TPD Offers Free Baseball League for Kids

The Tuscaloosa Police Athletic League is starting a spring baseball league for children ages four through 14. Regardless of a family’s financial situation, PAL will pay the way for any little-leaguer looking to get out on the field and show their stuff.

With different branches across the country, the Tuscaloosa Police Athletic League has been captained by Deputy Chief “Sebo” Sanders for around thirty years. In addition to the baseball league, Sanders has initiated basketball, track and field and flag football teams in an effort to help bridge the social gap between children and police officers.

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“Sports is something that can keep kids from going in the wrong direction,” Sanders said. “Instead of having to deal with the police at an early age on the negative side of things, they deal with the police at an early age on the positive side.”

Practices and games will be held at Central Elementary School and West Lawn Middle School. Sebo explained that playing baseball at an early age teaches discipline and prepares kids to play on their school teams in the future.

“A lot of parents can’t afford to send their kids to play youth-baseball, and one of our goals is to teach these kids the skillset they need to go onto play in their junior-high and high schools, completely for free,” Sanders said.

At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year next fall, be on the lookout for a Midnight Basketball league, where students will have the opportunity to face off at the strike of 12:00 a.m..

PAL is looking for businesses and individuals to sponsor teams in the league. All skill-levels are welcome and encouraged to join. Reach out to Deputy Sanders thorough the Tuscaloosa Police Department phone number or by stopping by the precinct any time.

“It’s not just a police program, it’s a community program,” Sanders added.

Call (205) 349-2121 to reach the police station, or find PAL’s spring baseball league Facebook page here.