Ukraine Little League Baseball

Ukraine Little League Baseball Championship schedule is set for 2011.

(Written by By Basil P. Tarasko, District Administrator of the Ukraine Little League program since 1995)

This year marks the 20th year that I have traveled to Ukraine to help further the development of baseball and softball program for boys and girls ages 5 - 18 in communities and schools that want a new sport for their youth. I remember receiving a fax from the USSR ‘s Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports at my Junior High School in 1990 inviting me to work in Moscow for six weeks coaching a professional baseball team there. Little did I know at that time that I would wind up in Ukraine 58 times....such are the twists and turns in life, make what you can of them.

Once again, US Peace Corps Volunteers will be serving as umpires and scorers. Daniel Patrick Dodds, Matt Orr, Whitney Farmer and Samatha Kyrkostas have agreed to assist me at the games. The Ukrainian children have always been impressed with the professionalism of our US Volunteers, they are simply great role models.

Anyone interested in helping sponsor this Championship and two others can contact me at 718 - 415 7821..or by e mail  bt4ukraine@aol.com. Thanks, it all helps the children. The children will know that someone cares about them thousands of miles away.

Joining us in Cherkasy is Killian Knowles who is from St. Louis, Mo and was born in Cherkasy. He was adopted 17 years ago from a Baby House in Cherkasy and is returning for the first time with his parents to see his birth country. Killian will be coaching the all- star LL baseball team of Cherkasy at the Championship. Killian is a very well known HS baseball player in St. Louis and will be attending college on a baseball scholarship this Fall. What a great story.

The following week I will host the second Junior League Championship in Kirovograd These games will qualify a team to represent Ukraine at the European Junior Regionals once again in Kutno, Poland.

As you may recall last year the Kirovograd / Rivne All - Star Junior team captured the European Regionals and traveled to Taylor, Michigan USA to represent Europe at the Junior World Series. A great accomplishment with so little to work with in Ukraine. This only shows what hard work and determination can accomplish. Lets hope this years team can match that feat.

Culminating the 2011 Ukraine Little League season will be the 4th Little League Championships for children (ages 11 - 12) from internats (orphanages) in Ukraine. Sept 21 is the arrival date into Kremenets, Ternopil Oblast. All the boys and girls are housed on the grounds of an orphanage, enjoy all their meals there and are part of a daily cultural program along with the regularly scheduled baseball games leading up to the Championship game on Sunday Sept 25, 2011.

Joining me to organize these wonderful days for the children is Roman Leskiw, Assistant District Administrator - Connecticut and a Retired - Marine, and Chad Liddle Assistant District Administrator - Texas and  a High School baseball coach. These gentlemen care about the kids and make those days a special one in the life of those almost forgotten children. Thank you Roman and Chad.

If any of you are in Ukraine, please join me to help, to cheer, and to talk to the children.

Once again, please call me at 718 - 415 7821, for sponsorship opportunities, offers of financial assistance, and any other kind of help. I can also be reached by e mail at bt4ukraine@aol.com. Thank you so much for your past support.

June 1, 2011

2nd Ukraine Junior League Baseball Championships scheduled

Ukraine Business Online proudly supports Ukraine Little League Baseball as it prepares to conduct the 2nd Ukraine Junior League Baseball Championships, June 22-24, 2011 at the Kirovograd Major League Stadium.

In serving the needs of the young people of the country, Ukraine Business Online invites your attention to the announcement of one of the major events sponsored by Ukraine Little League Baseball, a group involving hundreds of volunteers and players countrywide. We commend all of the participants, and particularly Basil Tarasko, a New York resident Ukrainian-American who over the last 20 years has made numerous trips to Ukraine to bring his sports expertise and many thousands of dollars in donated baseball and softball equipment that he solicits from donors in the United States.

In particular, we invite your attention to the 2nd Ukraine Junior League Baseball Championships for players born between May 1, 1996 and April 30, 1999. Participants must be 12, 13 or 14 years of age as of April 30, 2011. Teams must provide picture identification for each player and two sets of proofs of age for each player. Please Contact Oleh Boyko if you have questions on this issue.

The winning team will represent Ukraine at the European Regionals in Kutno, Poland

Event info:

Place: Kirovograd Major League Stadium

Host: Kirovograd LL and Mr. Oleh Boyko, Co - Director  (050 - 698 - 7805)

Dates: Wed June 22 – 24 [end date is flexible depending on how many teams register]

Please contact Oleh Boyko for housing information as soon as possible

Responsibilities:

Ukraine LL (Vasyl Tarasko, Co - Director) will provide all meal costs beginning with dinner on Wed June 22 till the end of the Championship. This is the same practice as the Ukraine LL Championships.

Tarasko will now provide the same for both Championships.

Medals will be given to the winners. In addition, for the first time a championship flag will be presented as well. The flag will be given in honor of H. Glen Willard, a well-known attorney, certified public accountant, and businessman, who was one of the principals in the Willard Group, an advertising and public relations agency in Kyiv. Willard, who died of cancer in December 2010, had been a generous supporter of Ukraine Little League during his years in Ukraine.

Ukraine Little League asks that each team find local sponsors in their home area to help pay transportation costs to and from Kirovograd and housing costs while in Kirovograd.