We're about three months away from the start of the 2024 Vermont American Legion Baseball season, but it's not too soon to note some big changes for the upcoming season.
Tom Haley of the Rutland Herald reported last week that there will be three new teams this season in Vermont. St. Johnsbury Post 58 and Champlain Valley Baseball will be added to the Northern Division, while Ludlow's Ballard-Hobart Post 36 will join the Southern Division.
Champlain Valley Baseball, which will play its games at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, is the reincarnation of the former S.D. Ireland team, a longtime fixture in the Northern Division that did not field a squad in 2023.
Post 58 will be playing their games at Blue Mountain Union High School in Wells River and will have BMU's head coach Scott Blood as manager.
Ludlow Post 36 will play its games at the former Black River High School, and Southern Division teams will love smacking the ball around the hitter-friendly dimensions of that diamond. Jeremy Parker will be Post 36's head coach.
The three new teams mean that the Northern and Southern divisions will once again have eight teams each, which will make the regular season schedule more even and make it tougher for the top four teams in each division to qualify for the state tournament. It will also give more opportunities for players.
Haley also reported that the 2024 state tournament will again be at Vermont State University-Castleton, with Brattleboro Post 5 providing the volunteer staffing. This is interesting, because the experience that Post 5 will receive might be come in handy when Brattleboro becomes the host of the state tournament.
This season, Post 5 will be without their usual home field. The long-awaited upgrades to the historic Tenney Field grandstand at Brattleboro Union High School, with improved seating and accessibility for disabled fans, are set to begin this summer.
While construction takes place, Post 5 will playing their 2024 games either at Hinsdale High School, Gouin Field in Dummerston, or Leland & Gray Union High School in Townshend.
The news about the rebirth of the Tenney Field grandstand is welcome. Brattleboro is still a baseball town and deserves a first-class showcase for the game. Reopening the concrete and steel grandstand, closed to spectators since 2017, will open the door for the return of state and regional Babe Ruth and Legion baseball tournaments to Brattleboro.
Senior All-Star basketball games set for this weekend
• The Vermont high school basketball season concludes on Saturday, March 16, with the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association's Senior All-Star games at Windsor High School, with four games featuring the best senior basketball players in the northern and southern halves of the state.
The Division III-IV girls' game is at 11 a.m., the Division III-IV boys' game is at 1 p.m., the Division I-II girls' game is at 3 p.m. and the Division I-II boys' game is at 5 p.m.
In addition to the games, awards will be given out for the Dream Dozen teams, this season's 1,000-point scorers, the Stretch Gillam, Eric Ward and VBCA scholarships, and the Coaches of the Year and Players of the Year.
Two local players were selected to Dream Dozen teams, each with the 12 best non-seniors in the state. Twin Valley's Brayden Brown, a 5-foot-10 freshman guard who led the Wildcats to an 11-9 record this season, made the boys' Division III-IV team. Brattleboro sophomore guard Reese Croutworst, who led the Bears to a 11-10 record this season, was selected to the girls' Division I-II team.
Rec. Dept. sign-ups for softball, lacrosse programs begin
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will again offer girls' youth softball and boys' and girls' lacrosse programs this spring.
• Girls' youth softball is for those in grades 3-6. Players will learn the fundamentals of softball, stressing safety, skills, and fun. Players will be assigned to a team and will have 2-3 games and practices a week at Living Memorial Park or away against neighboring towns.
Each child will need to bring their own glove, water bottle, and appropriate footwear (sneakers or cleats) to each practice and game. The fee is $45 for Brattleboro residents and $60 for non-residents. Each player will be assigned to a team as well as a practice location. Practices will begin the week of April 22 (weather permitting). Games will begin the week of May 6 and continue until early June.
• Girls' youth lacrosse is for those in grades 2-5. The season will begin the week of April 22nd depending on field conditions. Practice will be held 1-2 times per week. Participants should provide their own equipment. This includes mouth guards, cleats or sneakers, water bottles, stick, and goggles. There is minimal girls' lacrosse equipment available for use; let the Rec. Dept. know as soon as possible if you need to borrow equipment for the season.
This group is strictly skills and drills-based and will not play any games against other towns. A minimum of 10 participants is required to run each age group. Note the girls' program will take place at BUHS and the JV lacrosse coach and team will be running the program this season. The practice date is to be determined. The fee is $20 for Brattleboro residents and $35 for non-residents.
• Boys' youth lacrosse is for those in grades 2-6 and will have two practices a week that will focus on fundamentals and skill building and will not play any games against other towns. A minimum of 10 participants are required to run this program. Participants should provide their own equipment (mouth guard, cleats/sneakers, a water bottle, a boys lacrosse stick, and helmet and pads.) The fee is $20 for Brattleboro residents and $35 for non-residents.
