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Children are important threads in the social fabric of South Routt.

One had to look no farther for them than Decker Park's field or Oak Creek's baseball diamonds where dozens of children and an even greater number of parents and relatives gathered on weekday nights in support of Soroco youth sports.

Soccer, T-ball and coach pitch baseball wrapped up last week after a summer of opportunity for children who might otherwise not have taken part in a team sport.

"Feedback has been great for having T-ball in South Routt" coordinator Stacy Hayes said. "It was really casual and relaxed. We had tons of parent participation and support."

Hayes started T-ball after the program had been absent for five years. She already drove to Steamboat twice a week to play softball and felt it would be in her son's best interest, as well as in the best interest of other 4-, 5- and 6-year-old children, to have the option of playing in Oak Creek.

During the first three weeks of the five-week program, the children practiced in stations, learning to throw, catch and hit. The final two weeks, the nearly 30 children that took part divided in half to play games.

"This year I smacked the ball so hard it went so far that people couldn't even catch it," Warren Hayes, 5, said. "It was, like, on the grass."

Of course, the Monday evening highlight was a snack and juice because it was sometimes difficult for the pre-elementary and elementary-aged children to focus for an hour.

"It was great to see kids make improvements," Stacy Hayes said. "Parents brought cameras and video cameras. This wasn't baby-sitting. This was as family event."

The T-ball equipment was purchased through team registration and donations. The price per child to play T-ball and coach pitch this summer was $15 and scholarships were available for those families needing assistance, Hayes said.

Over and over again, Hayes reiterated how much self-confidence the young children seemingly gained by participating in team sports. Shy kids opened up. And dominant children learned to work within the group.

The same can be said of coach pitch and soccer.

Mike Jeep headed up coach pitch, which as the name suggests, calls for coaches to live-pitch overhand to the children. A variety of different ages participated in coach pitch because there weren't any restrictions on the children's ages due to the fact they weren't playing in a formal league.

"Sometimes we threw strikes. Sometimes we didn't," Jeep said. "Sometimes, they swing at strikes. Sometimes we didn't. We didn't try to present a lot but how to fundamentals."

Fundamentals were a focus of youth soccer as well, coach John McCollum said.

The first several weeks were spent on basic skills before the 40-some kids aged 10 and under split up for games at Decker Park.

Soccer has been one of the more popular summer youth activities in South Routt for its organization more than perhaps anything else. But there was quite a bit of overlap between the children that played baseball or T-ball and soccer on Thursday nights.

"I think it's good to keep the kids with their peers, especially during the summertime," McCollum said. "You teach them sportsmanship. You can't always win. (McCollum's son) Cody's been doing for a while, and he's enjoying it."

Hayes said Steamboat's league is a wonderful option for South Routt children as well, but she is hopeful that parents and children interested in playing in the South Routt programs will continue to enjoy the benefits of youth sports in the rural area.

-- To reach Melinda Mawdsley call 871-4208 or e-mail mmawdsley@steamboatpilot.com