General Area:
Located 3 miles northwest of the city of Richmond, Virginia
Located at 5600 Bethlehem Rd. Johnson Elementary is our location. Our ball fields are on their campus.
Bethlehem Little League ID# 3460405
Field Layout:
T-ball Field #1, Senior Field #2, Major Field #3
History:
The beginning of Bethlehem Little League started as many leagues did. There were kids “playing baseball” throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. There was no organization., no adult supervision, and no coaching.
In the winter of 1959, several men in the neighborhoods surrounding BLL was trying to find a way to bring organized youth baseball to the neighborhood kids. They got together with Henrico County and Little League Baseball and founded Bethlehem Little League. Bethlehem received its first Little League Charter in April 1960.
The first Board of Directors was as follows., President John Morrison, Vice President Bob Davidson, who became the president a year later, Secretary Robert Stewart, Treasurer George Riegel and Player Agent Stanley Hill. The league consisted of four Major Leagues teams of 15 players and played 18 games. Major and Minor divisions were the only divisions at the time. Each team had individual sponsorship from the surrounding businesses.
Other divisions were added as BLL grew. The divisions were Farm division 6-7 and 8 year-olds, Minor division 9 and 10 year-olds, Major divisions 11 and 12 year-olds, and Senior Division 13-14 and 15 year-olds. Eventually there was a Big League division which consisted of the 17 and 18 year-olds. Farm division was kid pitch and there was no T-Ball or Pitching Machine division. Those divisions have been added in the past 15 years.
The first field at BLL was the Major Field. The Senior and T-Ball field were added as BLL grew. Baseball was not always played at the BLL complex. In the early years, Farm division games were played at Epworth Church (Wister and Staples Mill). The farm division uniforms consisted of blue jeans, a team jersey, and a hat.
BLL won its first District V Championship in 1969 and has won two others since, as well as a BIB tournament championship. We have won many invitational tournament championships throughout the years.
Many of our players have gone on to be successful individuals who spent their youth here in the spring,summer and fall playing ball, making friends and having fun. Some of our players have even made it to the professional ranks of the game. Our goal is to provide a place where all feel welcome, and the feeling of being apart of something that will impact them for the good. To have a place where kids grow up and remember where they learned to be a kid.
BLL is very proud to say we have a tremendous amount of players return as Managers, Coaches, Umpires, and Board Members. They all want to give back just a little of what they received as players.
The success of BLL have come from the love all the volunteers that are willing to give up their time, their sweat, their knowledge, and their love of the game of baseball for our children.
By former Player,Coach/Manager and President-Mark Imes
Bethlehem is a league in the heart of Henrico Co. We have a long history and has been a place for so many familys to call home for many generations. Many wonderful people have played and volunteered here and made this place so special. We play baseball at Johnson Elementary, also known formaly as Bethlehem Elementary, We have been a chartered Member of Little League Baseball since 1960.
We have a rich history here at Bethlehem, with generations of excellent volunteers, coaches, and ballplayers. This league was always known for the heart that the players played with. We reside in a historically rich baseball area, which benefited the league greatly. The league was unique, it was successful. In early 2000's the area and competition for ballplayers changed. In this very competitive baseball area we suffered for not adapting to the changing geographic and new expanding options for baseball in the area.
In the last couple of years their has been a change within the league. The right pieces are coming together at the right time. People who played here have come back. New and energetic members have breathed new life into a league that has been so important to so many for a long time.
Our League is a Chartered Member of Little League Inc. and we have over 75 yrs of tried, tested and proven safety measures, core values and life lessons to back us. Little League is the largest youth organization in the world. The other Non-Little League options in the area do not have the 75 years of acquired knowledge that Little League provides. Little League offers boys and girls ages 4- 18yrs old the ability to play baseball and softball. Also 10-18yrs olds get a chance at competing in the Little League World Series. Tournaments start at a district level with winners moving to State level. Winners of State goes on to Southeast Region. Winner from there goes onto "The Little League World Series".
Little League offers a experience that is unmatched by any other youth organization. Babe Ruth, DIxie, Pony and others cant duplicate what Little League has built. We play in District 5 and for last several years we have seen our neighbors compete on ESPN and come just a few outs away from LLWS. This area has the potential, our boundary includes 13 Elementary,4 middle and 3 High schools in Henrico Co.
We want our league to be what it is designed to be, a place for family's to enjoy a experience that will last for a lifetime. The stories you make today can be told forever. The feeling of being apart of something that represents good and wholesome is important for any child to know and feel. Our goal for Bethlehem is to be a place for familys to have a safe and impactful environment to have as their own. Where friends can be made and relationships that will last. The ballplayers here can make their own history, the future is up to us.
I want to invite anybody new to the league to consider coming to this league. Support your community and play Little League Baseball. Check out our boundaries to see if you are eligible. Also if your child goes to a school that is within our boundaries then they are eligible to play even if your residence may not be within boundary. Once your child plays for Bethlehem, they are apart of the league forever.