OUR VIEW: Our favorite thing about spring? The youth sports.

» With Little League starting and other sports in full swing, we look forward to a full slate of athletic competition in the coming months.

The sound of bats hitting balls can be heard throughout Culpeper and the surrounding area these days, with high school baseball and softball teams enjoying successful seasons and local Little Leaguers making their way to the diamond.

While the Eastern View baseball and softball teams are both off to tremendous starts and battling for district championships, future high school players also have begun their seasons with a fantastic celebration.

Culpeper Little League recently marked its 35th anniversary with opening day festivities for baseball and softball, which proved to be an enjoyable experience despite rain. The Rappahannock Athletic Association also celebrated opening day last weekend. It marked the 30th year of youth baseball in Amissville.

But baseball and softball players aren’t the only competitors out and about now that the weather is warming up (at least some days). Lacrosse, tennis track and field hockey are also in full swing.

And don’t forget those youth soccer players who populate the fields at the county rec complex. They might learn a thing or two by stopping to watch the EVHS girls soccer team. The Cyclones are off to a 5-1 start and have won three of their four district contests.

Of course, springtime in Culpeper means it won’t be long until Soap Box Derby cars begin rolling down Blue Ridge Avenue. Preparations for the big race are already under way, and several events will lead up to the Soap Box Derby of Culpeper in June.

If all goes well, this might be the last year Derby racers and their families take over the area around Yowell Meadow Park. The racers themselves have been involved in numerous fundraising activities, which could help build a permanent track north of town.

If that race facility is completed, it would provide a boost to the local race scene and the economy as traveling Soap Box enthusiasts come to Culpeper.