Santa Maria and Lompoc families looking for free summer programs for their kids can sign up for the Junior Giants coed baseball league.
The eight-week program starts in mid-June for children ages 5 to 13—with teams divided by age. The Santa Maria program registration ends April 30 with practices starting on June 6. The Lompoc program has about 125 children signed up with practices beginning on June 10 and runs through Aug. 3, and registration will remain open until all slots are filled, typically rounding out around 200 kids, Lompoc Parks and Recreation Supervisor Chad Dawson told the Sun.
“We don’t typically turn children away if we can place them on a team, but that’s where I project it to kind of max out at,” Dawson said. “You do learn basic baseball skills, but I think more importantly you really learn to work as a team, respecting others, that’s another big facet of the program, … it’s not competitive, it’s more about the learning aspect of it.”
Children practice once a week, which depends on the coach’s availability, and they then have one game on Saturdays, he said. Alongside baseball and teamwork skills, kids are also encouraged to read 20 minutes each night during the program to incorporate continued learning throughout the summer.
“It increases in size every single year. Just a couple years ago, we had maybe around 80 kids, and now we’re over 200. It really took off in 2022 because that was the first year it was back after the pandemic,” Dawson said. “People were just looking for stuff for their children to do, and it being free helped.”
The Lompoc Police Activities League ran the program in its early years because it was designed to keep kids active and off the streets, but the league disbanded in 2018 and the Parks and Recreation division took over, he said.
“We gladly took it over because it fits with what else we do. The San Francisco Giants does donate all of the equipment and all uniforms. It’s very low cost but very time consuming because it’s such a big program,” Dawson said.
The Parks and Recreation division is looking for parents or adults who are 18 or older to volunteer as coaches to help run teams once a week. Individuals interested in coaching have to pass a background check before starting, he said.
“I think parents should volunteer because it sets a good example for the children seeing the parents getting involved. Seeing them out there and being with the kids as opposed to dropping them off, hopefully it would encourage them to volunteer when they become older,” Dawson said.
Starting this year, Lompoc is offering its first softball division for girls only to encourage more girls to sign up, he said.
“It would be nice if it does happen. There only might be 10 girls signed up, so we’ll just put them in the baseball portion,” Dawson said. “It’s noncompetitive, but they [the Junior Giants] want to see more girls participate, because it is about 2 to 1 boys to girls.”
“I just think it’s so important because it gives children an opportunity to participate who might not normally participate in that opportunity,” he added.
Visit gojrgiants.org to sign up for a summer baseball program.
Highlights
• Santa Maria invites artists to leave their mark on the heart of downtown Santa Maria through the Pedestrian Overpass Design Project—a program that aims to transform the pedestrian overpass linking Town Center East with Town Center West into a vibrant symbol of pride and creativity. Artists interested in participating must submit their proposals by May 31 and are encouraged to submit proposals that capture the essence of Santa Maria’s culture. Selected artists will be eligible for a stipend to further develop their designs with a potential for their work to be featured in Santa Maria. Visit cityofsantamaria.org/recreation for more information and submission guidelines.
• The Lompoc Parks and Recreation division invites the community to come out and enjoy the 19th annual Lompoc Kiwanis and Parks and Recreation’s Golf Tournament on May 31 at Mission Club Golf Course—4300 Club House Road. The tournament features lunch, dinner, hors d’oeuvres, awards, raffles, and golf. Golf enthusiasts of varying skill levels are encouraged to grab a group of friends for the four-person scramble. This year’s tournament sponsor is Kingsway Financial Advisors. Other sponsorship opportunities are still available. Participants must register by May 28, with fees costing $65 for Mission Club Members or $125 per person; $150 for tee sponsors; and $600 for business sponsors, which includes a tee sign and four golfers. Register at apm.activecommunities.com/lompocrecreation. Direct questions to (805) 875-8095.
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at [email protected].
