A quiet milestone passed earlier this summer on the baseball fields in Arlington Heights, when Fred Allman launched his 20th season teaching T-ball to 5- and 6-year-olds for the Arlington Heights Park District

After three weeks of classes, the teams opened their season last week at Camelot Park -- and as always, Allman was in the thick of it, standing near second base, directing the youngsters on how to make the plays.

:Gloves on your knees, eyes on the ball and get ready for the batter" he calls out to his players in the field, all sporting their new team shirts and caps.

The season opener drew even Roger Key, the park district's Executive Director, to attend.

"Fred Allman has been one terrific instructor," Key says, "and he continues to be the catalyst why T-ball is so popular and successful.

Young parents watching earlier this month marveled at Allman's ability to run the game, affirming each player -- by name -- when they came up to bay, and when they made a play.

This year, he admits, is not as hard as some of his earlier years, when he taught 400 children at both Pioneer and Camelot parks.  Six years ago, he cut back to working strictly at Camelot and as a result he teaches 82 youngsters in eight classes.

"He's so energetic -- and positive" says Cyndi Constertina of Arlington Heights, as she watches her 6-year-old son, Tommy, play. "He gives lots of good instruction"

"He's so calm", Pagones says.  "He must be a teacher."

In fact he is.  Every summer, Allman returns to the Arlington Heights ballfields after teaching physical education during the school year at DuJardin Elementary School in Bloomingdale.

Teaching the fundamentals of T-ball is somewhat of an extension of his full-time duties, when he teachers gym to kindergartners through fifth-grades. 

Working around Allman are high school and college instructors -- most of whom had Allman as a T-ball coach themselves -- including Julianne Schreiber of Arlington Heights, who runs the Camelot program with him.

Quinn and Graham Loch of Arlington Heights remember Allman as their teacher when they were kindergartners,  The two brothers went on to play recreation baseball through high school, and now teach with Allman at Camelot, as well as at other parks throughout the district.

"Oh, yeah, Fred was my teacher 14 years ago,: says Quinn Loch, 20, a junior at Illinois State University.  "I still don't know how he remembers everyone's names.  I try, but I just can't do it like he does."

Allman prides himself on learning children's names within the first week and from there as looks for improvement.  That's what keeps him coming back, he says.

"I have to say that the kids always show improvement, from the beginning of the three weeks of practices, to when they start the four weeks of games," Allman says. 

But he doesn't take all the credit.

"I've always stresses the importance of practicing at home,: he adds.  "I stress it to the parents when I talk to them at the first practice, and I mention it to the kids at then end of every practice and game."

Teaching T-ball only makes up part of Allman's summer vacation.  He also moonlights as a basketball referee in many of the area high school summer leagues.

Come this fall, he can be found officiating high school football for the Illinois High School Association, before basketball starts.

It keeps him in shape, he says, but it also ties in with his role as an educator; and helping young student-athletes learn the fundamentals.