Murray Hill's Six-Years-Old and Under Tee Ball Program at St. Vartan Park

The Murray Hill area of New York City features a great playground called St. Vartan Park, which hosts some great youth sports action. In particular, during the summer and fall, St. Vartan, (or St. Vartan's as the locals call it) is the scene for some breakneck six-year-old and under tee ball action. As the proud father of a two and a half year old, I can attest to how intense, and how incredibly organized, the games at St. Vartan Park are.

The tee ball games are organized by New York City as part of its "Little Parkie Sports" program, and it is an incredibly good time for neighborhood families.

New York City parents are always on the lookout for fun outdoor activities for the kids. As playable outdoor space is at a premium in Manhattan, the existing leagues and playgrounds are in high demand.

But through the summer and fall in Murray Hill, the Little Parkie Program, which runs each Saturday in the summer and fall from 11:00am to 12:00pm, provides a great and inclusive opportunity for the youngest of the young to learn the game of baseball through the tee ball format, and it works shockingly well.

On a recent Saturday morning, my son and I walked over the St. Vartan Park. The kids were divided up evenly and while 2-year-olds can hardly understand the exact rules of tee ball or baseball, the volunteers working for the Little Parkie Program see to it that the game is played within some semblance of structure.

There were a total of six staff members. One stood at home plate to help the hitter and make sure he or she swung the bat in the general vicinity of the tee. There was also a staff member at each of the three bases. They sometimes resembled air-traffic controllers more than base coaches (and it was the first time I had ever seen a second base coach), but they accomplished their mission.

With the parents cheering on the kids, who ranged in age from two to six, each of the children took their turn at bat. There were actually two 'teams', the Yankees and the Mets, and while defense was at a premium, the game was a closely contested affair, as it seemed virtually every child somehow made it to first base at least, and most of those eventually ended up scoring.

What struck me most about "Little Parkie Sports" was that the parents and the kids were just having a good time, and yet the staff managed to make it somewhat structured, as they kept score and made sure the bases were run in something of a logical order. Yes, my son was on second base at one point and somehow made the decision to turn around and spring to center field, but he was quickly called back to the base before anybody had a chance to tag him out.

Little Parkie Sports is an excellent program; if you live in Murray Hill and are looking to introduce your kids to a great program that teaches them the basics of baseball, check out Little Parkie Sports at St. Vartan Park.

Little Parkie Sports Website: http://council.nyc.gov/d5/downloads/fallchildrenseriescalendar2010.pdf