Spring recreation programs offering baseball, softball, soccer, and egg hunts are opening in all four towns of the Outer Cape, and the annual search for volunteers is on.
“Spring is typically the toughest season to find volunteer coaches, and that’s been true in all the years I have been director,” said Provincetown Recreation Director Brandon Motta. “Most of our volunteer coaching candidates cannot commit to a season that runs from the end of April through the first two weeks of June. Most businesses start to reopen then.”
Truro Recreation Director Damion Clements also said he has found it harder to recruit volunteers for spring programs.
Provincetown has a great core of volunteers that help keep the programs going through the fall and winter, said Motta. “When we can’t find volunteers, we dedicate recreation staff to the sports in order to run the program,” he said. Motta said he doesn’t expect to have to cancel any spring sports programs because of this issue.
The Independent has compiled the following list of programs offered to residents of each town.
Eastham
Tee Ball for Tots (ages 4-5) will practice on Mondays at 3:30 p.m. with Coach John Fay. Grade 2 Farm League Baseball will be held following Tots practice at 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, also with Coach Fay.
Children in the kindergarten to first grade division will practice Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. with Coaches Jackie O’Rourke and Brendan Mruk. The fee for all programs is $30 per child.
The practice schedule and coaches have not yet been announced for the grades 2-3 minor league and grades 4-6 major league baseball. Games for these programs will be held on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The recreation dept. is also planning to run track and field and softball programs this spring.
All programs will start after April school vacation and will be held at the Field of Dreams behind Eastham Town Hall. Call the recreation dept. at 508-240-5974 or stop by the office at town hall to register. Payment and registration form must be submitted within 48 hours after calling to reserve a spot.
Anyone interested in being a volunteer coach should call 508-240-5974.
The annual Eastham Easter egg hunt will be held on Saturday, April 16 (the day before Easter) at 9 a.m. at the Orleans-Eastham Elks Lodge at 10 McKoy Road.
The recreation dept. is partnering with the chamber of commerce for an Earth Day beach cleanup on Friday, April 22 from 8 a.m. to noon. Register online on the recreation dept. at eastham-ma.gov.
Wellfleet
A softball program for children in grades 2 to 6 will begin in April at Baker Field. Practice times are being determined. The minor league division (grades 2 and 3) will play games on Mondays, while the major league division (grades 4 through 6) will play on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Games will begin the week of May 9 and run through June 13. Games will start between 5 and 5:30 p.m.
An Easter egg hunt will be held at Uncle Tim’s Bridge on Saturday, April 16 with a staggered start. Toddlers and prekindergartners will start at 11 a.m. Children in kindergarten through second grade will start at 11:15 a.m. Children in third grade and older will begin at 11:30.
Kindergartners, first-graders, and second-graders may sign up for the tee-ball program that will run Saturday mornings beginning at the end of April. Register through town hall.
Truro
The Truro Recreation Dept. is sponsoring PACER’s Virtual Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying. This is a month-long event, from April 1 to April 30, with the goal of collectively reaching 24,901 miles, the circumference of the earth, according to the department.
Registration is free on the recreation web page. After registering and joining the team, participants will receive access to log miles and to the Facebook page and will be eligible to win prizes.
Youth tee ball will be offered for children in kindergarten through grade 2. Practices will begin in April with dates to be determined.
Children in Grades 2 through 6 are eligible for the town’s youth softball program. Grades 2 and 3 will practice on Monday evenings and grades 4 to 6 on Tuesday evenings. Two games will be held per week; teams will have to travel to other towns for some games. Home games and practices will be at Snow’s Field or at Truro Central School.
Specific practice times and game schedules will be announced online. These programs are restricted to children who are Truro residents or attend Truro Central School. Register on the recreation dept. web page for both programs. Each has a fee of $20.
Truro is also seeking volunteer coaches. Contact Recreation Director Damion Clements at [email protected] or call 508-487-1632.
Provincetown
The fourth annual Provincetown Spring Celebration will be held on Saturday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. Online registration is required on the recreation dept.’s web page. Provincetown’s free family egg hunt will be held at the foot of the Pilgrim Monument.
Spring softball and tee ball are open for registration. Softball is available for children in grades 2 through 6.
The recreation dept. hopes to field teams made up entirely of Provincetown Schools students but will consider a regional team with Truro and Wellfleet if there aren’t enough participants.
Depending on the turnout, teams will play one or two weekday games and have a practice day every week. If there are not enough teams to make a league, the town will run a program internally.
Provincetown Schools students in kindergarten through grade 2 are eligible to sign up for tee ball. The commitment will be one or two practices, depending on the coach’s and players’ availability. There may be one or two games at the end of the season, depending on the skill level of those who sign up.
Practices for both programs will begin after April school vacation. There is no registration fee.
TinyTikes spring soccer will also be available for children ages three to six. TinyTykes was created by child-care specialists to introduce basic soccer skills. Both the Cubs division (two to three years) and the Lions division (four to six years) use fundamental soccer activities, games, and stories to develop children’s skills.
