Not Just the Sport, but a Community

International City Baseball is an organization offering organized baseball leagues for youth ages four through 18 throughout Lorain County. ICB provides both instructional and competitive co-ed divisions based on age, and volunteer coaches lead teams with players of all skill and ability levels. The promotion of safety and development of sportsmanship, teamwork, honesty, courage, respect for authority, and physical fitness are the organization's priorities.

In these leagues, it's not about winning and losing; it's about teaching youth life skills, having a positive attitude, and being a good sport. The development of exceptional athletic skills and winning games is secondary to providing all players with positive examples and an overall positive experience surrounding baseball.

ICB has been instructing children of the Lorain community since its founding in 1953, formerly under the name of Lorain Youth Baseball. But in 2019, it was reestablished under new leadership and the new International City Baseball name to continue helping to build experiences and lay a foundation of the sport for the children of our community.

Under the former name, the teams utilized four baseball parks throughout Lorain. But wanting to offer the best model for baseball here in the city, they decided to adopt one central location.

Campana Park, located at 2840 Meister Road, has become ICB's home location, and it houses eight baseball diamonds and three T-ball fields. The park offers enough space to accommodate both home and visiting teams, and organizers added features over the past year to promote safety surrounding COVID-19.

Even though ICB instituted all Lorain County Health Department protocols, some parents still did not want their children to play at the start of the pandemic. During 2020, ICB experienced a reduction in the number of athletes, and the players dropped to 166 players from 360 players in 2019.

There were 30 teams in 2019 and just 14 teams in 2020.

In response to the diminished turnout last season, the organization sought to add hand sanitizer dispensers in every dugout at Campana Park. They also aimed to upgrade to hands-free restrooms, including contactless light switches, faucets, and soap and paper towel dispensers. Thanks to funding received from the CARES Act, these improvements have made for an overall safer baseball park and have encouraged greater participation with the return of 28 teams this year.

The 2021 season will commence with the season home opener on Saturday, May 29, and Mayor Jack Bradley will throw the first pitch at 11:00 a.m.

Church on the North Coast will support the opening day activities, and Lorain County Urban League will also be in attendance to show their support. Participants will include the Lorain Police Department, Lorain Fire Department, and Life Care Ambulance units to participate in the day's festivities and help familiarize players and family members of safety forces in uniform. Domino's Pizza will also be at the park with a pizza tent offering $5 pizza and giveaways, and of course, team mascon Donnie will be in attendance, as well.

International City Baseball would like to welcome community support and attendance on the day of the event and at games throughout the short, sixweek regular season. They also would like to tip their hats to businesses sponsoring the leagues and believing in helping our youth:

If you would like to get involved or find out more information about ICB, please visit their website at www.intcitybaseball.com or find them on Facebook: @InternationalCityYouthBaseball.

with Lorain Public Library System's Michele Ketterick, RD, LD

Proper nutrition and hydration are essential for sports performance. As parents, we want our children to participate in sports first and foremost to have fun, be a team player, and learn the sport. But of course, we want our children to play their best and win! The right fuel for your body can absolutely help! What to eat and drink is different pre-game, mid-game, and post-game.

Pre-game, you want to charge up to be ready to play. A healthy, balanced meal about three hours before a game is ideal with a carbohydrate, protein, and veggies—something like a 6-inch sub sandwich and a piece of fruit. Avoid fried or spicy foods since they can cause stomach upset or make people feel sluggish. A light snack one hour before the game is helpful too—perhaps a granola bar and small yogurt. Drink plenty of fluids as well. Drinking 16 oz. two hours before the game and then 8 oz. 15 minutes before the game is ideal.

Mid-game, you want to recharge and rehydrate. Your child should be drinking water throughout the game to stay hydrated especially in hot weather or when they are sweating a lot. If time allows, a light carbohydrate snack can help refuel—orange wedges, melon, or fruit is ideal.

Post-game, you need to refresh, rehydrate, and refuel. This is the time that parents tend to rotate bringing snacks for the team or if not, you should have a good snack ready for your child after the game. Avoid empty-calorie, high-sugar snacks and drinks such as cookies, chips, candy, pop, punch, etc. Choose a healthy carbohydrate and protein snack and of course water.

String Cheese & Pretzels or Granola Bars Yogurt Tubes & Fruit (you can freeze the yogurt, and it will be ready post-game) Trailmix Popcorn and Chocolate Milk Apple Slices & Peanut Butter (or Sun Butter if there are peanut allergies) Hummus & Pita Wedges Small Sub Sandwiches

Find out any food allergies of team members so you can plan snacks to include everyone Avoid sports drinks (only needed for extreme sports) or if your child is not a good water drinker, try a low sugar sports drink It’s OK on occasion to celebrate with a treat like cupcakes, etc. Everything in moderation! It’s important to celebrate birthdays and team wins BUT consistently feed your kids the right fuel your body needs.