Welcome to Memorial Ashford Little League!
MALL has been a part of the near West Houston community since it was first chartered with Little League International in 1972. Since its founding it has served nearly 20,000 players and their families and we are close to serving our third generation of players. When the League was started the MALL fields were ‘in the country’ at the far edge of Houston. Now Houston has grown and the ‘country’ is a twenty minute drive in on a multi-lane road system that didn’t exist then. And a few years ago they built a school, Ray K. Daily in front of MALL.
Even with all this change there are some important things that haven’t, and won’t. MALL as part of Little League International continues to provide a program that promotes personal growth within the framework of youth baseball. Our bylaws state,
“the purpose of Memorial Ashford Little League is to implant firmly in children of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage, and respect for authority so that they will be good, decent, healthy, and trustworthy citizens. The attainment of exceptional athletic skills or winning games is secondary. The molding of children into future citizens is of prime importance.”
These lofty goals are not simply words. Little League has been serving youth for 70 years, growing from a few thousand participants in1939 to over 2.5 million worldwide in 2009. Past Little Leaguers have of course included many Major League baseball players like Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Cal Ripken Jr., and recent World Series Player, Jason Varitek. But not just baseball players benefit from the program, Little League graduates have included former U.S. President, George Bush, current Vice –President Joe Biden, community leaders like Rudy Giuliani, and Astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave, entertainers like Kevin Costner and Bruce Springsteen, and athletes from other sports such as golfer Hale Irwin, and legendary basketball player Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who received his little league’s Sportsmanship Award.
I have seen my oldest son grow from a 4 year old tee-baller to high school baseball player with a Little League District Championship plaque on his bedroom wall. And my second son is playing MALL BALL now. Within this big City that Houston has become, MALL is still a few baseball fields, away from the noise and congestion, where lasting friendships are made, and families grow. More important than the wins or loses is the time spent on the bleachers of MALL rooting for the Teams, talking with my neighbors, working with other coaches, volunteers and parents, and watching the boys grow up in an atmosphere of Fun, Family and Youth Baseball.
So, come and be a part of it. Register for the 2010 Season, volunteer to help out, bring the family to root for your son, and his Team, and get ready for a Great Time. I hope to see you at the fields.
LET’S PLAY MALL BALL!
Bill Merrill
President