Swansboro Baseball and Softball League

09/23/2026

In Loving Memory of Colonel Bill Garrett

With heavy hearts, our SBSL family says goodbye to a dear friend, Colonel Bill Garrett.

Bill and his wife, Barb, were never just sponsors. They were family. They believed in our league before it had given anyone a reason to believe, and their kindness and faith in us helped shape who we are today. We will always be grateful.

Over the years, Bill and Barb walked through some very hard seasons, including illnesses that would have kept most people home. Yet time and again, there they were, out in the community, at our park, and at their businesses, always present, always supportive, always giving. They hosted family events at the farm, dreamed up new ways to serve their neighbors, and lovingly raised their grandchildren, cheering those grandkids on from the stands with a smile. Their strength and dedication to family were an example to all of us.

Bill was gentle, supportive, and kind. He had a quiet way of making us feel valued. He'd stop by the concession stand for a soda, and with just a few words, he could make you feel like everything we've built over these five years truly mattered and was appreciated. His presence made our league and our community a better place. We will miss him dearly.

Barb, please know you are surrounded by love. You are not alone, and your SBSL family is here for you always. You are a force in your own right, and your unwavering fight has inspired so many of us. Please don't stop dreaming, building, and serving. This community is better because of you.

Our hearts are with you and the entire Garrett family.

Rest peacefully, Colonel. Thank you for believing in us. 💙

09/20/2026

⚾🥎 SPRING 2027 REGISTRATION IS OPEN! 🥎⚾

Swansboro Baseball and Softball League is growing fast — and Spring registration opens September 20, 2027 at 6:00 PM! Yep, we know — its early. Our growth actually requires this level of planning! Once the current season's games kick off, we open up registration for next season. It gives us the lead time we need for facility upgrades and everything else that comes with welcoming more kids every season.

We're one of the fastest-growing youth sports leagues in Eastern NC, expecting 850-900 kids this Spring. We even have families driving in from an hour away, three times a week, because of what we offer.

Why families choose SBSL:

💰 Affordable — Our standard early bird pricing is 1/3 the cost of other leagues in the area, and our founders continuously donate to provide massive discounts during the first few days of registration. Our pricing reflects our founders' belief in affordable access to quality youth sports for our community. On top of that — if you're struggling, we don't turn kids away. We offer 100% financial assistance for families who need it. We also use reusable jerseys for all age groups except T-ball — players wear the same jersey from age 7 until they exit the program (you'll only need to reorder if you need a bigger size), keeping costs down year after year.

⚖️ Fair play, every season — Requests capped at 6 kids per team. All-star teams assessed by objective, unbiased third parties.

📞 Real customer service — Most inquiries answered within 30 minutes.

❤️ Community first — College scholarships for our student athletes, major giving towards local initiatives, over 130 kids a year play free through our financial assistance program, and a track record of showing up for families in crisis — from covering hotel stays after house fires to helping with utilities and groceries during hard times. We're also actively involved in advocacy for our community — education, infrastructure, budgets, healthcare, and more.

🏟️ Facilities that keep improving — Over $1,000,000 invested in park renovations, including huge covered batting cages, professional clay, expanded bathrooms, recreation room, and a playground — with another $25,000 in renovations planned for Winter 2026 and Spring 2027.

⚾ More reps, more fun — Nearly double the practice time and double the games of most area leagues.

📅 Planning ahead — We've optimized our schedules to keep up with our record growth, but even with these changes, certain age groups will be capped, and we will likely not offer late registration. Registering early ensures your spot!

🎉 Celebrating our growth — our founders are stepping up again this season with a special donation to keep registration affordable for as many families as possible:

Players 1-100: $50 off
Players 101-400: $40 off
Players 401+: Standard early bird discount of $30 off, until we reach 675 kids or December 1, 2027 (whichever comes first) — full pricing takes effect after that

*** Discounts are automatically applied once each threshold is reached.

⏰ Heads up: Based on past registration openings with similar discounts, we anticipate 275-300 players will register in under 30 minutes. If you want to lock in the biggest founder discount, we recommend being ready to go right at 6:00PM!

