As Chief Executive Officer, I want to tell you about the Babe Ruth League Alumni Association.  The purpose of the Alumni Association is to advance the general welfare and support the needs and mission of Babe Ruth League, Inc. through engaging alumni, friends, and partners.  Our goal is to help young people meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood and to encourage their drive for personal excellence and achievement.

I had no idea what to expect when I began volunteering for Babe Ruth League, Inc. in 1962, serving as a coach while I was still in high school.  After I returned from serving our country in the US Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, I took on the role of League President for the local Babe Ruth program.  I later went on to serve as a District and Assistant State Commissioner.  In 1984, I was elected Arkansas State Commissioner, a position I held until being elected Southwest Regional Commissioner and an automatic member of the International Babe Ruth League Board of Directors.  In 2007, I was elected Chairman of the International Board, a position I still hold today.

I admit it (and as my wife Edna will attest), my life revolves around the Babe Ruth League program.   Give me an opening, and I will brag about the program morning, noon, and night.  If you need someone to accompany you to a Babe Ruth function, I will quickly pack my bag and be there.

Why?  Because when you join the Babe Ruth team, love and pride for the program instantly take over.  Before you know it, decades have passed, and you are still as excited about the milestones and achievements reached as you were the day you first started.  From the warmth and generosity extended to you by the many volunteers you meet along the Babe Ruth trail to the looks on the faces of the thousands of kids whose lives you have helped change for the better, well, that’s why.  Words cannot express the happiness and satisfaction you experience from being a member of the Babe Ruth League family. 

Do you remember your first home run, double play, or stolen base and your parents cheering loudly in the stands?  Remember having fun with your friends—some friendships that still exist today?  Youth baseball and softball are excellent avenues to teach the game of life. 

I've had the honor of seeing thousands of children leave the Babe Ruth program and go on to enjoy fulfilling lives. Many have continued to be involved with the program, either by volunteering, enrolling their children, or in other ways. And for many, many years to come, the Babe Ruth Alumni Association wants to ensure that all children have access to this opportunity!

Helping to shape a child’s life can be priceless.  It is with great joy and privilege that I encourage all of you to stay in or join the game with the Babe Ruth League Alumni Association.  Please take the time to visit www.baberuthleague.org and click on the “Alumni Association” for further information and to join the many others who have already enrolled in the Alumni Association.