March 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 78

NRPA Update

Hosts Needed for Scotts MLB
Annual Pitch Hit & Run
By Kelly Peterson

cotts MLB Pitch Hit & Run (PHR) is celebrating its 20th consecutive year
as the Official Skills Competition of Major League Baseball, and NRPA is
again encouraging departments to host a free local event. MLB PHR is an
easily administered one-day program that provides boys and girls ages 7 to
14 with the opportunity to showcase their pitching, hitting and running abilities in
either the baseball or softball division. Each year, 720 youngsters nationwide advance
to one of 30 Team Championships at every Major League ballpark, with the top 24
competitors earning an all-expense paid trip to the National Finals at MLB All-Star.
Pitch Hit & Run is an exciting, educational program for kids of all skill
levels. From the All-Star players in
your town to those just learning the
sport, PHR brings families together as
a community to enjoy our country's national pastime. For some lucky youngsters, your local event is just the starting point to an experience of a lifetime.
Following is a list of boys and girls
who last summer began their journey
by competing in local games hosted by
their community's parks and recreation
department and went on to become the
2015 PHR National Finalists:

* Lilly Stewart - Greenfield Parks,
Indiana
* Abby Braby - city of Tipton, Missouri
* Haley Loffer - city of Hayden, Idaho
* Madison Hayes - Chattanooga
Parks and Recreation, Tennessee
* Emma Kleinsek - La Crosse Parks
and Recreation, Wisconsin
* Ethan Manock -Wahpeton Parks
and Recreation, North Dakota
* Gregory Palamountain - Contra
Costa Co. Parks and Recreation,
California

* Trevor Cogley - city of Hayden,
Idaho
* Andruw Criswell - Murray-Calloway Co. Parks and Recreation,
Kenucky
* Chase Jans -Blue Valley Recreation, Kansas
The city of Hayden, Idaho, had
two youngsters compete at the PHR
National Finals in 2015. While Haley Loffer and Trevor Cogley were
shagging balls at the Home Run Derby, local and sectional host Suzanne
Cano was proud to know that it was
the efforts of her recreation department that aided in making it happen.
Cano describes the PHR program
as " one of the easiest and most fun
events Hayden runs. "
In the Midwest, the Kansas City
Royals are not the only ball players
celebrating a victory in the area. You
can also probably spot Chase Jans of
Overland Park, Kansas, sporting his
PHR National Finals gear around
town. Local and sectional host Jeff
Todd couldn't be more proud of Chase.
Todd has been hosting PHR since 2006
and thinks the program " is an exciting
event for the entire community that
gives Blue Valley Recreation a chance
to showcase our facility, while seeing
the joy it brings to the kids. "
Give the kids in your community
the opportunity to feel like All Stars
by signing up to host your own Scotts
MLB Pitch Hit & Run competition.
Visit www.PitchHitRun.com to sign
up today!
Kelly Peterson works with MLB Pitch Hit &
Run Headquarters (pitchhitrun@mlb.com).

76 Parks & Recreation

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