Kari Gibb/MDN Accelerators catcher, Ava Herrington, makes a snag when playing the Intensity on Tuesday, July 9, at KC Field in the 2024 Minot Recreation League, Half Pint Softball.

The most common theme among the local high school athletes in and around Minot, North Dakota, is the work ethic of those on the teams. With over a dozen schools, regardless of teams, regardless of level of play – the work ethic of the student-athletes has been a constant attribute with games played.

One of the most basic levels of starting that dedication to the process of self improvement for student-athletes is the travel and recreation teams that are run by local volunteers and parents.

The Minot Recreational programs are one of those starting points for developing a dedication to the process of player development and athlete improvement.

“[It’s] all about having fun and learning and getting better at what they are doing,” said Kim Miner, who coaches two softball teams and whose five kids all play sports. “That [player improvement] is certainly a trend I do with all the teams I have ever coached. I have had repeat players over the years and I love watching them grow.”

In the 2024 Youth Baseball / Softball / T-Ball has Slugger T-Ball, Stars T-Ball, Half Pint Softball (2-4 Grade Girls), Home Run Pee Wee (2-4 Grade Boys), Grand Slam Pee Wee (2-4 Grade Boys), American / Jr. High (5-8 Grade Girls) and Midget / Pony (5-8 Grade Boys) divisions.

Games for these divisions started in June and will run through the first week of August. That outdoor activity is vital in the development of a healthy lifestyle.

“My two older girls love the sport [softball] so much they want to help,” said Miner. “They want to continue to get more girls to play. They help me coach. I’ll sign them up for anything to keep them active and give them a break from electronics.”

Each of the divisions have three, six, seven and eight teams. The division with the most teams is the Midget / Pony division with eight teams, roughly 80 athletes and they play eight games a week between Mondays and Wednesdays. The last week of play is the end of July and first of August.

For updates to the games, standings or contact with the coaches- look for updated data at the following site;

https://teamsideline.com/sites/minot/schedules