TITLE: WHO
IS RYBA?
The 2014 season marks the
57th year for the Rochester
Youth Baseball Association. Baseball
now competes with newer sports and activities, but the image that baseball
represents remains an indelible marker in our consciousness. Baseball stirs emotions in people. With the coming of the baseball season, we
know the long, cold, and dark Minnesota winter must inevitably give way to
sunny days, and warm evenings. For a
kid, baseball season means school is about to end. They’re older. They’ve completed another year. And soon, for the next 10 weeks, they’ll be free to head out in the morning to
play with friends until it’s time for dinner and then head back out again until
it’s time for bed.
It was December 5, 1856, when
a writer for the New York Mercury newspaper first called baseball, "the
national pastime." The sport
exploded in popularity after the Civil War and professional baseball leagues
began springing up soon after in the 1870’s.
It’s surprising that it took over a century for organized youth baseball
to come to Rochester Minnesota. Sure
kids played ball long before the RYBA began in 1957, but until a group of
dedicated parents formed our association, organization was not part of baseball
in our city. This legacy has been passed
down to us for three generations and it’s ours not only to protect, but to grow
and evolve.
So who or what is RYBA?
There’s the TECHNICAL definition. RYBA is a registered 403-C, non- profit
organization. That explanation is a
little dry however, so what about looking at it in another way?
We have a charter, a
vision, a mission, and a motto. All good
organizations use those things to define who they are and what they want to
be. For those of you unfamiliar with
them, here are ours.
Vision: Become the premier youth sports association in Rochester
Mission: Provide a sports experience that delivers growth in fitness,
skill, and sportsmanship to youth ages 5-15.
Motto: Youth Growing Through
Baseball.
As a board, we are the
caretakers of the game and we use these to operate in a more VISIONARY way. These principles provide great guidance for us
when we’re making decisions that affect our constituents. But when we get at the core, there’s a
REALISTIC definition.
RYBA is people. It’s the kids, parents, volunteers and
sponsors that keep baseball alive in Rochester.
If we are to protect and grow the game for the next generation, we need
involvement from the entire community.
If you have the ability, please consider a role as a coach. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience. Coaches teach, guide and set a powerful
example for the players. There are more
organizational roles that are needed such as, league commissioners and board
members. Finally, as a non-profit and we
have to generate income to continue to offer
baseball in Rochester. We charge
participation fees, to cover most costs,
but wouldn’t it be nice if we could generate enough income from
sponsors, donations, and concessions to lower or even eliminate these
fees. Fundraising is an important role
and we welcome help in any way.
Step up where you can and
let’s keep the baseball ideal alive for future generations.
Direct questions and
comments about this blog to:
Tony Horvath - RYBA
Marketing Director
horvath.tony@rochesterbaseball.net
