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Sunday, June 10, 2012

Sunday Morning in Williamsburg: Picture Day for Kids Against Drugs Baseball League at Sternberg Park

We were back in Williamsburg at 11 a.m. this morning, in Sternberg Park, where the Kids Against Drugs (KAD) Baseball League was having Picture Day at the softball field. Most Valuable Player awards were given to players on two teams -- as it happened, one boy and one girl. Founded in 1982, Kids Against Drugs Baseball League (KAD) has touched the lives of thousands of neighborhood kids by providing them with safe, organized athletic and life skill training. By giving children in disadvantaged areas the opportunity to play baseball, KAD works to ensure that every boy and girl who participates will have a positive, productive future and develops a lifelong relationship with the game. The program is divided into four divisions: pampers (5-7), peewee (8-10), little league (11-12), junior pony (13-15), pony (15-18). In developing KAD, its founders had to overcome obstacles - such as crime and a lack of funding for uniforms and equipment - that prevented kids in the community from learning and excelling at the game of baseball. More importantly, they also wanted to use participation in baseball as a means to overcome the academic and social disadvantages faced by most of the kids. The result was a program that not only taught solid, fundamental baseball, but promoted academic achievement and social responsibility as a requirement for participation. There was a lot of cheering from parents and others in the bleachers, as well as snacks and drinks. KAD's 28th season began on Saturday, April 24, with a parade and runs until the end of August.

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