Tag: Community Building

An interview (by Mrs. Tuohy, Seth Boyden Garden Teacher) with Mr Hein, 4th grade teacher at Seth Boyden School, about the South Orange Maplewood Rec Baseball Program. 

Hello Mr. Hein. Thank you for speaking with me about the South Orange Maplewood Recreation Baseball Program. I’d love to hear more about it and share what I learn with the Seth Boyden Community.

Thanks Mrs. Tuohy. I’d love to share some information with you!

What is South Orange Maplewood Recreation Baseball?

SOM Baseball is a local baseball league where anyone from South Orange or Maplewood between the ages of 5 and 15 can be on a team. Kids that are 5 and 6 play T-Ball, kids that are 7 and 8 play practice games, and kids that are 9 and up play competitive games.

I know you played as a child, are you still part of the program?

I am! I’ve actually been involved with the program for most of my life, beginning with when I played T-Ball at age 5!! Now, I am the Umpire Coordinator. That means I am in charge of coordinating training and scheduling the SOM Baseball umpires. Anyone ages 13 and up can sign up for the umpire program. I also volunteer as a coach.

How did you get involved with umpiring?

I actually started umpiring through the SOM Baseball umpire program when I was 13 years old! Now I umpire higher level games.

How long have you played baseball and what did you like most about playing as a kid?

I haven’t played baseball since high school (although I do play some pick-up softball) because I decided to focus on umpiring, but I loved playing as a kid. My favorite part was being a part of a team, and the competition. I love competition!! My favorite positions when I was a kid were first base and catcher.

Can anybody participate?

Yes! While the majority of participants are boys, anyone is more than welcome to participate at all age levels.

Do you recommend kids try it? Why?

Absolutely! Not only will you have so much fun playing, but you’ll also make new friends on your team. Also, many players, especially at the younger ages, have never picked up a baseball bat in their lives! The coaches will teach you how to play!!

What baseball teams do you root for now?

I’m a long suffering Mets fan. Things are looking up for us though!!

To register for the 2021 SOM Baseball season click HERE. Registration ends on January 31st, 2021. 

Scholarships are available by contacting the South Orange Recreation at departmentrecreation@southorange.org.     

For more information about the program please visit the SOM Baseball Website, reach out to the South Orange Recreation department, or reach out to one of the SOM Baseball Committee members (click HERE for contact information).

If anyone has older kids that are interested in signing up for the umpire program with Mr. Hein, you can sign up on the same page as the player registration. Email Mr. Hein at somumpires@gmail.com for more information.