North Kingstown Wickford Little League Opening Day Recap

Saturday morning, April 27, belonged to North Kingstown Wickford Little League. NKW held its annual Opening Day Parade and Ceremony to kick off the 2019 Spring season of baseball. Players as young as 4 years old marched through Wickford Village with their coaches and parents in a tradition that dates back decades in the Town of North Kingstown. The weather for the most part in April has been rain, more rain, and torrential rain. But, on Saturday morning Mother Nature agreed to cooperate and provided the Town of North Kingstown with a beautiful spring start to the day.

While coaches and commissioners were busy meeting players and parents at set locations throughout the parade route, Fields and Grounds Coordinator Joe Baker and a group of volunteers were busy prepping the Majors Field at Wilson Park. Lining the base paths, painting the bases, raking, making the field look incredible for the players, coaches, and families who would arrive soon from the parade. Thank you to Joe and his crew for the efforts. The field looked amazing, as always.

Leading the parade, as is tradition, was the North Kingstown Fire Department and the North Kingstown Police Department. I wanted to thank each department and their staff for their continued dedication to the safety and well being of our North Kingstown sports community. The police and fire donate their time for our parades every year and we appreciate their service.

Parents, coaches, and players walked from Wickford Middle School through Wickford Village and up to Wilson Park. Waving, smiling, with teammates, with friends, a great show of sportsmanship and the community of North Kingstown Baseball. Even the Tee Ball players got in on the parade, starting at the parking lot in Wickford Village, marking the beginning of their baseball experience in North Kingstown Wickford Little League baseball.

The parade participants wound their way through the entrance of Wilson Park, past the playgrounds, and onto the Majors Field to start the Opening Day Ceremonies. Parents found seats along the first and third base lines. NKW Little League President Arnie Sarazen presided over the ceremonies once again. Sarazen mentioned the mission of the league, recognized valuable members of the volunteer staff, and outlined the various divisions in the league. Arnie took a moment to recognize two special North Kingstown residents, Al Southwick and Sanford Tully, who have given countless hours to the betterment of the North Kingstown Sports community. We had all hoped that Al and Sandy would be joining us in person, but due to illness they were unable to attend. I want to take a moment to thank Al and Sandy for their years of dedication and service to the Town of North Kingstown.

One of the highlights of the ceremony for me was the First Pitch featuring Gary and Nicole Kim. Gary Kim has been a trusted coach and player mentor for years in North Kingstown sports, including NKW Little League. I have coached with and against Gary for years and he is a fantastic baseball coach. Dr. Nicole Kim is one of the most important NKW sponsors through her business, NDK Dental. Their sons, Keanu and Colten, are two of the best players in our league. I was so happy for the Kim family. Gary and Nicole threw out the ceremonial First Pitch to their sons on the field to a huge ovation. Congrats to the Kim family and thank you for being such a valuable part of the North Kingstown Baseball community.

Our league is stronger thanks to the involvement of our local government departments - Recreation, Public Works, Town Council - and certainly the Town Manager. Ralph Mollis came out and said a few words to the crowd. Ralph's grandchildren are now participants in North Kingstown Wickford Little League, so you may see the Town Manager at games this spring. Also attending the event were Town Council members Mary Brimer and Gregory Mancini. Thank you to our Town of North Kingstown officials for being a part of our ceremony.

And so it begins. A brand new season of base hits and strikeouts and home runs and memories. Players have their uniforms and new NKW hats. Parents new to North Kingstown got a glimpse of our incredible baseball community. And now, practices and games will start for every player from Tee Ball age to Teenagers. Thank you to all the amazing volunteers who helped make yesterday so special.

If you need information about your player, your team, or any other issue, here are a few important links to remember. Our website is www.nkwll.com. If you have signed up for baseball this season, you will receive email notifications from time to time on important league news and events. In addition, our Facebook page is a great place to see photos, share stories, and learn about upcoming events as well. Go to "North Kingstown/Wickford Little League" on Facebook and join in to post photos of your team, your player, and your North Kingstown baseball experience. If you would like to volunteer your time with North Kingstown Wickford Little League, contact me at noel.p.roby@gmail.com to learn about available volunteer positions with our league.