1970’s
Starting at the end of the 1960’s, the population of the 3 communities declined which affected the baseball programs. At around 1975, the community of Stockton could not field enough players to continue to have a league of their own and approached the Lambertville 8 to 12 Baseball League (which is what it was known as at the time) to ask if it would accept it’s children into their league. In doing so, Stockton officially became part of the Lambertville Baseball program. Around this time, the first girls were accepted as players in the baseball program and this remains true today.

Around 1970, the youth girl’s softball program started for girls between the ages of 12 to 16. The Lambertville Girls Softball program drew players from the 3 local communities and ran till the late 1980’s.

In 1976, the Lambertville Baseball League expanded and created a 7-year old t-ball clinic which ran for 6 years on Sunday afternoons. At the same time, a Saturday morning clinic for players ages 9 & 10 was offered to give these young athletes an opportunity to play at their own level. Around 1978, the Lambertville 8 to 12 Baseball League reincorporated into Lambertville Youth Baseball Association, Inc. to reflect it’s changes in what the program offered.

1980’s
In 1982, the Lambertville Youth Baseball Association reinvented itself by creating a new 7 & 8 year-old t-ball division and the 9 to 12 baseball division. The t-ball division was set up as a development program to teach young boys and girls about the sport of baseball. Over a period of 3 years the program expanded from 2 to 6 teams and included 7 and 8 year old children from West Amwell.

In 1983 as the decline of numbers in the communities continued the Lambertville Youth Baseball Association and the West Amwell 8 to 12 Baseball League formally merged to form the Lambertville-West Amwell Youth Baseball Association, Inc.

By the early 1980’s the Lambertville 13-15 Baseball League formally became part of the Lambertville-West Amwell Youth Baseball Association as the 13-15 division. As numbers dropped the players were merged into a travel team and played as part of the Hunterdon County Little Bigger League System till about 1989 when not enough players were available. The LWAYBA then asked the Hopewell 13-15 Babe Ruth Baseball program if it would allow its players to be added to their system.

1990’s
In 1992, the Lambertville Girls Softball program was about to go out of business due to the decline of adult base volunteers to keep the program going. The LWAYBA took over this program and created the Girls Softball Division, which ran for about 6 years. The program was terminated in 1998 due to declining numbers. The LWAYBA spearheaded a campaign to create a regional Girls Softball Recreational Program with neighboring communities, but many of the communities did not have the interest or the adult base volunteers to make it work. Also in the 1990’s there became a rise in the region of competitive level teams made up of all age groups and the smaller communities were being stripped of talent. This impacted the smaller communities more than the larger communities and forced the small community Girl Softball leagues like ours out of business.

In the early 1990’s the LWAYBA broke its divisions down even further to give children a safer level of play. These divisions remain in place and are the basis of the LWAYBA programs today. The division make up is the following:

o        5 & 6 year old instruction t-ball clinic (baseball)
o        7 & 8 year old Rookie Division (pitching machine)
o        9 & 10 year old Minor Division (baseball)
o        11 & 12 year old Major Division (baseball)
o        13 to 15 year old Baseball Division (baseball)
o        9 to 12 year old Girl Softball Division (girls softball)

In the 1990’s, a small program call the West Amwell-Lambertville Girls Softball League ran on fields out at South Hunterdon High School. This program ran for 10 years for girl’s ages 8 to 12 years old.

In 1996, the LWAYBA numbers began to decline in the Major and Minor division and teams had to be eliminated. Declining numbers in the area schools was a part of the problem, but also competing youth sport programs such as spring soccer were drawing children away from participating in the youth baseball and girls softball programs. Regional leagues in Amwell Valley and Delaware Township were experiencing the same problems. The LWAYBA proposed an inter-league regular season game schedule under common play rules. Now, with the addition of New Hope-Solebury Baseball, the leagues meet every winter to put the new season schedule together for the coming year.

Year 2000
Due to declining numbers and lack of adult base volunteers the LWAYBA took over the Girls Softball program in 2000 and has been working to revive the program. In 2001, a team was placed into the Flemington Girls Softball League. In the 2004 season the LWAYBA Girls Softball Division decided to leave Flemington and join the Hopewell Valley Girls Softball League. Beside Hopewell being closer to our program the LWAYBA found out that Hopewell shares in the same values and principles on giving all kids, regardless of talent, an opportunity to play. Each year since, the girls Softball Division has expanded. In 2006, the Senior Division was established and with a surge in numbers, the league was able to field two separate teams. 

In 2006, the Lambertville-West Amwell Youth Baseball Association officially changed its name and is now known as the Lambertville-West Amwell Youth Baseball & Softball Association. This was done to recognize all of the divisions the league has to offer. Today, the Softball Division has an equal number of players as the Baseball Division, making the league as strong as it has become over the last several years.

In the 2007 season the softball division expanded again in the lower age group, with the creation of 1^st and 2^nd grade teams. This expansion paved the way for girls of all ages to learn and play softball.

With another surge in numbers, primarily due to the increased number of homes in the region, 2008 saw expansions in both the Baseball Minor Division and the T-ball Division.

LWAYBSA TODAY
The Lambertville-West Amwell Youth Baseball & Softball Association of today continues to maintain the traditions of those men and women who organized the first league nearly 50 years ago. Today, all adults who particapate in the LWAYBSA are volunteers, whether they coach, umpire, work in the snack bar, or on the fields. All of the monies raised for the league go into the program. The LWAYBSA continues to have one of the lowest registration fees for its players and offers a reduced fee for families with more than 1 child. We also pride ourselves in providing scholarships for families who cannot afford to pay the registration fees so no child is left out.
        
Vic Walker Memorial Baseball Tournament
In 1981 the LWAYBA held the first Vic Walker Memorial Baseball Tournament for 12 year olds. This tournament was the longest running independent youth baseball tournament in the region. It served as a fund raiser for the LWAYBA and gave other regional teams in the area a chance to put together a community all star team in an effort to showcase their talent. With only 10 berths it was the most sought after tournament to play in. Leagues reserved their spots as early as January. The attraction of the tournament is based on the same principles as the LWAYBA runs their league. All players in the tournament go home with something regardless of the teams final record. The tournament evolved into a family oriented venue where players and fans alike came out as winners even if their team may not have won any games.

What Makes The LWAYBSA Special?
The LWAYBSA has a history of changing with the times. Many adults who have volunteered in our program remain with us well after their own children have moved on. This helps with the transitions as newer local men and women become involved. There is also a core group of adults, that don’t have children, who are part of the LWAYBSA and have been part of the league for years. Many former players have given back to the league either on or off the field. As a program we will continue to grow as long as we continue to remember one simple motto:

“We do this for the kids. We were kids once and somebody did it for us”