I certainly hope that is the case with the facilities.. The kids here deserve to play on top notch fields and to have the best of everything. I too have had many postive and rewarding experiences in the Little League but also have seen a decline in the past few years. Hopefully, the Cal Ripken league will bring renewed excitment to the game of baseball for all of the youth in this area. Will I see you doing in coaching in the new league Firebird?

Probably see me with a rake and a weed eater. :thumb:

That is great.. I will probably be right there with you.....

With two leagues where is everyone going to play? Are there plans to build more fields?

They are building them at johnson central behind the other feilds

Thanks Black Wire, What's going te be the territory. Can a kid from Floyd co. play.

I am not for sure you can message Firebird he would know... :thumb:

Kids from surrounding counties are eligble to play. Cal Ripkin ages are 4-12. If your area does not have a Cal Ripkin league and your child starts in johnson county he or she would be able to stay in that league until their eligbility is up. After 12 you go to Babe Ruth. If (for example) Floyd county does not have a Babe Ruth league at the start of your childs 13yr old year he or she could play in Johnson County and remain until their eligbility is up. If (for example) Floyd county starts a Babe Ruth league your child MAY have to play there to be all-star eligble. This is my understaning to make sure you will have to contact Jason Hurt, Johnson County league president.

There has been an awful lot of talk about how this will hurt the baseball teams, but what no one has mentioned is softball. Sorry if this steps on anyone's toes out there, but the truth is Paintsville Little League never treated girls softball equal. We couldn't even play on PLL fields because they were always booked for the other divisions or for PHS softball. So I personally am thrilled about the new league. Softball already has it's own field and we may have to share with JCHS softball, but atleast it's just one other division. At PLL we were last behind about 4 or 5 other divisions.

 

It's really sad to hear some people on hear hoping the league will fail. I am from the county and have been involved with PLL over ten years I would never wish that PLL would fail. The truth is it is PAINTSVILLE Little League and some parents and players feel unwelcome there because they are from the county. I personally didn't feel that way. I just tried to jump in and help in anyway I could and I was always welcomed.

 

To be perfectly honest, my children go to the county schools and I feel it is their best interest to play in the Cal Ripken league. It just makes sense to me that if the county is offering the league my child should play in that league.

 

I hope everyone who has a daughter will consider signing her up for this league. Softball will not be an afterthought with this league. We will not have to fight for a playing field or a practice field. All the girls have such a good time together.

 

I hope to see you on a baseball field(either one)this spring.

 

JC20FAN

I don't agree about softball. It was started in 2003 for a place for ANY girl that lived in Johnson County, regardless of what school they went to.

 

They have to play other teams since there was not enough girls that signed up, but for only 2 teams. Since 2003 girls softball was scheduled to play on both the Major, Minor, and at other softball fields in District 7 they were scheduled that way until this year and the former softball director scheduled to play games this year. It is hard to schedule games when it is between teams not in your league.

 

No one should ever feel unwelcomed as this league has been since 1953. With both players and coaches from each school. Good luck to this league.

What does everyone think? Good or bad? Will it hurt the quality of play in both leagues(Cal Ripken and Little League)? There is an article about the league in today's Paintsville Herald.

 

Little league baseball all-star teams are only allowed to draw from area of 20,000(I think that is the correct population number) people. If an area has a population of more than that to draw from they are required to split into separate leagues. I'm not sure how many sanctioned little leagues Johnson Co. has or what the population is, but their sanctioned area should not pull from a population area of more than 20,000 if they only have one league.