VALDOSTA — For six decades, the Boys Club has been a part of Valdosta and an integral part of the lives of many local youths.

The Valdosta Boys and Girls Club will celebrate its 60th anniversary Saturday during opening ceremonies for the spring baseball and softball seasons at Lake Laurie. The ceremonies will begin at 9 a.m., and will be held at Roy Moody Memorial Field (the new 11-12 year-olds field).

On hand to throw out ceremonial first pitches Saturday will be representatives from the last six decades. Representing the 1940s will be Joe Wilson, who played for Boys Club teams in the club’s early days in Valdosta and went on to become an assistant football coach at Valdosta High, and the head football coach at Lowndes from 1976-88.

Representing the 1950s will be Larry Colson, who played on the 1957 local little league champions, went on to play football for VHS, and now is a successful businessman with Colson Business Systems.

Representing the 1960s will be David Pipkin, who is now a member of the Boys Club Board.

Representing the 1970s will be John Lastinger, who played on the 1974 Southeastern Pony League champions, and went on to play quarterback at Valdosta High and the University of Georgia.

From the 1980s will be Tad Evans, who played on the Bronco League state champions in 1982, and now is the tennis pro for the City of Valdosta.

Representing the 1990s, a decade in which 13 Boys Club teams won state championships and four won national titles, will be Scott Fletcher, who played on a Dixie Pre-Majors championship team in 1997 and the Majors runner-ups in 1999, and went on to play baseball for VHS and Valdosta State.

The theme of the opening ceremonies is “Past, Present, Future,” and each will be represented. Wilson, Colson, Pipkin, Lastinger, Evans and Fletcher represent the Boys Club’s past. Representing the present, and the 2000s decade, will be Jayson Wilson, Joe’s grandson, who played on the GRPA champions last year.

And representing the future will be two fourth-generation Boys Club members. Jake Lastinger, John’s son, currently plays at the Boys Club, and may one day become a board member, just like great-grandfather John W. Lastinger, grandfather Johnny B. Lastinger and his father have been. Spencer Pipkin also plays at the Boys Club, like his grandfather and father did. Spencer’s great-grandfather was also a board member, back in the 1950s.

“We’re real excited about Saturday, and about having representatives of all six decades out there with us,” Valdosta Boys and Girls Club Chief Professional Officer Robert Soper said. “This is a big anniversary for us, and we expect this to be a nice ceremony Saturday.

“This is such a tribute to all the people who have been here and been a part of the Boys Club the past 60 years. A lot of people have helped make us what we are today, and we appreciate all of them.”

This year’s uniforms will also honor the Boys Club’s past. The boys baseball players will wear uniforms with the old Boys Club logos, while the girls softball players will wear uniforms with the old Girls Club logo on it.

This will be the start of the Boys Club’s baseball and softball seasons. They will play Saturday through Thursday, then take a week off for spring break, then resume the next Monday.

This year, the Boys Club debuts new rules for its 11-12 year-old division. The pitching mound has been moved back from 46 to 50 feet, the bases have been moved from 60 to 70 feet, and the outfield fences have been moved from 200 to 225 feet. Players are also allowed to lead off and steal bases.

Volunteers worked through the winter to rebuild the field to the new specifications.

“We’ve done this so that the jump in leagues from 12 to 13 isn’t so bad for the kids,” Soper said. “This puts the bat back in the game, by giving the batter four more feet to react to the ball. It makes the game more exciting. We’ve already played a tournament under these rules, and the kids liked it.”