Zuni Youth Enrichment Project opens registration for fourth annual T-ball league

Families in Zuni Pueblo can line up spots for children ages 4 and 5 in the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project’s fourth annual T-ball league, a summer program limited to 40 players at Ho’n A:wan Park. Registration opens June 15, and coach sign-up opens June 8 as the project looks for eight community coaches to help run the season.

The league is scheduled to run from July 8 through July 31, with weekly practices and Friday games forming the backbone of the program. Each child will get a team shirt, equipment, a hat and a water bottle, giving the youngest players a basic introduction to organized sports in a setting built for their age.

For many of the children, this will be their first real team experience. ZYEP is framing the league as more than recreation: it is a first step in learning sportsmanship, following directions, waiting turns and getting comfortable in a structured group activity before school sports or other organized programs begin.

Family participation is part of what gives the league its pull in Zuni. Executive director Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho said parents, grandparents, siblings and other relatives regularly show up to support the players, turning the games into a small community gathering as much as a youth sports event. The project also plans themed game days, including Tropical Day, to keep the season lively for young children.

The league is supported by SAMHSA and the New Mexico Department of Health’s Healthy Kids Healthy Communities program, underscoring the health and development goals behind the effort. For Zuni families, that means a low-pressure summer option that mixes physical activity, early learning and visible adult support in one of the pueblo’s central public spaces.