BLADEN COUNTY DYB

State Director Carey Wreen   BC Marsha Burney 

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Marsha Burney, was honored Saturday at the opening of the Bladen County Dixie Youth league season by Carey Wrenn, NC State Director. Marsha became only the 17th person in the state to receive the Danny Jones Award, and the second lady nationally while being the first from Bladen County.

The award is named after Danny Jones the first commissioner of Dixie Youth Baseball, is the highest award presented by Dixie Youth. Marsha was nominated by the Bladen County League and it was voted on by the North Carolina DYB State Board and The National DYB Board.

Wrenn praised her for her contribution to the organization in Clarkton and Bladen County.

Marsha has volunteer in the Bladen County league for 27 years. She has severed as secretary for the BC league for 10 years and was BC league President before becoming taken on the secretarial roll. Marsha as also has severed as the Clarkton DYB committee President for over 20 years.

Jason Bryant Is Youngest Bladen County DYB President

When Jason Bryant was a little boy, he was on the receiving end of lessons learned in the Dixie Youth Baseball program. Dixie Youth helped Bryant learn not only about the game of baseball but also lessons on team comradery, sportsmanship, and patriotism. Today, Bryant is giving back to a program that gave to him years ago.

Bryant, a Bladenboro native, has coached for several years in the Bladen County Dixie Youth Baseball League, and recently, he was elected as the league’s president. At only 33 years old, Bryant is the youngest president the Bladen County DYB program has ever had.

Dixie Youth Baseball is an organized program for boys and girls ages six through twelve, and it uses the game of baseball to teach young kids skills that they can use on the field and also in life. The Bladen County League serves the children in Bladenboro, Clarkton, Dublin, and Tar Heel. This year, the league will have about 15 teams, with Bryant serving as the leader to approximately 225 children and 50 adult coaches. The Dixie Youth Baseball program is run totally by volunteers.

"I enjoyed my years in Dixie Youth so much," Bryant said. He played in the Minor League division starting at age seven and continued for the next five years until he "graduated" from the program at age 12. Bryant played in the mid-1980's and early 1990's. He played in the Bladenboro community, and his older brother Joe coached him every year except one – when he played on Butchie Martin’s team.

"Back then, those men spent a lot of time with us kids," Bryant said. "They set an example, and I have found myself trying to follow in their footsteps."
For several years after he was grown, Bryant helped as an assistant on his brother’s DYB coaching staff, and then when his own son became old enough to play Dixie Youth, Bryant took a team of his own. His oldest son, Nolan, is nine years old and in the fourth grade.

When Terry Nance, Bladen County DYB’s league president for the past eight years, decided a few weeks ago that it was time for him to step down and take a break, the league was left without a leader. Marsha Burney, a long-time Dixie Youth volunteer from Clarkton, commented, "Terry had served our league well for years and had brought us through a rebuilding phase. I knew Terry would be hard to replace."

Burney nominated Bryant for the League President’s spot. "I remember when Jason was a little boy," Burney said. "He was a sweet, kind, gentle little boy with good manners and a strong Christian faith. I had seen him working with the children for the past few years, and I knew he had a gift that could serve our whole league. I thought he would be perfect for the job." But, it would take a majority vote of the Dixie Youth coaches and volunteers in all four communities to move Bryant into Nance’s position. The vote to elect Bryant was unanimous.

Out-going President Nance commented, "Jason brings a very fair and unbiased mind-set in the decisions he makes. He will do what is right for all the children in the league." Nance called Bryant "a Christian, family man...just a super good guy."

"Jason has a non-confrontational attitude," Nance continued, "and that will be his biggest asset as he works with the children, the coaches, the parents, the fans, and the volunteers in the league."

Nance said the Bladen County Dixie Youth League was very unique in that it serves four different communities spread throughout the county. "These kids we’re working with later become rivals when they move into middle school sports programs," Nance said. "We can’t let that division start in the Dixie Youth league because we have to all be united as one to make this league work. The Bladen County DYB League is four communities working together as one, and sometimes that’s difficult to do. I have no doubt that Jason can lead this group in the right direction."

