Hi friends! I'm Ian Kipgen and am 10 years old and will start 5th grade next week. I really love baseball and have been playing now for 6 years. My position is 2nd base most of the time but I also pitch. Nolan Ryan is my hero and I'd like to be able to pitch like him. I'm working on it. Second base seems like it was just made for me and I like it a lot too. I was lucky enough to hit two home-runs this past season which were my first and were the only ones for my team, THE ANGLES. I hope that doesn't sound too much like bragging but I sure am proud of it.

I have a big black lab named Shadow and 2 Manx kittens named Boo Too and Shoe. I also have about 30 racing pigeons and a young Bull Snake that I caught this summer. His name is Sparky. He is growing like a weed and it takes most of my lawn mowing money just to buy white mice for him to eat. He sheds his skin every 2 or 3 weeks and is now about 4 1/2 or 5 feet long. Dad says being fed like he is he could get up to almost 7 feet long. I built a cage for him but already it's time to build a bigger one.

I'd really like to hear from anyone, even girls. If you have pics send them along to mdbeanie@pldi.net. the MD is because my Mom is a Doctor.

See you later

Ian

There is big news in the sports world of Edmond, Oklahoma. A brand new team has been put together for 10 year old AA Baseball this fall called THE ROUGHRIDERS. Most of the team memebers came from a real strong team in Edmond called THE ASTROS. I was lucky to be invited to try out for this new team and am glad I am now a part of THE ROUGHRIDERS.

I play second base mostly but I have been also added to the pitching bull pin. A friend of mine from our old team tried out and was accepted also. His name is Austin but we call him Pinkie. I am called Bean. Everyone has a nickname.

We have a real strong pitching group. Jake, Jerod, Collin, Nate and me too. Other players are Drew in the outfield and catcher, Cole catcher (also known as Dirt because he goes anywhere to catch the ball). Eaven plays outfield and Justin plays outfield and so does Pinkie. Jerod is on third, Collin is on first and Jake is short stop.

We are certain that we will be going to the World Series this next season and we hope to win it all. Come watch our games at Haefer Park every week and tournaments most weekends. Here is me in our new ROUGHRIDERS uniform.