Around this time last year, Dwayne Harkleroad Jr. didn't get to watch his three kids walk in the Baltimore Highlands Baseball League Opening Day parade.
But on Saturday, one year after the community's recreation baseball program dissolved because of a lack of players, that will become a reality when his daughter, Chloe Harkleroad, 10, and sons Logan Harkleroad, 8, and Kole Roberts, 3, participate in the annual celebration of the start of a new year on the baseball diamond.
The parade starts at 9 a.m. at Ungers Field and concludes at Baltimore Highlands Elementary School on Annapolis Road.
The players' march, which is organized by former league commissioner Moses Rodriguez, is just the beginning of the festivities.
At Baltimore Highlands Elementary School, the English Consul Volunteer Fire Department will provide pit beef, pit ham and refreshments.
Players will be announced, and there will be two-inning games featuring all 12 teams in the in-house league that includes players ages 4 to 15.
"I'm trying to make it as big as I can," Harkleroad said.
Harkleroad's youngest son, Kole, who will be 4 in October, will be among those taking part.
"It's based on skill. He's good enough to play with the T-ball kids so we put him in," said Harkleroad Jr., 34, who played in the same Baltimore Highlands league from 1985 to 1996.
"It's a big family day," said his father, Dwayne Harkleroad Sr., who played in Baltimore Highlands from 1963 to 1975 and coached his son.
Opening Day will be extra special because not only is the youngest child playing baseball, so is the oldest. Chloe is switching from softball to baseball.
What is she looking forward to in making the transition?
"Probably making new friends and getting used to it," said Chloe, who has practiced hitting a baseball in her front yard with her brother. "Right now, I'm waiting to see if I can play pitcher and second base."
Logan, who will play in-house and on the 8-and-under travel team that his dad started this year with 11 players, has less specific goals.
"I just want to play anywhere I can," said Logan, who, when informed by his dad that he was slated for pitcher, second base and left field, chimed in, "and shortstop."
"Three is enough," dad said.
Coaching his son the past five years has taught Harkleroad Jr. some lessons.
"I'm a little tougher with Logan than I am with the rest of the kids," he admitted. "I catch myself doing it, but after five years of coaching him, it's a good relationship we have."
Harkleroad Sr.. 59, who played football at Lansdowne High, admitted he was tough on his son, who also attended Lansdowne High, but didn't play sports.
"I was hard on him," he said. "They say it's for fun and all, but everybody wants to win. Once you get competitive, you get a little on edge."
Harkleroad Jr. says his kids prefer when he coaches them and he returns the favor.
"I just love coaching and I look forward to it every day," said Harkleroad Jr., whose son played on Arbutus Little League travel and recreation teams last year when the Baltimore Highlands program folded because they only had 66 kids.
Now, there are 150 kids in the program, thanks to Harkleroad Jr.'s desire to revive it.
"It's takes volunteers to show some initiative and he is really passionate about it," said Baltimore Highlands Recreation Council president Stacy Burke.
Burke's three kids play in the program and she said she likes the new direction of the league under Harkleroad.
"It looks like it is going to be a good year," Burke said. "It's a lot for one person to take on, so Dwayne has a lot of help this year. We are getting a lot of people to pitch in and getting our sponsors back and everything."
Seeing the kids' smiling faces on the diamond makes Harkleroad's day.
"Running the league now, I love it, because kids are on the field and it's awesome," he said.
Logan thought it was even cooler when he got a new expensive bat that is supposed to have an anti-sting feature. He said he can't wait to use it.
He also knows exactly what he is looking forward to when the games begin
"Practicing my hitting skills and having fun and playing," he said.
When he scores runs for his travel or in-house teams, the family's unsung hero and Harkleroad Jr.'s fiancée, Keri, will be doing the scorekeeping.
"She's the one that holds it together," Harkleroad Jr. said. "She keeps us all organized. She does it all. She's out there cheering for the kids. It's nice to have somebody with you that is in it with you."
But that also means the wedding day is on hold for a while.
"We can't interrupt baseball season," Harkleroad Jr. said.
That season began for the 8U travel team on April 12, and the team will play games every Sunday.
Full games for the in-house league begin on April 20.
Players on the travel team are also required to play on an in-house team.
That's not the only rule Harkleroad Jr. implemented this season. He also added a regulation for the parents to show their support.
"I made them sign a parent code of conduct — You, or a responsible adult, will be there with your child or your child won't play."
He also made it more affordable.
"We charge the kids $70 to play and we give them 35 $2 raffle tickets to sell and the parents keep the money, so if you sell all your raffle tickets, your child plays for free," he noted.
Getting the league back on its feet wasn't easy.
They got several sponsors to donate money and they have raised $3,000 in pledged donations for a hit-a-thon.
The number could go higher when the kids take their turns at the plate this week.
But getting back on the field is what is most important, especially for Logan, who played football one year and said, "I didn't like it.'
When the family went on a vacation to Ocean City last summer, Logan's father said Logan made it clear where he wanted to spend his time.
"We went out and bought tennis balls to play wall ball," Harkleroad Jr. said. "The pool is there and he is playing wall ball. That's what he wanted to do. He loves baseball. Winter time is horrible for him."