On a typical spring Saturday near the corner of Otis Avenue and Grand Street, the cheers of Alameda Little Leaguers and their families playing at Kees Field echo loudly. During closing ceremonies at the field on Saturday, May 30, the cheers of those same Little Leaguers and families carried a little more emotion than usual.
While the annual closing ceremonies mark the end of another season of youth baseball and community gatherings, this year’s event doubled as a historic milestone for those in attendance. Together, the Alameda Little League Board of Directors, hundreds of players, families, Alameda Councilmember Tracy Jensen, and Little League District 4 Administrator Ted Boet gathered to honor a true pillar of the community — Alameda Little League President Ron Matthews, who is stepping down after 35 years of dedicated service.
The ceremony was a heartfelt celebration of a man whose name has become synonymous with youth baseball in Alameda and throughout the Bay Area. As Matthews received accolades, he was met with cheers and tears of joy from the crowd. For more than three decades, Matthews has been the steady hand steering Alameda Little League, but he is stepping away from the organization’s board of directors to spend more time with his wife of 50 years, Renee, his family, and his beloved grandchildren.
“For more than three decades, Ron Matthews dedicated himself to serving Alameda families,” Councilmember Jensen said. “On the school board and the City Council, I’ve seen how Ron develops partnerships to ensure that players always have a safe place to play,” she added. “I know many young men and women who grew up on these fields playing in the leagues, volunteering in the dugouts and snack bars, and ultimately attending college and becoming successful professionals — all thanks to the Little League community Ron built.”
Beyond physical improvements at the fields through the years, Matthews’ true impact is measured in the lives of the children he served. Under his leadership, Alameda Little League experienced unprecedented growth. Specifically, player participation tripled from around 300 to 1,000 girls and boys. Revenue also grew thanks to sponsorships from local businesses of all teams. Through the years, more than a thousand players and their families received scholarships so that no one gets turned away if they can’t pay the league’s registration fee.
Matthews ensured baseball was accessible, affordable, and inclusive for every child in Alameda. Among his accomplishments, he restructured divisions, modernized safety protocols, created a Code of Conduct for players, parents, and caregivers, and launched a now-thriving Little League International Challenger Program that provides individuals with physical and intellectual challenges the opportunity to play Little League baseball.
“With more than three decades of service to Alameda Little League, Ron worked tirelessly with community leaders and families to provide Alameda’s youth with a safe environment to play baseball and has overseen one of the largest Little League programs in Northern California,” said Little League District 4 Administrator Ted Boet. “Ron also understood the larger picture, acting as a strong advocate for California District 4 through his contributions to the Challenger Jamboree and the Senior Baseball Western Region tournament,” Boet added. “His dedication and sacrifice will be missed.”
During his leadership, Matthews recruited and mentored thousands of volunteer managers, coaches, snack bar helpers, ground crews, umpires, board members and others all in the name of bringing baseball to Alameda’s youth.
“The level of dedication to our community is incredibly impressive,” said Rick Breslin, Vice President of Alameda Little League Fall Ball. “Each year, Ron would recruit, teach and motivate 50-60 managers across six divisions, and then empower hundreds of volunteer coaches, too. He built an army of volunteers to help keep the league running smoothly and successfully.”
At the closing ceremonies, the Brendan Barker Foundation also presented two $1,000 scholarships to Caleb Narin and Tennyson Bradley for their years of umpiring in the league. Narin and Bradley are graduating seniors from Alameda High School and Bishop O’ Dowd High School, respectively. Barker passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on June 12, 2025, at just 51 years of age. His generous, joyful spirit lives on through the Brendan Barker Foundation, Inc., which supports the Alameda Little League community and ensures his legacy continues.
As the day drew to a close, Matthews commented, “In Little League, winning should always be secondary to good sportsmanship and teaching life skills, including having respect for others.” He added, “All I’ve ever wanted is for the players to be able to say that Little League was one of the most rewarding experiences in their lives, and that it was a foundation to their future success.”
