Little League thanks a new patron

March 28, 2012

Thanks to the generosity of Marc Brinkmeyer, owner of Riley Creek Lumber, Boundary County Little League now has an indoor facility to practice in ... meaning they won't be held hostage to weather anymore as they ready to face their "banana belt" competitors from down south. "Mr. Brinkmeyer has donated the use of the old mill building down at the fairgrounds, and Little League has converted it into our 'new' indoor facility, which has helped us get an early start on the season," said Boundary County Little League Softball Vice President Sabrina Winey. "The Bonners Ferry High School baseball team is also using it for their pre-season practices." Local Little League coaches have for years taken their teams, unpracticed, to their season openers against teams in bigger burgs who'd had weeks to prepare, thanks to indoor facilities. Despite having to learn and mesh as a team "on the job," with little or no practice under their belts, kids from our community have always proven competitive ... thanks now to a practice field that won't close due to snow, our boys and girls of summer will now have equal opportunity to hone individual and team skills so as to take the field with more confidence, better prepared and ready to show the sportsmanship, competition and spirit our rivals used to expect at season's end! Girl's Little League sign ups and clinics will be held at the Riley Creek facility from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 31, and again from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 7. April 7 will be the final opportunity for athletes to register ... and all mailed applications have to be recieved by that day, and they must be complete. Registrations must include a copy of the athlete's birth certificate so as to prove age as well as documentation to prove residency ... a utility bill from the parents will suffice. Scholarships are available, so there's no excuse to deny a kid the community will be proud of the chance to play. Players wishing to play but who can't make it to a clinic by April 7 need to reach out to Boundary County Little League before that date; you can visit their website, http://www.boundarycountylittleleague.com or call Sabrina at (208) 610-1745. "I'm hoping Marc will be able to throw out the first pitch of the first game, " Sabrina said. "It would be a good way to tell him 'thanks.'"