Dear friend,

I hope this season finds you and your family safe and well.  It has been a year like no other in history. However, as 2020 comes to a close and I reflect back on it all, there were many sweet and inspirational moments.  Members of our community came together to support one another in mutual aid, to march to end racism, and even to play some baseball and softball.  I remember a board meeting in early March, as we planned for the 2020 season, one board member posed that we should have a plan if the pandemic worsened.  It seemed impossible at that time that we’d have to cancel our regular season -- registration, skills assessments, opening day parade – but there we were two weeks later on an emergency phone call making the decision to put everything on hold. 

However, as the situation improved briefly over the summer, our intrepid volunteer board members, coordinators and coaches came together because they knew our players and families needed a distraction.  We all needed a reason to be outside, together, even at a distance, and what better reason than baseball and softball. It could not be the same as it always was, but we came up with a plan to hold practices, and eventually even some games and scrimmages.  We created strict COVID-19 guidelines and hundreds of families participated, following the rules to keep each other safe.  As always, the Jamaica Plain Regan Youth League “season” was a bright spot in the year.  Thanks to all of you that made it possible. 

While we are all unsure what the 2021 season will look like, I do know that our league remains one of the most affordable and accessible leagues for youth recreation in Boston and we need your help to keep our fees as low as possible so that all young people in our community have a chance to play. 

Six years ago the League established the Dan Langdale Memorial Financial Aid and Scholarship Fund in honor of Dan Langdale, a lifelong baseball fan and friend of the League who passed away in 2014.  Since that time, the Langdale Fund has enabled JPRYL to provide hundreds of boys and girls the chance to learn the fun and discipline of playing a challenging sport and to experience a spirit of community among participants from diverse backgrounds.  Once again, thanks to the generosity of the Langdale family, your gift this year-end will be matched up to $2,000.

Please make a contribution by the end of the year in order to support financial aid for youth in our 2021 programs and to ensure that we can continue to offer quality baseball and softball for the next 50 years. Please make your tax deductible contribution on-line by clicking below. Or if you prefer you can mail a check to the Jamaica Plain Regan Youth League, PO Box 302418, Jamaica Plain MA 02130.

On behalf of all of our players and volunteers, thank you for your past and continued support.  We wish you a very happy, healthy new year and look forward to seeing your family on the ball fields for the 2021 season!

With gratitude,

Jodi Sugerman-Brozan, President