Saturday was a perfect day for baseball and softball, with cool breezes and a bright sun as players and spectators gathered at DC Canegata Ballpark in Christiansted.
Elmo Plaskett East and West joined with Little League Baseball and Softball to celebrate National Women’s History Month in March and February’s National Girls and Women in Sports, along with Mother’s Day.
While Elmo Plaskett East and West Little League celebrated 50 years of existence, numerous other special games were played.
On Friday, at Rendholt “Rookie” Jackson Ballpark, it was Mothers versus Children, among other games.
Saturday, at DC Canegata Ballpark, a pre-Mothers’ Day celebration featured the Diamond Dolls, Lady Lions and Berries, all girls teams. In addition there was a Mothers versus Mothers game featuring The Foxy Madres and The Foxy Mamas, both teams made up of volunteer mothers of Little League players. That was followed by a Veterans Game in tribute to two form softball teams from the 60s, the Twinklets and Lancers.
Bella Karalius, who played for the Diamond Dolls, and Ta’Liyah Popo, who played for the Panthers, are both aged six and in their first season of ball. The girls are classmates at Pearl B. Larsen Elementary and are enjoying the friendly rivalry. According to Liz Llanos Popo, Ta’Liyah wanted to play and she feels that “it provides character development” and is a “nice rounding” with other activities. Bella’s mother, Stephanie Karalius, said that “participating would teach team work, help hand-eye coordination” but “mostly it’s just fun.”
Among those playing in the Mothers versus Mothers game, Erica Parsons, in her first year for the game, said that “this experience helps me understand what my daughter is doing during games.”
