It was a successful 2021 season for the Germantown Warriors, a new baseball team in the Chestnut Hill Youth Sports Club (CHYSC) league.
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It was a successful 2021 season for the Germantown Warriors, a new baseball team in the Chestnut Hill Youth Sports Club (CHYSC) league. They secured the championship for their Majors (ages 10-12), and then went on to play and win in a tournament in New Jersey, where they went undefeated.
Haneef Hill, President and CEO of Urban Youth Kings & Queens Inc. (UYKQ), the team’s parent group, said it was a great showing for a new team – especially one that had been partially derailed by Covid shutdowns. And for Hill, whose own life has been shaped by his experiences in baseball all the way through college, it was a chance to share his passion with the next generation.
“My vision for the program was never to have an enormous program with hundreds of kids, he said. “My focus is providing quality instruction and quality opportunities for children.”
Hill, who hopes to grow the program and play in bigger tournaments outside of the city, said developing young players and good coaching will be crucial.
“I’ve been looking for coaches the past two or three years who come with a background, who understand the game, who might’ve played at a collegiate or professional level,” Hill said.
This was the Warriors’ first season in the CHYSC, and it was the team’s Majors (ages 10-12) that won. The Rookies are not tracked for scoring, Hill said, since at that age it’s just about learning the fundamentals.
According to Hill, his players were happy just for the chance to get out and play. And he sees the potential for more growth next year.
“Our kids had a rough 2020 season. Just getting back out after being shut down for half a year, they had a lot of growing and developing to do,” said Hill. “Once we had the opportunity to get back out and start working, the kids practiced really hard and were really excited about the opportunity to play.”
“The kids grew tremendously from one year to the next,” he continued. “We’re looking forward to helping those kids keep growing, and to prepare for the next level of competition.”
Learn more about the Germantown Warriors and the Urban Youth Kings & Queens organization, at urbanyouthkq.com, Facebook at Urban Youth Kings & Queens Inc., or on Instagram at urbanyouthkq.
