Bryce Harper

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Hot Springs Bathers

As for declining interest I see a change in the positive direction. I have served on the board of our Boys & Girls Club for 20 years, we are the local baseball program.

Our numbers dipped a decade ago and now they are soaring again. We started a Fall baseball league about 5 years ago and we have to force them to end it at the end of October so the fields can rest.

We hear over and over again from parents that they want to keep them in baseball to stay away from football. I have heard for all of those 20 years that soccer is coming on and it will replace baseball. Baseball numbers here in the south are a multiple of soccer. I attended a high school soccer game last year and their were 30 people in the stands and all of the moms were on their phones or reading a magazine.

Youth baseball including the travel teams, or as I like to call them "buy your kid a position teams" are growing each year.

Baseball is alive and well.

Mike:

I remember when I met you back in 2004, the baseball program was really suffering because of the "elite travel" teams. I'm glad to hear that baseball is coming back in Arkansas.

Soccer is also a great sport for kids, but doing headers is proving to be another cause of CTE. As baseball is proven, for the most part, to be the safest of the major sports, then you will continue to see a resurgence.

And letting the kids be more modern will help as well

Rich