Spring has sprung and the Wellness Committee is hard at work playing softball with your kids. This is by far my favorite event as it so simply combines teamwork, fun and exercise in a safe and supervised manner. During each rotation of our pick-up game, the children get the opportunity to play every position and even have a turn at bat while cheering on their fellow players. The only thing that would make it more perfect would be having John Fogerty (or at least a really good cover band) singing “Centerfield” behind the backstop! During a time when our children are obsessed with cell phones, I-Pods and video gaming, this might be the only opportunity for some of these kids to actually step up to the plate and face the challenge of hitting a well pitched ball. Even Ms. Goulding has stopped by twice to face off against our wonderful pitchers, coaches Jena and Jason!

As I drove along Oxnard Street recently, I saw something that really warmed my heart. In a vacant, triangular shaped piece of property between two apartment buildings, a man was pitching balls to a number of young children who were patiently waiting in line for their turn. No bells, no whistles, just a simple bat and a few balls and I guarantee that these kids were having more fun than they would have on the Wii or Play Station. While the current recession might make it challenging to equip our kids with all of the latest video gaming updates, nothing prevents most of us from throwing on a pair of sneakers and playing whiffle ball with our kids in the back yard or hitting fly balls to them in a local park. When I last checked, a whiffle ball and bat cost about five bucks compared to the thirty or forty dollars that might be spent on the video game, “Backyard Baseball.” Even Oprah concurs that what our kids really want is to spend time with their parents, not all of the latest toys or gadgets.

In one of the latest All State commercials, spokesman Dennis Haysbert reminds us that one positive aspect about a recession is that it leads people back to life’s simple pleasures. Out of economic necessity, we are often forced to stop keeping up with the Joneses and required to start appreciating the things we already have. So if the cost of Little League is keeping your kids out of the game this season, why not take them down to any one of our wonderful Burbank Parks and organize a game with family and friends? If the cost of a Dodgers game is too much for your monthly budget right now, why not take in an exciting Varsity baseball game at Burroughs for free? The Indians play a number of home games this year and would be delighted to have extra fans to cheer them on. Check out burroughsbaseball.org for their 2009 home schedule starting immediately.

Right now, the Wellness Committee is actively recruiting new parents to get involved with our lunch hour softball program every Thursday at 12 noon. Please contact me ASAP at 818-331-8945. It’s time to step up to the plate!

Paul Bond  (The Wellness Committee)