PARA, YMCA Seeking Donations As Baseball Returns To West End

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority (PARA) on Friday officially announced a collaboration with the YMCA Benjamin Barnes Branch to form the Tuscaloosa Baseball League as part of an effort to bring baseball back to the city's West End.

PARA says a baseball clinic will be held March 20 from 9 a.m. until noon at the McDonald Hughes Community Center, which is located at 3101 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Registration for the league is free and suggested for youth ages 5-12. This can be completed by visiting the McDonald Hughes Center or YMCA Barnes Branch before the clinic.

In an effort to make the league accessible for all children, donations or approved equipment will be accepted throughout the month of March in the lobby of the downtown Branch of the YMCA, which is located at 2300 13th Street.

Jay Logan, Director of Community Outreach, PARA4life and Youth Athletics said the collaborative effort will aim to make baseball an inclusive outlet for all children of west Tuscaloosa.

"The Tuscaloosa Baseball League is a product of what happens when we have true community partnerships," he said. "We are already looking to host more youth sports camps with other community stakeholders soon.”

PARA says the clinic will be directed by former University of Alabama baseball coach Jim Wells, along with past UA standouts Andy Phillips, Antonio Bostic, and Lance Cormier.

The league will play under Alabama Dixie Youth guidelines and is expected to follow an eight-game season with tournament and interlocking games with other community leagues as the schedule will allow.

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