More than 600 kids set to play in spring season
BUDA — What began as a baseball field design drawn on a napkin has since transformed into one of Hays County’s most important youth athletic programs.
Photo by Brittany Anderson
Former Texas State University softball player Chandler Hall threw out the first pitch of the season. Pictured is Aaron Garcia of the HYBSA Pony Yankees team getting ready to catch.[/caption]
Hays Youth Baseball and Softball Association (HYBSA) celebrated its 2023 spring season and 40th anniversary on March 3 with an opening ceremonies celebration. As is tradition, a parade of players from each baseball and softball team — plus the association’s Champions team for players with intellectual disabilities — walked from first base to home plate, tipped their hats and headed to third base. At the end of the night, the crowd shouted “play ball” together.
HYBSA’s founding members, or people representing them in their place, also attended the ceremony. Bill Gandy, Mike Dees and Robert Roach formed the association 40 years ago with the same mission that HYBSA holds today: to offer kids a safe place to learn and play baseball and softball. And it seems to be working, as more than 600 kids across Hays County are set to play this season.
Gandy said that back in 1972, there were no opportunities for young kids in Hays County to play baseball. He started volunteering as a coach at the Manchaca Optimist Youth Sports Complex, picking up local kids to play at the field located just north of Buda. After three years, however, the league quickly grew and new facilities were needed.
After nearly a dozen teams spent several years playing where Buda Elementary School now sits, a new location was needed again due to the school’s upcoming construction. The Barton Family, then-owners of the Onion Creek Free Press, which is now known today as the Hays Free Press, owned the land where HYBSA’s field currently sits and gave the trio 11 acres in exchange for the purchase of 11 acres for $44,000.
“We formed it as a Christian organization with all kids being able to play no matter if they could pay or not,” Gandy said. “The IRS came back and said, ‘We approved your request. You’re the only organization in the United States that we’ve approved that is not backed by the Knights of Columbus or Lions Club.’ Normally when people submit something, they’re just setting up a country club — a party place. They could see by our constitution, what we wrote, that’s not what we were doing. That’s not what was intended … We literally did draw out the diagram for this facility on a napkin. I still have that piece of paper and a copy of that at home.”
Photo by Brittany Anderson
Bill Gandy, one of HYBSA’s founding members, and his wife Sue. Gandy and other key HYBSA members were recognized during the opening ceremonies this past weekend and received a commemorative plaque.[/caption]
Mike Dees’ son Jim serves as the association’s field and facilities operator and has plenty of memories of growing up at the field. He, at the time, would begrudgingly have to stay there with his parents until late at night. Now, this is something he fondly does with his own children.
“Forty years ago we came out and shredded this field with a shredder. Ten minutes later, we were playing baseball. We raised money by selling 50-cent candy bars,” Dees said. “It’s heartwarming to see the heart that went into this [and] what also goes into today is absolutely the same heart. So kids, when your parents tell you, ‘If you lose focus, go find your roots,’ here’s our roots.”
For HYBSA President Jeff Murchison, the importance of the league isn’t something that can be explained through words; it’s the strong community ties and friendships formed that has kept the association alive for four decades.
“I can’t tell you, but I can show you,” Murchison said. “Come out here any Saturday or week night during the season and this is what you see: these kids. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we do what we do … It’s teaching these kids something that they maybe don't know about themselves or they only see on TV and they get to be part of a team. They learn life lessons. If you come out and watch and see these kids interact with each other and see all different walks of life, it means a lot.”
HYBSA accepts players ages 3 to 14. Fall season registration begins July 1 and runs through July and August. By mid-September, teams will be formed and practices will begin. Murchison says that the fall season is usually the best time to start a child as it’s not a competitive season and gives them the opportunity to learn the game.
For more information, including when and where to catch HYBSA’s spring season games, visit www.haysball.com or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/haysball.
