ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – An Escanaba organization is teaching young children the sport of baseball, the value of working together, and other important life lessons.
Teams of 7- and 8-year-old athletes are just one month into the 2026 Escanaba Little League season.
“We’ve had a couple practices a week, and then we’ve done three weeks of pitching machine and coach pitch,” said Head Coach Jay Grabowski. “Now, this week is the first week that the kids are going to pitch themselves.”
For some, this is their first year with their team. However, they have already spent a lot of time on the field.
“We usually line up at second base, and sometimes at the beginning of practice, we pitch and play catch,” said 7-year-old Paxton Leisner.
Returning players are strengthening the skills they learned last season.
“Batting is fun, and getting a point for your team is fun,” 8-year-old Lennon Wils said.
While achieving victory is a great feeling, these athletes know it is not the most important goal.
“To have fun and not thinking about winning,” Lennon said.
Paxton added, “I’m excited just to have fun!”
The sport can go a long way toward instilling confidence in the young players.
“I’m a really good third baseman,” said Paxton. “In one game, I threw it from third to first base.”
“You see a kid get his first hit, and you just see their eyes light up,” Coach Grabowski said. “It also teaches them teamwork. It teaches them rules and other ways to follow along.”
It is also a team effort for the coaches, as Escanaba Little League is an entirely volunteer-run organization.
“The kids are really young,” said Grabowski. “They’re just learning the game, so it’s nice to have more volunteers to kind of get one-on-one time with some of the kids. We’re always looking for more volunteers and always looking for sponsors to keep the fields good, keep the program going, and keep these kids involved.”
Anyone interested in supporting the program is encouraged to reach out to learn more. Community members are welcome to stop by the games and cheer on the teams.
“Get involved in Little League,” Grabowski said. “It’s a great atmosphere.”
For more information on the program, click here or follow the Escanaba Little League Facebook page.