Years ago, Clarkton Dixie Youth Coach Marvin Burney coached against the teams Bryant played on as a boy. "When I was lucky enough to win the league and coach the All-Star team from Bladen County, Jason was always my first pick," Coach Burney said. (For the All-Star team, the league selects the best players to represent them at the next level, no matter which community the kids are from.)

"I always wanted Jason on my team," Coach Burney added. "Even though he was a quiet child, he was always very focused, very motivated, and extremely coachable. Even as a child, he was a leader on his teams – leading by his strong example. The other boys followed Jason because they knew he wouldn’t lead them astray."

Two years ago, Marvin Burney faced off against his former player when both were coaching opposing teams in the league’s Coach-Pitch division. "We played each other three times that year," Coach Burney remembered, "and my team got the better of his in the first game. Later in the season, he came back to beat me twice. And, even though I hate to lose, I didn’t mind losing that year to a better team and to a better coach. I enjoyed coaching him when he was young, and I am so very proud now of the man Jason has become."

Bryant takes his new responsibility very seriously and has already put a lot of thought into his vision for the Bladen County DYB League.
"This year, I just want to keep things running smoothly," Bryant said. "I hope we see more kids sign up to play this year than we have had in the past. I’d also like to see more community involvement and interest in the local Dixie Youth program."

Bryant said he knew it would be difficult to lead a four-community program that is geographically so spread out. "That is an obstacle," Bryant said, "but it’s one we can overcome if we continue to work together. We cannot let there be lines drawn between Bladenboro, Clarkton, Dublin, and Tar Heel, and we have to work hard to make sure all the kids are treated equally and fairly. We have to stay strong as one unit and continue to make our league competitive with those around us."

Another goal Bryant has set for his league is to once again offer a "fall ball" baseball league. "We tried this years ago, but it didn’t stick," Bryant said. "I think we should re-visit that idea because it will make our overall league stronger."

Bryant also has set some long-range goals for the four communities in his league. "I would love to see expansion in the facilities in the four areas," Bryant said. "Each community has a nice little ballpark, but each could use some growth and improvement. We can’t stop growing and improving; the kids are depending on us."

Even though he’s the youngest league president ever elected in Bladen County, Bryant hopes the other adult volunteers will see him as "a fresh set of eyes." He said he hopes they will see his enthusiasm and work with him. "I hope that when my time as a Dixie Youth leader is over, the other coaches and volunteers in the league will share with me in a sense of pride and accomplishment in what we have done together."

Bryant is the son of the late Billy and Emma Bryant of Bladenboro, and he is the youngest of seven children. Bryant’s mother died the same year he was born, and his dad died when he was eight. He was raised by an older sister and her husband, but he credits all three of his brothers and all three of his sisters as having a major influence on helping him grow into the man he is today.

Bryant is married to Ashley Edwards Bryant, a registered nurse at Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton. Along with their oldest son, the couple also has a two-year-old, Luke. Bryant said he plans to stay in the Dixie Youth Baseball program for at least another ten years, when his baby son will graduate from the program. Bryant works as a Bladen County animal control officer.

Bryant’s predecessor (Terry Nance) said he had offered advice to the new, young president. "I told him, ‘You’re going to be asked to make decisions,’" Nance said. "‘But you don’t have to make them that very day. Don’t let somebody put you on the spot. Think about it, and pray about it. Take your time to make the right decision from the start, and that way, you won’t have to go back and correct it.’"

Marsha Burney added, "It’s a great time to be involved in Bladen County DYB. Jason is young, smart, and dedicated, and he knows that Marvin and I will support him, stand behind him, and help him all we can."

"I’m excited about this baseball season," Bryant said. "I know it’s going to be a lot of work, but I’m going to do the best I can."