Every child deserves to have a place to play, grow, and engage in sports with their friends in their local neighborhood. Unfortunately, due to uncontrollable outside league movement that may not be the case starting next year at Derry.

I, along with many families in Derry, are caught in a struggle to keep our home field and program alive and vibrant for our children now and in the future. An unfortunate change in boundary lines years ago has drastically limited opportunities for Derry youth to continue playing baseball at our home field in 2025 and beyond. What was once a field full of camaraderie, laughter, cheers and the crack of baseball bats hitting balls has been reduced to being only occasionally active.

Several parents are in the process of applying for Derry to be affiliated with Little League again. However, this process has stopped as it requires Latrobe LL to relinquish our original boundary lines. Such realignment would allow for a revitalization in Derry youth baseball, enabling our children to continue playing on their home field with their friends and classmates, creating a vibrant community hub that is as educational as it is entertaining.

There is a critical need for this reinstatement. The children of Derry are eager to play, willing to learn, and deserve the opportunity to engage in a sport that teaches them far more than just the rules of the game. Baseball instills their self-confidence, teamwork, perseverance and enjoyment—all within the boundaries of a familiar environment.

We have requested Latrobe LL and other relevant stakeholders to recognize the importance of sustaining a youth baseball program in Derry. Additionally, to restore our original boundary lines and keep youth baseball alive for the children of Derry Area School District without having to travel to a neighboring town to play baseball. 

We already have great facilities at Derry, a committed group of parents/community members and over 800 kids within the LL age ranges for the program(s) to again be Little League affiliated as well as successful.

We kindly ask for your support in signing this petition. Let's keep the spirit of baseball alive in our beautiful district. Let's play ball in Derry!