Mudville Youth Baseball Club

A Youth Organization is Born, 1999-2002

Kurt Boyd founded the Mudville Youth Baseball Club in 1999. Along with a core group of friends and families, Kurt developed a nine-year-old baseball program to complement their kid’s hockey schedule during the fall and winter seasons and, to develop his son and his friends’ baseball skills. The inaugural 2000 season consisted of three tournaments, practices and practice games.

As nine year olds, their team was called the Mudville ‘9’s’, after the famous Ernest Lawrence Thayer poem, ‘Casey at the Bat’, which debuted in The Sporting News of January 20, 1906. Along with the help of his friends Mickey Merriam and Aaron Horrocks, Kurt developed the color scheme, look and feel of the team from the Negro Leagues. Red, navy blue and gold were selected as the team colors. Today’s teams wear a combination of uniforms bearing these colors with the familiar ‘Mudville’ in tiffany font across the front and the number ‘9’ on the hat and helmet. Striving the concept of team and aligning with the older days of baseball, the team uniforms have no names on their principal jerseys.

Drawn from his years of organizing major level softball programs, Kurt envisioned the efforts and energy put forth by all the original and subsequent volunteers in developing this club should be in perpetuity. He created in the club’s articles of incorporation to reflect this, which helped develop a progressive youth program for both boys baseball and girls softball programs. The program would eventually develop into competitive youth programs were kids are taught the correct fundamentals at an early age while learning life skills through the lessons of baseball, teamwork and personal growth.

In 2002, MYBC became a multi-team association when it gained its second baseball team, a 10U team coached by Kurt's good friend and former softball teammate Steve Leighton. The original Mudville ‘9’s’ team name was restructured as the Mudville 11U Redbirds, with Steve’s team known as the 10U Ironmen.

2002 was also the year MYBC began its association with Cooperstown Dreams Park when Kurt accepted a berth to the 12U AYB Hall of Fame National Invitational in Cooperstown, NY as an eleven-year-old team. The Redbirds were the second team ever to participate, and the first baseball club to repeat its representation from the State of Washington. Although the competition was stiff, participating in this tournament secured a life-long berth for all Mudville teams to use once they reach the 12U age division. The trip to ‘The Birthplace of Baseball’ is the ultimate in baseball experiences for kids and parents alike!

Finally, in early 2002, the MYBC incorporated into a 501C nonprofit organization with the State of Washington. The purposes for which this corporation, a nonprofit charitable organization, is formed are:

1. To provide an environment for boys and girls to teach life skills through teamwork, dedication and goal attainment.
2. To provide a forum for boys and girls in teaching an advanced level of baseball and softball theory and skills not available in this community.
3. Provide the community resources to enhance existing programs and/or field facilities through the resources of a non-profit organization.
4. Consistent with Section 501C(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Mudville Hall of Fame

Mudville Team of the Ages

A team of significance to the organization's history

• 2008 - The 2005 AAU Australia Down-Under Tour 14U (Mudville's 1st International Traveling Team)
  
  2008 - The 2005 Mudville Ironmen 13U (CABA 13U Western Regional Champions)

• 2007 - The 2004 Mudville Golden Eagles (Mudville's 1st World Series Championship)
  
  2007 - The 2000 Mudville Nine (Mudville's 1st Team)
  

Mudville Specials

A player of significance to the organization OR any volunteer, coach, special person or business that has given outstanding service to the club

• 2008 - No Nomination
• 2007 - The Mighty Casey, #9

Pinnacle 'Mr. Mudville' Leadership Award

A player with a minimum of 3 years of Mudville tenure who has shown extraordinary team leadership, hard work, perseverance and long-term constancy to the club and the game of baseball

• 2008 - David Courtney, Mudville Baseball NW
• 2007 - Matt Boyd, Mudville Golden Eagles

'Mickey Merriam' Community Service Award

A player or family member who in the past three years has given back to the community through giving of oneself

• 2008 - Cameron Wilson, Mudville Baseball NW
• 2007 - Ricky Teegarden, Ironmen, AAU Australia Down-Under Tour, Mudville Golden Eagles

Mudville 'Volunteer of the Year'

• 2008 - Dean Holbrook
• 2007 - Michael Gossler

The Annual Casey Recognition Award Categories

'Team of the Year'

• 2008 - Mudville Baseball NW (18U)
• 2007 - Mudville Golden Eagles (16U)
• 2006 - Mudville Pilots (12U)

'GM/Coaching Staff of the Year'

