It's 'T' time in the park.

Look at the faces. See the excitement of youngsters playing in a game that combines fun and teamwork. The Babe was right, but in his era there was no organized early-age baseball. Today, T-ball is a major source of youth recreation, and municipal facilities are heavily used for its play. This information will help to build a foundation for sportsmanship and teamwork while introducing families to the long-term benefits of community sport and recreational activities.

What is T-ball?

The game serves as an entry level to baseball and softball for young players, generally 4 to 8 years old. Members of two teams take turns hitting, a ball off a batting tee set on home plate. Batters try to get on base and advance to home; fielders try to prevent that from happening. The elimination of pitching allows children to participate without the fear of being hit by a pitched ball. T-ball develops the primary baseball skills of hitting, running, fielding, and throwing. The players gain an understanding of the fundamental rules, which allows minimally competitive league play at all age levels.

T-ball is played in every state and territory; the U.S. military was largely responsible for its spread overseas. Participation is estimated at 2.2 million players, 65 percent boys and 35 percent girls. The sport's constituency includes organizers, directors, administrators and staff, coaches, officials, volunteers, parents, and players. Because the game is one of the first team sports for most children, there is a high level of adult support and enthusiasm. T-ball has proven to be a natural transition into standard baseball and softball. It provides a steady supply of young players already equipped with the basic skills to enter park programs for these sports.

Instruction and organized play are frequently offered by park and recreation departments in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Their fields are also often used by the local units of national youth-baseball leagues (Little League, PONY, Babe Ruth, Dixie, and Dizzy Dean). 'Mere is a growing movement among park districts to enlarge or establish their own programs, as facilities permit, and to strengthen their links with families of young children, using T-ball and other recreational activities.

Perhaps the greatest contributing factor to the growth and popularity of the game is that final decisions regarding game procedures or certain rules are made by administrators at the local level.

The major differences concern winning/losing and what constitutes an inning. As children play to win in other games and view competitive sports on TV, many T-ball leagues sanction scoring and winning for the older or more mature players (usually 6 years and up). This also permits another level of play: specifically, tournaments and other competitive events. Otherwise, T-ball can be positioned as a skill-building learning experience, where the score is not the focus of the game. Some leagues prefer to consider an inning to be the traditional three outs, but the majority of play is "bat around," where an inning is over after every player has batted one time.

Coach-pitch is a modification of the game usually reserved for older players or for younger players whose batting skills have advanced. A coach (adult or mature teenager) throws the ball to the batter. If the player is unable to hit the pitched ball after a predetermined number of throws -- usually four to seven -- the ball is placed on a tee and the player's turn continues. All other rules are the same.

Customization

The game may be adapted to reflect the needs of the community. Peter Conces, assistant recreation director of the Beachwood (OH) Parks and Recreation Department, writes:

Our eight-week program is a combination of T-ball and parent-pitch. The first four weeks are devoted exclusively to the use of the batting tee, base running, and general rules of the game. After the fourth week, the coaches begin to pitch underhand. The batter always has the option of hitting off the tee. Gradually, we begin to enforce more and more rules of the game. Our low-key approach has made this program a successful and pleasant experience for all of the children. The rules are extremely kid-oriented, not parent-driven!

T-ball Activity Survey

In order to identify the most meaningful benefits for its members, T-BALL USA asked a sampling of park and recreation departments for information about their T-ball programs. Below are some of the most popular responses to key questions in the survey:

* Details about the programs are communicated by printed handouts, mailings, local newspapers, and via schools.

* Sign-ups are done at park department offices or by mail until the program is full.

* T-shirts and caps are provided by the department and ordered from a nearby teamsports equipment dealer.

* Local sponsors are generally welcomed, and company names may be applied to uniforms; on-field signage is generally allowed.

* Players bring their own gloves and, sometimes, bats; departments provide balls, tees, and safety helmets.

The biggest problems with parents include overexpectations, scheduling conflicts, lack of knowledge of the rules and coaches' responsibilities, pressure on kids to perform, and limited consideration of other children. Players' problems most often occur because of their short attention span, family fervor, minimal motivation to practice, and incorrect equipment.

T-ball 2000

Babe Ruth did not have (nor did he need) a batting tee. It was not until the early 1950s that an automobile radiator hose was attached to a plank of wood and used by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a training device. Rules for a tee-based game followed and provided an entry-level sport for millions of young boys and girls.

The two areas of youth baseball with the greatest potential for growth in the 1990s are girls' softball and T-ball. Based on the existing and projected birth rate, there will be a constant stream of potential new entrants well into the next century for both of these games.

Coupled with the resurgence of interest in major league baseball, the expanding popularity of the minor leagues, and the addition of professionals to the U.S. Olympic team, the evolution of organized T-ball should continue. Of the 2.5 million active players projected by the beginning of the next decade, more than 40 percent will be girls.

RELATED ARTICLE: Top 10 Elements of a Successful Program

1. Appropriate budget 2. Adequate field conditions 3. Trained staff and supervisors 4. Pre-season meeting with parents 5. Hand-out instructional materials 6. Proper equipment for age/size 7. Coaches and parents with good attitudes 8. Emphasis on participation and fun 9. Community support 10. Certificates of participation

RELATED ARTICLE:

The T-BALL USA Association is a national nonprofit youth-sports organization dedicated to the development of the game. It offers a variety of services and is the center of information on improving existing T-ball programs and establishing new ones. Working with youth-baseball leagues, national service organizations, municipal departments, and community groups, it is a basic source for advice, assistance, benefits, and support. There is no charge for individual park departments to become members of T-BALL USA.

For more information, contact T-BALL USA, Suite 607, 915 Broadway, New York, NY 10010; [phone]; [e-mail]

H. W. "Bing" Broido is a co-founder and the president Of the T-BALL USA Association, a member of the National Council of Youth Sports, and the author of the Spalding Book of Rules, a definitive guide to the basic regulations of 50 popular sports.