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Leaders from the Wayne-Westland Youth Athletic Association, Wayne and Westland celebrate opening day with the kids.
WYAA bringing baseball back to Wayne kids

By Sarah Shurge all the kids get out there and play,”
Baseball is back in Wayne! said Itter. “The city council guys were
During the city council meeting saying ‘play ball’ and that’s what I
on Tuesday, April 2nd, the City Coun- picture in my head, going out there
cil approved an agreement between and yelling ‘play ball’.”
the City of Wayne and the Westland Wayne-Westland Baseball is recre-
Youth Athletic Association for youth ational baseball only, which verses
baseball in the City of Wayne. Plymouth Canton Little League.
“It's really a great marriage of the Travel baseball (with WYAA) is local
two because the Westland Youth Ath- travel and weekend tournaments.
letic Association is very experienced Games are normally scheduled
and established on managing the until the end of June, play-offs hap-
program end of it and they have the pen after, and the season finishes be-
insurance end of it, but they just did- fore July 4th.
n't have a location in Wayne,” said The fall season begins late August
Diane Webb, Wayne city manager. and runs through October.
“They had Wayne kids playing in Football and cheer (with WYAA)
Westland. So this way, we have are already doing conditioning with
Wayne kids playing in Wayne. I think camps. Practice will start the first
it's a win-win all the way around.” week of August, and the season usu-
Webb wasn’t the only one at the The Dodgers are sponsored by Mark Chevrolet of Wayne. ally ends at the end of October/begin-
council meeting that mentioned this ning of November.
agreement being a win. ganization dedicated to serving the had been collaborating with the City “It keeps them active and makes
“I think this is a big win for our youth of Westland and the surround- of Wayne on how to get kids back on them a better community member,”
community,” said Wayne Mayor John ing areas since 1958. the fields in Wayne. said Itter. “They’re learning how to
Rhaesa. “These are little things but The WYAA offers baseball (recre- Ray Lefler, Wayne Baseball Asso- be good teammates, good friends,
they mean a lot, and I appreciate the ational and travel), football, and ciation vice president, was also heav- and teaching them to clean up after
administration, I appreciate the cheer. ily involved in this process. themselves. You can't learn that in
DPW [Department of Public Works] “The goal is to get kids out play- After almost two years of work video games or from watching TV.”
having the willingness to work with ing sports and get them away from and collaboration from many indi- Itter has been WYAA president for
our baseball association and help TV and video games,” said Sara Itter, viduals and groups, kids are playing two years.
them out to make sure this can hap- Westland Youth Athletic Association baseball in Wayne again. Itter’s son started playing Comets
pen because it’s important to our res- president. “Not only does it teach Opening day for Wayne-Westland football when he was 12 years old,
idents that we have a future for our them about sports, but about team- Baseball was Saturday, April 27th, at after they moved to Westland. Itter
kids.” work, giving back to the community, Forest Park. helped with the booster for a few
The Westland Youth Athletic Asso- being kind, and working together.” “It's good to get baseball back on
ciation (WYAA) is an all-volunteer or- Lisa Osborne, baseball director, the fields in Wayne. I'm excited to see See Baseball, page 13
The Wayne Dispatch · May 2024 · 3