We want to know about your kids, your sports

Batter, batter, batter – SWING! Baseball is the sport of summer and our leagues are stepping up to the plate. So it is only fitting that we honor those kids who participate in our national sport.

Here in Your Lowcountry, we are honoring all youth sports and are looking for the youngest players in the leagues that bring out families and teach good values.

Your Lowcountry is the home for recreational sports — you know, those leagues that aren’t played in school. We have our Prep Zone for high school sports, but most athletes learn their love of the game at a far younger age.

We want to know about your baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, horseback riding, gymnastics.

If your youngster plays it, tell us about it.

Sports teach so many great values that adults need later in life: healthy competition, the ability to win or lose gracefully, the self-discipline to persist in learning a new skill and the great camaraderie that comes through working toward a common goal.

Whether it is an individual achievement like a bronze on balance beam, or a soccer league team state championship, playing a sport is a great way to earn a sense of accomplishment.

Just look at how well the Mount Pleasant track team is teaching young competitors how to run or how kids learn more about football from a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tommy Braswell is writing about all these successes. You can contact him at braswell@postandcourier.com or 937-5591 with your tips or just send an email to youthsports@postand courier.com.

There are great coaches out there, too, and we want to hear about them.

If you know of a coach who represents great values, we want to hear about him or her.

Now, we know that parents are busy taking all kinds of photos of youngsters hitting, pitching and sliding into first base. Or taking out the Sunfish for a small regatta. Or leaping over hurdles on the track. Camera phones are everywhere, it seems.

So after you take that great photo, share it with us and we will share it with the world.

We’re interested in action photos, the efforts of youngsters using all their muscles to engage in sports.

Yes, we like team photos, but actions speak louder than words (forgive the cliche, please) and we know that other readers find them fascinating, too.

We have a youth sports link on postandcourier.com that will allow you to see everything that is posted on the net, and a Facebook page and twitter account so we are connected.

Now we want to connect with you 24/7.

Reach Stephanie Harvin at sharvin@postandcourier.com or 937-5557.