• 2008 - Kurt Boyd/Marc Sagmoen, Brian Potoshnik, Kurt Boyd, Mudville Baseball NW (18U)
• 2007 - Kurt Boyd/Max Engel, Tim Sipiora, Dean Holbrook, Kurt Boyd Mudville Golden Eagles (16U)
• 2006 - Bill Audycki/Bill Audycki, Dan Anthony, Joe Kassuba, Mudville Pilots (12U)

Coaches Achievement Award for Education Excellence

Based on Levels of Attainment

750 Hours
Kurt Boyd, Mudville Baseball NW, Golden Eagles

500 Hours
Dean Holbrook, Golden Eagles

250 Hours
Jim Teegarden, Muddogs, Golden Eagles
Vince Bailey, BHC/IBC
Steve Leighton, Ironmen

100 Hours
Dan Anthony, Pilots
Bill Audycki, Pilots
Russ Barton, SPs
Dave Bondo, Mavericks
Jim McGuire, Golden Eagles
Tim Sipiora, Golden Eagles

Mudville Team Lineage

Age Group, Team Name (GM/Head Coach, Assistant Coaches), National Event Top 10 Finish

2009

• 18U Mudville Pinnacle Baseball NW (Boyd/Sagmoen, Potoshnik, Boyd, Van Drongelen)
• 14U Security Properties (Barton/Lakman, Barton)
• 13U Beasts (Sass/Sass)

2008

• 18U Mudville Baseball Northwest (Boyd/Sagmoen, Potoshnik, Boyd), Triple Crown 18U Wood Bat World Series Champions
• 16U Pinnacle 16U (Bondo-Schultz/Smith, Cook)
• 15U Mavericks (Bondo/Townsend/Bondo)
• 14U Pilots (Rawlings/Audycki, Anthony, Kassuba)
• 14U Beechers HC/IBC (Dammeier-Bassetti/Bailey, Delaney)
• 13U Security Properties (Barton/Barton, Casey, Higgins)
• 13U Mojo (Flitsch/Flitsch, Thoman)
• 12U Beasts (Ganley/Ganley, Sass)

2007

• 16U Golden Eagles (Boyd/Engel, Sipiora, Holbrook, McGuire)
• 14U Mavericks (Bondo/Bondo, Bouwman)
• 13U Pilots (Rawlings/Audycki, Anthony)
• 13U Beechers HC/IBC (Dammeier/Bailey, Delaney)
• 12U Security Properties (Barton/Barton, Casey, Higgins)
• 10U Muddogs (Teegarden/Teegarden, Waddell)

2006

• 15U Golden Eagles (Boyd/Boyd, Sipiora, Holbrook, Davis)
• 15U Nationals/IBC (Gossler/Bailey, Schubert)
• 14U Ironmen/IBC (Leighton/Leighton, Moyer, Audette, Colyer)
• 13U Mavericks (Bondo/Bondo, Bouwman)
• 12U Pilots (Audycki/Audycki, Anthony, Kussaba), AYB Cooperstown HOF Finalist
• 11U Security Properties (Barton/Barton, Patrick, Higgins)

2005

• 14U AAU Australia Down-Under Tour (Freeman/Freeman, Knight, Boyd, Holbrook, Teegarden)
• 14U Golden Eagles (Boyd/Boyd, Holbrook, Simpson, Audycki), AAU DII 14U National Championship, 9th Place
• 14U Nationals/IBC (Gossler/Bennett, Audette)
• 14U Americans (Truax/Moyer, Healy, Truax)
• 13U Ironmen/IBC (Leighton/Leighton), CABA 13U Western Regional Champions
• 12U Magic (Clifford/Clifford, Sahlinger, Jiranek)
• 11U Pilots (Audycki)
• 10U AAA (Rothenberg)

2004

• 13U Golden Eagles (Boyd/Boyd, Holbrook, Audycki, Moyer), Hawaiian 13U World Series Champions
• 13U Redbirds/IBC (Gossler/Bennett)
• 12U Ironmen/IBC (Leighton, Colyer)
• 11U Magic (Clifford/Clifford, Sahlinger, Jiranek)

2003

• 12U Golden Eagles (Boyd/Boyd, Holbrook, Audycki, Lindmark) AYB Cooperstown HOF, 9th Place
• 12U Blue Sox (Bennett)
• 11U Ironmen (Leighton)

2002

• 11U Redbirds (Boyd/Boyd, Holbrook, Audycki, Simpson)
• 10U Ironmen (Leighton)

2001

• 10U Mudville 9 (Boyd/Boyd, Holbrook, Audycki, Lindmark), USABA 10U National Championships, 5th Place

2000

• 9U The Original Mudville 9 (Boyd/Boyd, Holbrook, Audycki, Merriam, Simpson, Colyer, Binder)