Ages: Boys 4–16 | Girls 4–14

Pricing (before discounts):

T-ball: $70
Baseball/Softball (all ages): $80
Babe Ruth Junior (Boys 13–16): $120

Register @ https://swansborobaseballsoftball.sportngin.com/register/form/187104250

Questions or need financial assistance? Email [email protected]

Come be part of the fastest-growing league in ENC — where every kid gets a fair shot! ⚾🥎

09/15/2026

Swing for a Cause 🌸⚾

📅 Saturday, October 17, 2026
📍 SBSL Complex — 283 Swansboro Loop Road, Swansboro, NC

Join us for a doubleheader for a great cause!

🏆 HOME RUN DERBY — 9:00 AM
Divisions by age & gender: 5–8 | 8–12 | 13–17 | 18+
$15 youth / $20 adult • Trophy awarded in every division

⚾ COED SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT — to follow
$400/team • Players must be 18+ • Team trophy to the champs

💗 All profits raised benefit Pretty in Pink (Raleigh-based breast cancer support) and provide Christmas toys for kids at our local elementary schools. And SBSL founders are matching all profits raised — so your impact doubles!

Register:
🥎 Coed teams: email [email protected]
🏏 Derby (adult): https://square.link/u/PKlJEmQw
🏏 Derby (youth): https://square.link/u/UwdqlikK

09/11/2026

For years, SBSL has helped one kid at a time — covering a fee here, sending snacks there — making sure no child sat out just because money was tight at home. That approach comes from the right place, but it doesn't fix the real problem.

Research on stress and the developing brain shows that financial pressure and social comparison activate the same threat response as other forms of chronic stress, flooding the body with cortisol in ways that measurably reduce a child's ability to focus, retain information, and regulate emotions. Separate research on "scarcity mindset" has found that worrying about money takes up mental bandwidth that would otherwise go toward learning — meaning the stress of an expensive fundraiser can follow a child right back into the classroom. And studies on school belonging consistently link a lower sense of belonging to increased anxiety, more behavioral incidents, and higher absenteeism — exactly what shows up when kids are sorted by what they can afford to spend.

We want to be clear: this isn't a knock on our local PTOs, who give so much of their time to our schools. It's about putting good research in front of the people making these decisions. Here in Carteret and Onslow Counties, 31.9% and 37.3% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and in some individual schools, that number is over 70%. These kids already notice the differences between them and their classmates: different clothes, a different car at pickup, a different stop on the bus route. They don't need a fundraiser adding to that list.

So SBSL's founders are putting real money behind this: $5,000 in incentives for local elementary PTOs that choose inclusive fundraising over exclusive ones. If your PTO wants to talk about it, reach out to Dr. Vanande at [email protected].

08/04/2026

⚾🥎 SBSL FALL CAMP ⚾🥎

Join us for a fun-filled day of baseball & softball skills training led by Coach Taylor — former Swansboro HS/Travel Coach, now coaching at Barton University!

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026 ⏰ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM 👦👧 Ages 4–12 | Baseball & Softball 🎟️ Limited to 30 players — register early! 🍔 Lunch included: hot dog, chips & Gatorade 🎪 Bounce house on-site (weather permitting!) 💵 $65

A great way to fine-tune skills, learn, and grow with top-level coaching — no matter your experience level.

We know it's peak fall recreation season, so we're building our schedule to make sure campers won't have to choose between camp and their rec games!

🔗 Register now: https://square.link/u/25n4LDJq

Spots are limited — sign up today and don't miss out!

07/26/2026

🏆 ANNOUNCING OUR 2026 SBSL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS 🏆

Every year, SBSL scholarships go to student-athletes who put in a minimum number of years with our program AND 4 years of HS baseball/softball, and who are headed to an undergraduate program. Our One-Time Scholarship is awarded at the start of freshman year. Our 4-Year Scholarship — double the amount — goes to recipients who commit to playing college baseball or softball, paid out every year for four years.

This year's group didn't just meet the bar. They obliterated it. Every one of these young men carries a GPA over 4.0, competes at a high level, leads with character, and is already talking about graduate school before they've even moved into a dorm. They didn't just earn their scholarships — they changed how we think about supporting young people like them. More on that below. But first, let's introduce them.

📸 Left to right: Landon Jenkins, Kevin Till, Patrick Hollifield, Braden Tirado

🎓 LANDON JENKINS Met all SBSL requirements and will receive his one-time scholarship this August. Landon is headed to NC State as part of their ROTC program, majoring in Engineering, with plans to join the Air Force after graduation. And Landon gave us another reason to grow — because of his commitment to serve, Landon will receive an additional one-time scholarship upon graduation and commitment to the Air Force, and it's this commitment that inspired us to expand our program to support future recipients who choose to serve.

