Play Ball: North Tyler Youth Baseball & Softball Association opens season

Published 6:00 pm Tuesday, April 1, 2025

The North Tyler Youth Baseball & Softball Association opened its season on Saturday at Fun Forest Park.

Petra Hawkins, Tyler city councilwoman of District 2, threw out the first pitch.

The youth league started with just six total teams in 2023, but it has expanded to now include 10 baseball teams and four softball squads.

Patricia Brooks, registration coordinator for the Association, said, “The Opening Day of our third baseball and softball season (was) right here in the heart of the North Tyler community.”

She added, “This event marks another exciting milestone for our growing program — one rooted in community, teamwork, and the shared joy of the game.

“Our league continues to thrive thanks to dedicated families, volunteers, and supporters who believe in providing positive opportunities for our youth.”

The North Tyler Youth Baseball and Softball Association emphasizes more than just hits and runs; it aims to teach the kids the life lessons that only baseball can, Joshua Brooks, volunteer coach, said,

“A lot of these kids we’ve coached for three years,” Brooks said. “Just seeing how they grow and how they love the game of baseball, it’s a wonderful experience.

“Discipline, principle and patience. You got to know all these things in order to play this game successfully.”

Players at any level need encouragement, and that’s where Nakisha Terrell, another hardworking volunteer, comes into play. As a self-proclaimed “team mom,” Terrell is an endless stream of support.

“We have to encourage our kids to do what they want to do,” Terrell said. “And baseball is good fun. Whether we win or lose, it’s fun.”

The North Tyler Youth Baseball & Softball Association is a non-profit organization that offers youth baseball and girls softball for kids in the 5 to 12 age range.

Officials said the league was formed to provide opportunities for our youth to participate in the game of baseball in the communities where they live. The organization was formed in 2022 as a community-driven local league.

They added the mission is to allow children to participate in a structured, safe, fun, and supportive youth baseball program that focuses on academics and teamwork.

Volunteers and coaches teach the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and encourage team members to respect others while focusing on character building.

The league is a member of the diamond youth baseball and diamond youth softball national organizations.

Recent donations include $500 from Rev. Charles Faulks and the Tyler Area Baptist Ministers Union.

Also, Raising Cane’s and Azalea Orthopedics had $750 banner sponsorship donations.

For more information on the organization go to: https://www.facebook.com/p/North-Tyler-Youth-Baseball-Association-100087237498652.

Will Riddell of CBS19 TV, a media partner with the Tyler Morning Telegraph, contributed to this story.