All the families were active at Kennedy Little League, and were looking for more training and competition than league play could offer. One of the players worked for the local Class A St Louis Cardinals minor league team as a batboy at the time, so a very informal sponsorship agreement from the Madison Hatters helped launch this single team. Several parents coached the team the first year, until a
non-parent coach was found. This group of players and parents, including the coach and his family, stayed together for several more years and many remain in contact even today. These players enjoyed success at the Little League level and on into high school as well, culminating in a trip to the state high school tournament in their senior year. Several of these former players are now back into the Kennedy program with their own children and want to provide a similar experience for others. I look forward to watching the success of this next generation of Hatters baseball and softball.
--Jerry Benisch
