Batter up! Little League will soon be in full swing!

This time of year, we still see snow.  Sometimes, we see snow, hail, thunder and lightning all in the same day.  It is Montana, after all.  And then all of a sudden, one day in the next month, I'll be driving to my local park and there are baseball players practicing!  It's one of the first and most exciting signs of spring, in my humble opinion.

This year, I'm twice as excited because my oldest is starting t-ball.  And because I needed another thing to volunteer for, I'm a brand new member of the Central Giants Little League Board.  Okay, so I may have a lot on my plate (pun intended!), but I love this game and I'm thrilled to be part of the action.

If you haven't signed your little ones up for Little League, you have a few last chances!  Central Giants has two sign up dates remaining.

Thursday, March 7th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Play It Again Sports; and

Saturday, March 9th from 11:00am to 12:00pm at Sacajawea Park.

If you don't know what league you're in, please visit http://www.eteamz.com/MtDistrict1baseball/ and check out the map dividing Billings into leagues.  That website also has a list of all the individual league sign up dates.  Most of the leagues are finished with sign ups, but some have late registration processes, so it might still be possible to get your kid playing this year.

As a teacher and a mom, I truly believe that team sports are amazing for your child's self-esteem, motor skills, and overall listening prowess.  They also learn the basics, like how to wait for a turn and how to work together.  And they look pretty darn cute in a team uniform, too.

Also, did you know that Little League is a non-profit that depends on corporate sponsorships?  If you or someone you know has a business that would like to sponsor a team, please contact your local league as soon as possible.  Sponsorships are available in several different level amounts and every sponsorship helps these kids play!