nine years old are eligible to participate, and learn the fundamentals of hitting, throwing, catching, and baserunning.
The free program provides every piece of equipment for the kids, according to the organizers. This includes baseballs, bats, helmets, gloves, cleats, and more.