photocredit: yourworldwithin.com

BY: RACHEL SMITH

The crack of the bat.  The cheering crowd as a runner crosses home plate.  Slushie-stained lips of a little child in the bleachers.  Salty popcorn and a jumbo hotdog smothered in ketchup.

Aaahhh… sweet summertime at the ballfield.  It really doesn’t get much better than that!

Baseball has been a staple of childhood summer activities for years.  Starting with just the wee ones playing t-ball, all the way up to our High School teams; some folks in town have spent countless hours on the bleachers, cheering their kids to victory.

Its obvious Clear Lake is mostly known for lake time fun in the summer.  In fact, we’ve made a pretty good name for ourselves with all the various events and activities, keeping our tourists engaged and entertained all summer long.   But what you may not realize, is the flurry of activity out at the Clear Lake Youth Athletic League during the month of June.

The crew out there has done a phenomenal job of organizing teams, finding coaches and setting schedules.  And, of course, they have one of the best concession stands around!

Trust me, with 5 kids playing ball, I’ve spent a small fortune out there already this summer! 

This weekend, however, the activity level will be taken up a notch for Clear Lake.  The fields at the Youth Athletic League complex will be flooded with young ball players, all vying for the sweet taste of the championship.

Oh, and having a lot of fun!

It should be a big boost for the many businesses in Clear Lake, as teams are lined up from Algona, Humboldt, Ft. Dodge, Iowa Falls, Osage, Forest City and Charles City. With age groups separated into 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grades, that’s a lot of kids playing ball in just one weekend!  The fun kicks off Saturday morning at 10:00 and will run through the early evening.  On Sunday, the games begin at 8:30 and should finish up around 5:00 in the afternoon – give or take with schedule fluctuations.

Needless to say… it’s a weekend filled with ball for these young kids!

I encourage you to stop out if you have the chance.  Don’t be discouraged by the abundance of cars and people milling around.  Bring a chair, or find an open spot on the bleachers.  Be sure to stick a couple bucks in your pocket to spend at the concession stand!

Clear Lake has some incredibly talented young athletes.  Let’s give them our support!

See ya at the ballfields, Clear Lakers!