🏈 KEVIN TILL Met all SBSL requirements — and gave us a reason to grow. Kevin committed to play football, not baseball, and that pushed us to expand our program to cover ANY college sport. Because of that, Kevin will now receive a scholarship for all 4 years of college. He's headed to Wingate University to major in Sports Management and take snaps at QB!

⚾ PATRICK HOLLIFIELD Met all SBSL requirements and committed to play baseball in college. Patrick is headed to UNCG to play D1 Baseball while majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Information Technology.

📚 BRADEN TIRADO Met all SBSL requirements and will receive his one-time scholarship this August. Braden's academic path starts at Coastal Carolina Community College through NC State's C3 Business Program. He plans to transfer to NC State his junior year to finish his undergraduate degree — with an MBA already on his radar and his commitment pushed us to expand our program to provide an additional (2) years of support for graduate programs.

🚀 BECAUSE OF THESE YOUNG MEN, OUR PROGRAM IS GROWING

Their hard work — on the field, in the classroom, and in how they carry themselves — showed us we could do more. So starting now, SBSL Scholarships include:

✅ Any Sport, Not Just Baseball/Softball — Students who meet SBSL requirements and commit to play ANY sport in college will receive a scholarship for all 4 years of undergraduate.

✅ Military Commitment Bonus — Scholarship recipients who complete undergrad and commit to the U.S. military will receive an additional one-time payment.

✅ Graduate School Support — Scholarship recipients who go on to graduate school will receive an additional 2 years of support.

Congratulations to Landon, Kevin, Patrick, and Braden. Your hard work has already changed the path for the students who come after you. We can't wait to watch you learn, grow, and become the young men we already know you're becoming.

07/26/2026

07/24/2026

⚾🥎 SBSL FALL 2026 REGISTRATION IS OPEN — AND SPOTS ARE GOING FAST!!!! This our biggest fall ever with record growth in almost every age group!

UPDATED OPENINGS
T-Ball (5 spots open)
8U Rookies Baseball (4 spots open)
10U Minors Baseball (1 spot open)
12U Majors Baseball (2 spots open)
6U Softball (full)
8U Softball (full)
10U Softball (3 spots open)
12U Softball (7 spots open)
14U Softball (5 spots open)

Swansboro Baseball & Softball League isn't just a league — we're one of the fastest-growing organizations in all of Eastern North Carolina, proudly serving over 700 young athletes across Onslow County. We've invested over $1,000,000 in facility renovations because our kids deserve the best. This fall, we're expecting another record-breaking season — and for the first time ever, we are capping registration.. Don't wait!

🏟️ WHY SBSL?
We do things differently here, and our families notice:
✅ Guaranteed 2 practices per week — no guessing, no gaps
✅ Rapid customer service — questions get answered fast, always
✅ One of the most affordable youth sports programs in the region — we believe cost should never keep a kid off the field
✅ $1,000,000+ invested in our facilities — your player deserves a great place to play

📅 SEASON AT A GLANCE
Practices start in August. Games begin late August/early September. Season wraps in early November.

💰 PRICING
🟡 T-Ball: $60
🟡 Baseball & Softball: $70
🟡 Babe Ruth Jr. (boys 13–16): $110
⏰ EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS
Register Apr 23 – May 16 → $30 OFF per player (ENDED)
Register May 17 – Jun 12 → $20 OFF per player (ENDED)
Register Jun 13 & after → Regular price
Sibling discount: $10 off your 2nd, 3rd & 4th player — applied by the league admin after registration.

🏟️ WHO CAN PLAY?
Any player in Onslow County!
Girls ages 4–14 | Boys ages 4–16

💚 NEED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE?
No family should sit on the sidelines. We offer 100% financial support options — contact [email protected] for details.

❓ QUESTIONS? Reach out at [email protected]

Register here https://swansborobaseballsoftball.sportngin.com/register/form/957724312

07/20/2026

Our Dicks Sporting Goods event is 8/14-8/17. Discount applies to all purchases---even if they are not specific to baseball/softball.

https://cmm.dickssportinggoods.com/crmcdn/getoffer.aspx?offer_entity_code=O241G14V&token=uNgGWAe-d1eumZPuJ7uU7eGH6XGP4TJzxJwjNR5g5gYZQ9HedKTYwgTSxzO9imOf4PZpNXu27T-9RxLOgPQ2