White House South Lawn Tee Ball July 11, 2004 -- 4:00 p.m.
Challenger Phillies of M.O.T. Little League Middletown, Delaware
vs.
Challenger Yankees of Lancaster County Little Leagues Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Program Participants
Tee Ball Commissioner: Cal Ripken, Jr. Play-by-Play Announcer: Matt Winer, ESPN Honorary First Base Coach:
Dave Dravecky, former Major League Baseball pitcher for the San
Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres Honorary Third Base Coach: Jim
Abbott, former Major League Baseball pitcher for the California Angels,
New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers National Anthem Singer: Laura Dodd of Nashville, Tennessee Color Guard:
Brownie Girl Scout Troop #2970 and Junior Girl Scout Troop #2427 from
Greenbelt, Maryland Game Ball Presenter: Nine-year old Matt Bradley
from Carnegie, Pennsylvania, will hand President Bush the game ball.
Matt, diagnosed with ADHD and autism (Asperger's Syndrome), enjoys
participating in the Scott Township Athletic Association Little League
program, the Scott Township Library chess club, and the school chorus.
Matt wrote a letter to the President announcing his own aspiration to
be President of the United States. Volunteer Recognition: Darrell
Green, Chairman of the President's Council on Service and Civic
Participation, joins the President in recognizing Laura Kissam of
Oakton, Virginia, for answering the call to service and for her
dedication to helping others. Laura is being recognized for her
outstanding volunteer activities, including her work with children and
adults with disabilities through the Loudoun Therapeutic Riding
Foundation in Leesburg, Virginia.
Facts about the President's White House Tee Ball Initiative
President Bush launched his White House Tee Ball Initiative to
promote interest in baseball and a spirit of teamwork and service for
America's youth. This is the fourth year of the President's White
House Tee Ball Initiative, and this is the second game of the 2004
season. Teams are selected by Little League Baseball in Williamsport,
Pennsylvania, and can be nominated online at www.littleleague.org.
What is tee ball? Tee ball is the entry sport to baseball for young
players, generally four to eight years old. Tee ball develops the
primary baseball skills of hitting, running, fielding, and throwing and
gives children solid teamwork experience. Tee ball is played in every
state and territory and in dozens of countries around the world.
Participation is estimated at 2.2 million players -- 65% boys and 35%
girls. Members of two teams take turns hitting a ball off a batting
tee set on home plate. Batters try to get on base and advance to home;
fielders try to prevent that from happening. The absence of pitching
allows children to participate without the fear of being hit by a
pitched ball. The players gain an understanding of the fundamental
rules, which allows minimally competitive league play at all age
levels.
What is the Challenger League? Little League's Challenger
division features teams of mentally and physically disabled children.
This division serves the needs of disabled children by providing the
learning experience of tee ball and the camaraderie of team sports.
The players range in age from 5 to 18 years old. In the Challenger
Division, players are accompanied by "buddies" who offer assistance to
the Challenger players when needed. This fellowship between children
with disabilities and the non-disabled helps develop social skills for
both groups.