Cricket and football may be Bermuda's national sports but baseball is the top sport as far as some youngsters are concerned.

More than 800 kids compete in this game annually from April to June, either in the east end's Youth Athletic Organisation (YAO) league (at Kilgore and Kindley Fields on the former US Base lands) or in the west end programme which is run by the Bermuda Youth Sports Programme (BYSP). Each has about 400 ball players ranging in age from five to 15.

Children are divided into leagues according to the ages. Those in the T-ball League are five to seven years old; the Rookie League is for seven- to nine-year-olds; the Little League has 10 to 12-year-olds and the Senior League is for those aged 13 to 15. Each league caters to the abilities of the respective age group. For example, players begin pitching in the Little League while pitching machines are used at Rookie level.

The BYSP, which also organises youth football and basketball in the west end, was started 11 years ago by parents. This initiative replaced the programmes previously provided by the US Naval forces at the Naval Annex (now Morgan's Point). Similarly, the YAO took over at the main base in the east end.

While numbers in the soccer and basketball programmes are on the increase (with those involved in soccer now at about 400 and those in basketball now at around 300), baseball has always been the most popular and includes both boys and girls.

BYSP Baseball Commissioner Allan Bechter highlighted the commitment of parents to ensuring the fields at various locations are prepared for baseball. However, he bemoaned the fact that fully laid-out baseball facilities are off-limits to them.

"Every year a group of parents spend several days constructing (and later, removing) backstops and dugouts for baseball at Southampton Glebe Primary, Southampton Preschool and White Hill Field.

"The irony is that several baseball fields sit dormant on Morgan's Point just a short distance away but permission to use these facilities has always been denied for various reasons.

"Despite the ongoing problem of facilities, we make the best of what we have and look forward to continuing this sport for the hundreds of participating children who just want to play ball," he said.

To catch a glimpse of the fast-growing support for baseball, just drop by the relevant fields in the west and east ends on Saturday morning until the end of June or see the Senior League in action at Bernard Park.