Individuals can register online at register1.vermontsystems.com/wbwsc/vtbrattleboro.wsc/splash.html or in person at the Gibson-Aiken Center. After March 29, a $10 late fee will be charged for those who sign up.
For all programs, events, facility information, and more, visit brattleboro.gov. Once you are on this page, hover over the "Departments" tab found on the blue horizontal bar. A new drop-down menu will appear and click "Recreation and Parks." If there are special accomodations required for these programs, let them know at least five days in advance. For more information, call the Gibson-Aiken Office at 802-254-5808.
Girls on the Run sign-ups begin; coaches still needed
• Girls on the Run (GOTR) Vermont's registration for its spring program is now open statewide. GOTR is a physical activity-based, positive youth development program that inspires students in grades 3-8 to be joyful, healthy, and confident. Organizers say the 10-week program "incorporates movement to empower participants to develop critical life skills, build confidence, cultivate positive connections with peers, manage their emotions, and stand up for themselves and others."
The spring season begins this week statewide. Teams will meet twice a week for 90 minutes and the program culminates with all southern Vermont teams participating in a noncompetitive, celebratory 5K event at the Manchester Recreation Fields on June 8.
Schools in Windham County ready to begin the season include Academy and Green Street schools in Brattleboro, Dover Elementary School, Dummerston School, Grafton Elementary School, School, Guilford Central School, NewBrook Elementary School, Putney Central School, Saxtons River Elementary School, St. Michael's School in Brattleboro, Twin Valley Elementary School in Wilmington, Vernon Elementary School, and Wardsboro Elementary School.
Local schools that still need coaches include Central Elementary School in Bellows Falls, Flood Brook Union in Londonderry, The Grammar School in Putney, Jamaica Village School, Oak Grove School in Brattleboro, and Townshend Elementary School.
The program fee for participants in the spring 2024 season is $130 and financial aid is available to those who need it. The program fee includes registration and activities for the end of season 5K event, a program t-shirt, personal journal to use throughout the season, cinch sack, water bottle, and more. Information about the program and registration can be found at gotrvt.org.
Nominations open for Terrier Hall of Fame
• The Bellows Falls Terrier Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for its 2024 class. Nominations are open through April 30. Organizers seek to honor individuals who have "demonstrated outstanding contributions to the proud Terrier tradition."
The nominee must be a graduate from BFUHS or BFHS and been out of school for at least 10 years, or a teacher/staff member/coach at BFUHS or BFHS for at least 10 years, or a member of the community who has given to the proud Terrier tradition for a minimum of 10 years.
To submit your nomination, or for more information, visit their webpage at sites.google.com/wnesu.com/terrierhalloffame, or facebook.com/TerrierHallofFame.
The inductees and information on the induction ceremony will be available in the summer of 2024.
Morning pick-up basketball at Leland & Gray
• Looking for a game of hoops, and don't mind getting up early? Head to the Leland & Gray main gymnasium in Townshend on Mondays and Fridays, from 6 to 7 a.m., from now through April 26 for an hour of pick-up basketball.
All skill levels are welcome. Contact refoundworks@gmail.com for more details.
Senior bowling roundup
• Week 10 of the winter/spring season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl on March 7 saw first place High Rollers (33-17) extend its lead to six games over Four Seasons and Stayin' Alive (both 27-23), and eight games over Good Times and Stepping Stones II (both 25-25). Hairiers (20-30), Four Pins (19-31), and Slow Movers (12-38) all have some catching up to do.
Vikki Butynski had the women's high handicap game (263), while Debbie Rittenhour had the high handicap series (663). Jerry Dunham had the men's high handicap game (241) and Ron Cargill had the high handicap series (660). Stayin' Alive had the high team handicap game (857), while High Rollers had high handicap series (2,486).
John Walker had the men's high scratch series (615) with games of 227, 195, and 193. Robert Rigby had a 595 series that featured games of 231 and 195. Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 549 series with a 201 game, Jerry Dunham had a 523 series with a 198 game, and Gary Montgomery had a 519 series with a 198 game.
Pat Bentrup had the women's high scratch series (473) with games of 168 and 167, while Butynski had the high scratch game (192). Diane Cooke had a 169 game and Pam Greenblott rolled a 160 game.
Randolph T. Holhut, deputy editor of this newspaper, has written this column since 2010 and has covered sports in Windham County since the 1980s. Readers can send him sports information at news@commonsnews.org.
This Sports column by Randolph T. Holhut was written for The Commons.