Saturday's “Varsity Day” Brings Hornets Of All Ages Together

A release from the North Reading Little League:

One of the big reasons baseball remains America’s Pastime is because the game is passed down from generation to generation. Whether it’s parents to their kids, older siblings to younger ones, or coaches to players, that love and respect for the game is a tradition has carried on for more than 150 years.

And here in North Reading, there’s another tradition: Varsity Day.

This Saturday, the North Reading High School baseball team will host its fourth annual Varsity Day when it welcomes North Reading Little League players to NRHS’s Carey Park to teach the finer points of the game in a relaxed and encouraging environment. From 10-11:30 a.m. that day, Hornets players and coaches will conduct a clinic open to NRLL players of all ages – from Tee-Ball through Senior League – that will include instruction, contests, and a pep talk from varsity head coach Eric Archambault. There will be hitting, pitching, fielding, and throwing stations, followed by complimentary snacks and drinks for players and their parents.

NRLL players are not required to register for the event, but are encouraged to coordinate attendance through their coaches and teammates. The time was purposely selected to avoid conflicts with Little League games that afternoon.

“Over the past few years, we have seen Varsity Day grow into another great North Reading baseball tradition,” Archambault said. “It’s a day that, as a program, we really look forward to – the opportunity to teach and engage the town’s youth players in a fun, positive way.

“What makes this event so special is that our varsity players can see a bit of themselves in these youngsters,” he added. “They were these kids four, five, or 10 years ago, and really looked up to the older players to show them how to play the game right. Now they have the opportunity to pass that knowledge on to the next generation of ballplayers.”

Since its debut in 2016, Varsity Day has become a staple on the North Reading Little League calendar as well.

“We saw right away how much the younger kids enjoyed being around and learning from the high school players. It had such a positive effect on them,” NRLL president Eddie Madden said. “And last year, when we opened up Varsity Day to all levels of NRLL, the response was outstanding.

“We’ve worked closely with Coach Archambault to build on the strong relationship that exists between North Reading Little League and the high school program, and Varsity Day is a great example of that. We hope to see several dozen Little Leaguers at Carey Park on April 27 to take part in this free and fun event.”

More information is available at www.nrll.org, North Reading Little League’s official website.