Southern Maryland Youth Organization

History In the Spring of 1971, over 40 players tried out for a baseball team that would represent the Pomfret community in LaPlata's Little League baseball program with Rick Willett being manager of the 9-12 year old youth baseball team. There was one complicated issue, the team could only have 15 players on the roster and parents like Harry Clegg Sr. wondered what would happen to the kids who did not make the team. Because of the concerns voiced by Harry Clegg, the parents pulled together to form what would be SMYO's first minor league program. The league became associated with the Charles County Parks and Recreation and played teams from LaPlata. In that fall, these "founding fathers" asked St. Joseph's Church if they could use some of their property to build a baseball field. Father Sheehan agreed to the request, thus making what would be the first SMYO little league field and, appropriately, named it "SHEEHAN FIELD". That December, this began what would be the official establishment of SMYO. There was an election for the officers, and the first board of directors was elected. Stanley Kozloski was elected President and Rick Willett was elected Vice President. Chick Garrow was Treasurer and Joan Penning was Secretary. The first board consisted of Adrean Pickeral, Rick Willett, Will Payne, Evelyn Phelps, Carl Comer, Herb Howard and Stanley Kozloski, who was chairman of the board. (Adrean Pickeral would later resign from the board and Harry Clegg was elected to serve out the rest of his term.) The next spring, SMYO chartered with Little League Headquarters in Williamsport with the help of Mr. Lou Zwick, the District Administrator for Southern Maryland. A girls softball team was formed and SMYO would become incorporated. Later, there would be football and cheer leading, as well as baseball and softball. A soccer program was later established as well. In the years since Clegg, Willett and Kozloski got together with those parents and decided that a little league program was needed for the youth of Pomfret, a parcel of land was purchased for $50,000.00 and SMYO was built into what it is today. With the help of individuals like Les Santee, who played the major role in getting the fields built, along with the help of several members from Local Union #77 (Operating Engineers) who donated their time to the construction of the fields. It was also noted that many of the individuals who donated their time did not have children participating in SMYO, but felt it was an extremely worthy cause. In the following years, a concession stand was built, fences have been put up, a playground was added and a building (the "clubhouse") was built to house our maintenance equipment and store uniforms, as well as for a meeting place for the membership. It has two soccer fields, and an announcer booth that was recently built. Lights have been added to three of the four ball fields. Obviously, there are many folks that were not mentioned above who over time have donated tim