Credit: Makenzie Macchi

The Wayland residents who volunteer to coach baseball try to make the environment fun and uplifting for players. “[I try] to build the kids up,” Co-Commissioner and coach for a Minors team Alex Ahmed said. “If someone strikes out, you encourage them, [and] say that [they] get another chance, [or they] could try again next time.”

Wayland Little League is composed of 24 baseball teams and 10 softball teams that allow players from ages six to 15 years old to step up to the plate. The little league season starts in early April and lasts through the end of the academic school year. There is also summer baseball through July.

Each team has kids of a specific age range and its own set of coaches who provide the players with an instructional environment, while also promoting sportsmanship and fun. Wayland Little League coaches volunteer to be a part of the program, so they’re not paid. Alex Ahmed is the co-commissioner and coach for a team in the Minors division. He manages the teams by canceling games when need be, ensuring that coaches have the equipment they need and advertising Wayland Little League so they can get more players to join.

“I try to set up practices so that there are things that the kids enjoy doing,” Ahmed said. “At games [I try] to make sure that every kid gets to play, and play the positions that they like to play.”

Parent and community member volunteers are the main contributors to Wayland Little League. Several Wayland parents volunteer to be coaches, and the function of little league is reliant on the Wayland community for funding.

“This year, volunteers [are] the biggest thing to any community program around the country to help it succeed,” Wayland Little League President Greg Deranian said.

At some of the little league games, volunteers fundraise for team equipment. During some of the games, volunteers sell food and beverages to fundraise. Along with this, baseball supporters can buy merchandise like T-shirts.

“My future vision is to have a huge fundraiser to raise money entirely for the little league’s baseball and softball programs, so that’s coming in the future,” Deranian said.

Along with the fundraisers, the program holds an annual parade to honor people who have made a difference to the Wayland Little League program. The event is also an opportunity for the baseball and softball community to come together. Both the little league and WHS’s baseball and softball teams attended the event which included a bouncy house and an obstacle course.

“The parade, I think, is one of the best days of the year in the community,” Deranian said. “It is an opportunity for me to thank all the board members and everybody that helps as well within the programs because we can’t be successful without volunteers.”

Every year, Wayland Little League honors an individual with the Maxine Gordon Memorial Award. Created in 1977, this award recognizes a little league volunteer who has gone above and beyond. This year, the Wayland Little League board awarded it to Parade/Picnic Coordinator Karen McFarlane.

“[McFarlane] did a tremendous job,” Deranian said. “She did a lot of things for the board for many, many years, but since I was on, she did a lot of great things for the parade.”