Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Lockridge.
Hi Ryan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My wife and I are born and raised in Friendswood, TX. We participated in Little League and Pee Wee football/cheerleading in the 90’s at Renwick Sports Park. Fast Forward to today, we are raising 3rd generation Friendswood boys on the same fields we grew up on. In 2023, our oldest enrolled in Tee Ball and I was approached to coach his team as we had lacked volunteer coaches that season. As we spent our evenings at the park, we noticed the dilapidated state the facilities had fallen to and could not stand by without making due repairs. It began with long nights & weekends volunteering on the playing fields, then Hurricane Beryl showed us just how much remodeling was needed. After being elected to the Friendswood Youth Baseball Board of Directors, we began assembling some of the most dedicated volunteers our town has seen in years. Over the last 3 years we have successfully rebuilt 20 dugouts, a 5 bay batting cage facility, concession building and parking lot. Our partnership with the City of Friendswood Parks & Rec. Dept. has never been stronger. As the resident non-profit organization at the park, we take the responsibility for baseball facilities, while the city continues to maintain and improve common areas throughout the park. Our participation numbers have bounced back from the covid years and we now host over 1200 players a year in our program. Our dedicated board of directors, committee leaders, coaches and parents have come together to help save a park that has been serving Friendswood for over 50 years. Youth sports has become over saturated and a for-profit enterprise that has left too many communities fighting for a chance to let their kids play. Friendswood Youth Baseball has dedicated itself to the families and maintains one of the most affordable youth leagues in the area. While offering some of the best uniforms, fields, concessions, coaching & experience for each of our players, we pride ourselves on the volunteer effort that goes unnoticed to the naked eye. I personally did not excel in baseball and eventually dedicated myself to football and wrestling through middle school & high school. As a dad, experience in baseball did not matter but having a heart to know every kid deserves a chance on the field is something this community understands above all else. Friendswood Youth Baseball would not be where it is today without the donors and volunteers that have taken their free time to give to our community. And I would not be in the position I am without the endless understanding of my wife, Kelley, giving me the time away from home to ensure the tradition of league baseball continues untarnished for future Friendswood families.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As Friendswood Youth Baseball emerged from the covid years, a lot of operating procedures had been lost. It’s an understandable lapse in protocol when dealing with a completely volunteer league. As our participation numbers have increased, so have the dedicated parents into volunteer positions. Adding the daily advances of technology, our league was well behind the curve of using today’s tools to run a 50+ year old league. Then annual hurricanes, floods & other unforeseen disasters have given an endless to do list throughout the years. In the last 2 years we have made the most of our generous donations to retrofit the 14 acre sports plex and all 10 baseball fields. We have brought ourselves up to 2026 accounting, website interface and technology standards to best serve our local families. 100% of registration dues go back to the players while donations go directly towards facility maintenance, safety equipment and capital projects throughout the park. Our challenges are no different from other local outdoor leagues, but the support of the City of Friendswood Parks & Rec. and our residents has set Friendswood Youth Baseball ahead of the curve. Keeping forward progress is our next challenge. My predecessors got the ball rolling and our current volunteer core is continuing to push forward. Next will be handing the reigns to trusted community leaders with the tenacity for continued improvement.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Friendswood Youth Baseball operates as a 501c3 Non-profit for the community of Friendswood, TX. We offer a Spring Season, Fall Season, Independent Teams league as well as a Champion’s League for handicap & special needs residents. FWYB also hosts our own umpire program, training and staffing the next generation of umpires that are dedicated to the game. Every dollar taken by FWYB goes directly towards our players and family experience. Personal opinion shared by most of our visitors, Friendswood Youth Baseball hosts one of the best concession stands in the area. The staff truly takes pride in serving lunch/dinner/snacks to our families with an ever increasing menu.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Finding place & joy through volunteering is the risk that is rarely met with an obvious reward. Most volunteers understand you will not receive a reward or recognition, but little risks and a lot of work have a way of showing themselves when the league and gameplay go above and beyond expectations. As long as the mindset is geared towards helping kids and community, you can almost always guarantee a positive outcome.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.FriendswoodYouthBaseball.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FWbaseballPONY?mibextid=LQQJ4d
