FREELAND — Baseball is the name of the game for these kids.

Today and tomorrow at Community Park are the final days for South Whidbey Little League boys and girls to register and get on a team.

Already, the number of players prepared to give their all on the diamond exceeds 250 for both boys and girls, a 9-percent increase over last year.

“The teams will be formed next Wednesday, so there’ll be time for practice before the season opens on April 10,” said league president Debbie Holbert.

As of this week, the league has one junior boys team for ages

13 to 15, two major teams for age 10 through 12 (and possibly a third) and five or six minor teams for 9 to 12-year-olds.

There will also be T-ball and rookie squads formed.

“We will find a spot for everyone,” Holbert said.

In her first year on the job, Holbert is especially pleased by the huge increase in turnout for girls softball.

“We tried hard to get them back in the program and it worked,” she said. “Ashley Lopez and Shannon Brown ran a special clinic last winter and were able to focus on skills unique to softball for more than 50 girls.”

During a recent interview, Holbert was interrupted by a parent calling for details about the softball program. This season, there will be one major and two minor girls teams, plus a possible rookie team for 7- and 8-year-olds.

There are other options.

“If a girl is a good player and meets all the requirements, but there aren’t enough in her age group to form a team, she can play with the boys,” Holbert noted.

Holbert and her husband Douglas believe in team sports.

“Our only son Will, 12, has played the game since his T-ball days,” she said. “Baseball is essentially black and white — when the umpire makes his decision, that’s it. For a child, that seems easier to understand. There’s very little guessing in baseball, and kids catch on quick.”

Holbert said that Little League is not about winning, but rather about sportsmanship, teamwork and building skills.

“One person doesn’t win, or lose, a game,” she said. “And most parents buy into that concept.”

For older players who want a more competitive environment, Andy McRea has formed a team to play in the Babe Ruth League in the summer.

“We have 13 right now, 10 of whom are freshmen playing on the high school team,” he said. Babe Ruth’s rules allow them to play at just about any ballpark, including the ones in Mount Vernon, Lynden and Mukilteo.

This spring’s Little League line-up hasn’t been determined yet.

While registration and try-outs continue at Community Park, Holbert will be in Anacortes this weekend arranging a conference schedule.

Most games will be played on Whidbey Island, but with so many teams, coaches are anxious to broaden their horizons, so there will be games played as far afield as La Conner and Anacortes.

“Since most of the younger kids play close to home, we coordinated with the South Whidbey Youth Soccer Club on dates and times,” Holbert said. The advantage is that, at this age, it gives youngsters the chance to figure out which sport they prefer.

“We want as many kids to play as possible, and this is the right time for them to decide,” she added.

In one sense, South End families are lucky. Individual player fees range from $70 to $90 (depending on age) which covers insurance, equipment that meets code and uniforms. But because the league isn’t charged rent for use of the diamonds at Community Park, there is no ballfield rental.

“We’re lucky to have Park & Rec’s support for our programs,” Holbert said. “Some of the teams are playing in glorified cow pastures.”

If the cost is a problem, scholarships are possible. “And each year, there’s a ‘give-and-take’ table where clean but used gloves, shoes and pants are recycled,” Holbert said.

“Like I said, we want everyone to play.”