[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8369]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING PINE FORGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM GERLACH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 28, 2005

  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Pine Forge 
Athletic Association on the occasion of its 35th anniversary.
  In 1970, the Pine Forge Athletic Association was founded by Merle 
Harner and Robert ``Skip'' Trainer. Both men had young children who 
wanted to be involved in youth sports, but the neighboring area sports 
programs were overcrowded. Mr. Harner and Mr. Trainer took it upon 
themselves to create the Pine Forge Athletic Association in order to 
give the youth of the community an opportunity to play baseball and 
softball with their friends and neighbors.
  The Association started with a philosophy and a mission to provide 
insightful instruction on the basic fundamentals of baseball and 
softball, while at the same time instilling the players with moral 
values and good sportsmanship. The Association also emphasized giving 
each team member an opportunity to play in each game.
  The first team in 1970 had approximately 12-15 players and played at 
a small field at the Pine Forge Elementary School. Since the early 
1970s, the Pine Forge Athletic Association has grown tremendously in 
size. Today, there are nine different divisions in the Association that 
accommodate players from the ages of five to nineteen. To accommodate 
the large number of participants, the Association utilizes at least 
fifteen different locations that host Little League, t-ball, softball, 
and a rookie league.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring not only 
the Pine Forge Athletic Association for the positive contributions it 
has made to the citizens of Berks County, Pennsylvania, but also Merle 
Harner and Robert ``Skip'' Trainer for helping with the positive 
development of the moral, physical, and emotional well-being of the 
young men and women who have participated in the Pine Forge Athletic 
Association over the past 35 years.

                          ____________________