N R PA I n A c t i o n A Diamond Setting and a Chance to Shine MLB's Pitch, Hit & Run Program T he National R ecreation and Park A ssociation (NRPA) hopes your community will consider hosting the free Aquafina Major League Baseball (MLB) Pitch, Hit & Run (PHR) program in the spring of 2011. The official skills competition of MLB, PHR is a free one-day event for boys and girls ages 7-14. NRPA encourages local agencies to host a free PHR Local Competition each spring. Hosting registration form and information on the program are always available at www. nrpa.org/baseball " I host PHR because it allows the children to test their skills in a fun and creative way, " said Gayle Milam, Events Coordinator for the Madison (AL) Parks and Recreation Department. " I love seeing the smiles on the faces of the kids when they know they tried their best, even if they did not win that day. " The PHR competition features separate divisions for boys and girls to compete and advance separately through all four levels of competition. Recreation agencies are encouraged to partner with local baseball/softball associations or schools to improve participation and attract more volunteers. " We began partnering with our schools and local baseball association 10-year-old Libby Darden competes at an Aquafina MLB PHR Local Competition offered by the Smithfield, Virginia, Recreation Association. Circle 21 on product information form on page 75 54 Parks & Recreation No v e m b e r 2 0 1 0 www.NRPA .ORG and have seen our numbers increase dramatically, " said Milam. " We also hosted around 125 kids at the Sectional level and one of our girls advanced and won the next level at the Atlanta Braves stadium! " PH R Local Competitions are offered in all 50 states and beyond each year. Local winners advance to Sectional Competitions in their area and have the opportunity to be among 720 youngsters nationwide that advance to one of the 30 Team Championship events in Major League ballparks. The top 24 competitors nationwide each earn an all-expense paid trip to the MLB All-Star Game to compete in the PHR National Finals Competition. For more information please visit www.nrpa.org/baseball.