Dixie Youth Baseball
Dixie Youth Baseball was originated in the year 1955 in South Carolina. Sixty-one all-white teams held their own tournaments after breaking away from Little League organization of Pennsylvania. The sole intention of establishing an organization that would provide pre-teens with a programme of baseball playing was thus activated and Little Boys Baseball, Inc. saw the light of the day. The name was later changed to Dixie Youth Baseball, Inc. in 1962.
At the outset, there were twelve leagues and five hundred and thirty-seven teams involved in creating this organization. However, with the passage of time, it has become the second largest youth baseball programme for pre-teens under the age of 12 years. Though at the outset it was a segregated tournament, they have abandoned their discriminations now and entertain participants irrespective of their color, race or ethnicity. Among the outstanding players who had participated in the programme, names of Reggie Sanders, Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson stand out sharply.
Today, Dixie Youth Baseball boasts of hundreds of leagues in eleven Southern states. The reason for this phenomenal increase in numbers is due to the fact that Dixie Youth Baseball has the youngsters’ welfare at heart. It believes that a properly supervised baseball programme is instrumental in preparing a child for future challenges in life.
A National Board of Directors, elected by the affiliated leagues, governs the Dixie Youth Baseball. In sharp contrast to organisations of similar activity, the officials from the local level to the top at the Dixie Youth Baseball do not receive any emoluments for their services. All of them are volunteers who are quite conversant with the needs of the pre-teens.
There is a set of Dixie Youth Baseball basic rules. Team restriction is a maximum of fifteen players with no more than eight 12 year-old participants. Four, five or six teams make up leagues. A maximum of 25 and a minimum of 15 games per season are permitted to be played by the affiliated leagues. Those who complete their 13th birthday on or after August 1 are eligible to take part.
One of the striking features of the Dixie Youth Baseball is the sponsoring of educational scholarships for former players. Prospective applicants, preferably seniors in high school, should be former players with a high degree of recommendation and are expected to provide evidence to prove the need for such assistance. This programme is facilitated by the availability of excess funds from membership fees and other revenue.
November 14, 2009 10:46 am 
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