With the spring sun shining down through a clear, cloudless sky, the White Pass Youth Association Panthers baseball team took the field for a home game for the first time in over 20 years on Monday, May 4, in Randle.
And to re-christen the old field, the Panthers played against the Morton Youth Baseball Association Huskies team — which Panthers players had actually been a part of until this season when their home field was usable again, according to White Pass Youth Association Baseball President Daniel Marine.
“I was talking to the last White Pass youth baseball president. He was figuring it’s been 20 to 25 years since the last time baseball has been played on these fields,” Marine said.
Ken Lindh, the last baseball president, served as the umpire for Monday’s game.
Over the past quarter century, the fields fell into neglect and became overgrown with grass.
“We got this field completely done, and we still have another one to do,” Marine added.
Sponsors who helped get the field ready for this season again include local businesses such as the Mead Family Market, Cruiser’s Pizza, Huff N’ Puff Drive In, Mountain Goat Coffee, Willies Sport Shop, the Cispus Learning Center, West Coast Roofing and Siding, Arbor Health, Hampton Lumber, Washington Cedar & Supply Co. and California Shingle & Shake Co.
While the Panthers previously partnered with Morton, breaking up the team saves students from the Randle area from having to travel about 20 minutes west on U.S. Highway 12 to participate in Morton sports.
“We had a split last year back in July. It was the Morton-White Pass Youth Association, we split apart and, so, we started the White Pass Youth Association,” White Pass Youth Association Vice President Chase Buffington said. “Our big goal is just to let kids come out and be part of a team, learn leadership skills and communication, and just really have this comradery in our community so parents and kids can have the opportunity. It’s a big thing when kids can play with their peers and have those peer-to-peer relationships advance their education as well as make a good culture in the school. That’s what it’s all about.”
He added from Morton all the way out to Packwood some 20 miles to the east, community support for youth sports has been amazing.
According to both Marine and Buffington, an anonymous donor recently gave them $25,000 for all new wrestling mats at White Pass, on top of $8,000 donated in total by other community members. That meant, this past year, they were able to restart the wrestling program as well.
“It hadn’t been around since the two schools combined, and it was an amazing season with that,” Marine said.
“It’s exciting to see this Panther run starting again,” said Buffington. “... And it’s gorgeous. We’re out here in the middle of the mountain corridor off of the White Pass Scenic Byway.”
The association is also working toward getting equipment and training gear for the White Pass football team to reform this year, with kids already signing up. Work is also being done to clear another field with the possibility of also bringing back softball.
In fact, the White Pass Youth Association recently had Centralia-based The Yard PNW host a softball and baseball training clinic at the Glenoma Community Park.
“That was for all the kids in East Lewis County, not just White Pass. That’s kind of our mission, to foster sports not just for White Pass, but for all the kids of East Lewis County,” said Marine.
“They may not have something, but if they don’t, they can always come here and join in activities.”
For more information on the White Pass Youth Association, including how to get a youth involved or to donate, message the association on its Facebook at https://tinyurl.com/36cp84mz.
To learn more about the Morton Youth Baseball Association, visit its website at https://www.mortonyouthbaseball.org/.
