Ah, the boys, and girls, of summer.

Welcome to the Sertoma T-ball league, where players and parents and coaches are all on the diamond at the same time. Things can get pretty scrambled appearing out there too. But then, it’s all part of 3-year-olds having fun and learning to interact with others while learning what America’s pastime is all about.

“Our first year in 2016 we planned on 100 kids and 220 showed up to register,” said Ali Auch, executive director of Full STEAM Ahead. “This year we have 677 kids registered on 58 different teams.”

Demand for the evening league has been so high that games are now played four nights a week on diamonds at 11th and 11th Park, Polaris Park and Radio City Park. The league is for players as young as 3 years old up to kindergarten. It operates independently from Minot Parks and Recreation T-ball leagues, which are for youth in kindergarten and above.

Ali Auch, executive director of Full STEAM Ahead, enjoys an evening T-ball game. Nearly 700 youth participate in the program.

“We fill a gap for sure,” said Auch. “The leagues are hugely successful. Kids want to get out and play at three. Some people maybe don’t connect the dots that this is a fundraiser for other youth events. It has turned out to be a beautiful thing.”

Dollars raised are used to fund Full STEAM Ahead, an umbrella organization that introduces youth to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. STEAM opportunities are for kids ages pre-K through 17.

“They come and play T-ball at age 3 and in a few years, age 6, they are getting into theater, pottery class, coding, or robotics, which is the biggest thing funded by this,” explained Auch.

STEAM started with a nonprofit theater, preschool to eighth grade, and has added various programs to the mix, mostly in a multi-use, 2,000-foot facility near Dakota Square Mall. The latest addition to STEAM is “Girls who code,” a nationally recognized organization to acquaint children with what it takes to get a desired response from a computer.

“My daughter, 9 years old, just finished doing a coding class through them. I was amazed they could offer a free coding program,” said Yvette Simmons, Minot. “They had computer tablets and work books for the kids. It’s just unbelievable what they provide.”

As many as 15 robotics teams have been enrolled with STEAM, meeting at a variety of places with several schools being represented. Plays are staged at the STEAM facility but, according to Auch, other venues such as Roosevelt Park and the MSU Summer Theatre have been used as well.

Simmons’ involvement with STEAM extends to the T-ball diamond, where she helps coach the “Avocados,” a nickname inspired by the green shirts worn by team members.

“This is just one of the many wonderful things that Minot has to offer. We just love catering to the 3- to 4-year-olds. This league provides a unique opportunity for these little ones – what it’s like to play a team sport in a really low stress way.”

Parents and grandparents enjoy the games too, sitting in lawn chairs or standing along the fences and watching the youngsters on the diamond.

“The evening games are so parents can attend,” said Auch. “We get grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles. Everybody comes out and watches.”

The cost of playing in the Sertoma T-ball league is $30 per player. The first year those fees went mostly to equipment and rental fees. Now local businesses sponsor teams, covering the cost of team shirts, equipment and field rental. A big boost to the program has come from Minot’s Sertoma Club, which has donated $10,000 to Full STEAM Ahead to date.

More information on what Full STEAM Ahead has to offer can be found on its website at steamnd.org.