VC Little League celebrates opening day with American traditions

Click here to check out a gallery of photos from VCLL Opening Night 2011!

BY: DAN KIDDER

Nothing stirs the blood of a young athlete quite like an umpire calling, “Play ball!”
For more than 400 Valley Center ballplayers, Friday night marked the beginning of what is sure to be an exciting baseball season, as the Valley Center Little League (VCLL) celebrated Opening Night 2011.
And it should come as no surprise that the community helped the young players celebrate the night with an impressive turnout.
“We have more than four hundred kids playing this year, so with parents, other family members and friends, I’d say that there are easily over a thousand people here tonight,” VCLL president Bill Layne said with more than a hint of pride.
The enthusiastic crowd got to start the night off with a mouth-watering selection of culinary delights, courtesy of Gina Puentes and her Delish crew. Along with ballpark standards such as hot dogs and popcorn, the menu also offered a barbecue beef sandwich, complete with potato salad, baked beans and a soda to take care of any dietary distractions before the game got underway.
The rock band Not For Hire provided live music, including favorites such as “All Star” by Smash Mouth and a rocking version of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” Players for the Rattlers in the Caps Division recognized their coach, Chaz Rhinehart, on guitar and lead vocals.
Many of the parents no doubt felt a little bit like kids again when they saw some of the classic cars on hand, courtesy of some of Valley Center’s many collectors. The classic Chevrolets included a pair of yellow Stingray Corvettes, a souped-up Camaro, some old hot rods and even a tricked-out motorcycle.
The kids even got to play in an inflatable jump house before the opening ceremonies got started.
With a field full of players in uniform, the night began with a traditional blessing by seven “bird singers” from the Rincon tribe in Pauma Valley.
To honor our country, Jodi Villarreal sang the national anthem, then Pastor Bill Trok of Ridgeview Church said a prayer for the season. After some thanks to the volunteers and sponsors, team manager Terry Ryan threw out the first pitch to open the season. Layne told a brief story about receiving a box full of VCLL plaques from Wallace Hardware when it closed. One plaque, from 1994, showed Ryan as the coach of his son’s team. In recognition of his years of dedication to the league, Ryan was honored with the first pitch of the 2011 season.
The players and their families had some more time to enjoy the festivities of the night before the first game of the new season began.
That game, from the Minor A Division, featured the Jaxx and the Hot Rods to kick off the year.
Both teams played well in the first game, showing good positioning and solid fundamentals. The fans got into the game as well, cheering on their team with each good play. Of course, there were a few moments that highlight the joys of youth sports, including a brief timeout for a player to run to the bathroom, and the occasional good-natured reminder from a coach to an outfielder to “stop spinning around and pay attention to the game!” But the fans were also treated to a game of real baseball, with traditional rules and strategy, that showcased the league’s commitment to teaching kids the fundamentals of the game in a safe, positive environment.
The Jaxx scored a pair of runs early in the game, but the Hot Rods came back with a run in the bottom of the third to pull back within one.
The Jaxx pulled ahead with two more runs in the fourth, then added one in the fifth and one more in the sixth to build a big lead. But the Hot Rods made a big play on defense in the top of the sixth, throwing out a runner at home on an attempted double steal, then added a run a beautifully-hit double to right field before the game was over. The Jaxx picked up a 6–2 win in a great game to start of the year.
Layne and the board of directors also took a moment to thank the many volunteers who help make Little League baseball run smoothly every single year. That list included vice president Lance Klem, player agent Roy Stevenson, secretary Christina Marenholz, chief umpire John Tompkins, treasurer Dean Gittleson, information officer and assistant treasurer Tony Katzdorn, safety officer Chad Gustine, snack bar coordinator Gina Puentes, sponsorship and fund-raising coordinator Nancy Layne, team/parent coordinator Jenny Mihoky, assistant chief umpire Mike Marenholz, assistant fund-raising coordinator Angie Saunders, Majors/Minors coaches coordinator Ken Boone, Tee Ball/Caps coordinator Brian Podratz, head scorekeeper Jenny Hakes, sign board coordinator Ron Burke, equipment manager Rob Lieschman, event coordinator Joe Edwards, background check coordinator Newell Cumming, Juniors coordinator Rick Blucher, Web site director Amy Podratz, Little League Baseball district administrator Larry Burch, Valley Center Parks & Recreation general manager Doug Johnsen and Valley Center Parks & Recreation president Tom Litchfield.
VCLL also took time to say a special thanks to the sponsors who helped make the 2011 season possible, including the I-15 Sustainable Community by the Accretive Group, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, Pauma Valley Insurance and the Lake Elsinore Storm, as well as snack bar sponsor A-1 Irrigation, Bates Nut Farm, California Bank & Trust, Community Pharmacy of VC, Economy Restaurant Supply, Farmers Daughter, Fat Ivors, Ghosh Consulting, Henry Avocado, Hidden Valley Pump, Jeremy Klem - Farmers Insurance, Jersey Mikes Subs, Left Coast Engineering, the Leishman Family, Medina Eades DDS, North County Spring, Pacific Tax and Financial, Papa Bears/ Sorrentinos, Pinamonti Rentals, ProSource Group, Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, SportAbout, Sports Closet, St. Stephen Catholic Church, Tri City Carpet, Valley Center Barbershop, Valley Center Dental, Valley Center Propane and Western CNC, Inc.