Youth sports reps report successful seasons

The Parks-Recreation Board heard from several Waltham youth sports organizations that receive stipends from the Recreation Department.

At the board’s Nov. 12 meeting, representatives from the Waltham Girl’s Softball shared that the program now has a new batting cage at Veterans Memorial Athletic Complex after raising nearly $33,000 over the past two years to pay for it.

Representatives from Waltham Youth Lacrosse reported a 7% increase in enrollment. They also said they will hold a gear swap and will encourage players to donate old gear that can be reused by other players.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Waltham Youth Wrestling Club, which started in 2018, reported a strong start to the season with enrollment numbers consistent with previous years. The club practices in a room at the Waltham Community and Cultural Center at 510 Moody St., and participates in meets across the state.

And reps from Waltham Youth Field Hockey told board members that they celebrated the end of the program’s inaugural season. They said they have been collaborating with the high school field hockey team for support as well as with the Waltham Youth Lacrosse program for storage space. Their program was constructed within a week, which board member Thomas Creonte said was a testament to the strength and organization of the program. “I don’t know how you did it,” he said, noting how impressed he was with the strength of the program despite how new it was.