STAMFORD - Last week, the Catskill Mountain Little League (CMLL) hosted several big events to showcase their new facility and welcome youth and their families from the surrounding regions. The excitement started on Thursday evening with a Coach Ballgame Sandlot where James Lowe brought his energy and enthusiasm for helping boys and girls find the joy in playing ball with skills stations such as volleyball baseball, snowball baseball (trying to hit a wiffle ball at coaches) and tennis ball sandlot where everyone hits and there are no foul balls, walks or strikeouts. Several volunteer coaches pitched in to run stations for the children including three members of the Stamford Central School modified softball team, recent CMLL alums and many coaches from CMLL and other local leagues. In addition to over 40 players from the area, an additional 22 plus participants came from outside the region including the Hudson & Schoharie Valleys, Adirondacks, southern New Jersey, Boston and Sacramento. Funding support for the Coach Ballgame Sandlot was provided in part by a grant from the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation.
Afterward, coaches were treated to some Q+A time with Lowe where he shared his coaching philosophies learned from the countless Major Leaguers he’s met through his highly acclaimed podcast, “Talkin’ Shop with Coach Ballgame”, his job as MLB’s Play Ball Ambassador and over his 20 years of coaching youth baseball. He emphasized seeing the big picture by first setting a positive example by winning the heart of children before focusing on winning the game. Lowe explained his concerns about a “toxic culture” that has developed in youth sports citing reasons for 70% of children across the U.S. quitting sports after 13 years old. Despite that startling number, Lowe felt that things are turning around for the better and was the reason he developed the Sandlot to tour nationally focusing on the joy of playing ball.
On Saturday, the complex was packed to the brim with families in lawn chairs and pop-up tents on hand to watch six teams compete in a 10 and under all-star baseball tournament - the first youth baseball all-star tournament in several years held in Stamford. Including our own CMLL, teams from Sidney, Sherburne, Berne-Knox-Westerlo, Mountain Valley LL (Shandaken) and Cooperstown competed with the latter winning the crown. Another tournament is planned at the complex for this coming weekend with a number of 12 and under teams.
CMLL hosted its first ever MLB-sponsored Pitch, Hit & Run competition. Over 20 participants ranging in age from 8 to 14 competed within their age group on accurate pitching, hitting balls for power from a tee, and running a distance of 90 feet. The Local Champions were: Softball: 7/8 - Annalynn Trimbell of Hobart, 11/12 - Kendall Howard of Bloomville, Baseball: 7/8 - Brodie Miller of South Kortright, 9/10 - Liam Schmitt of Jefferson, 11/12 - Mason Hubbard of Gilboa and 13/14 - Cody Hager of Hobart (the top overall scorer among all contestants). Winners of the local event are pooled with other events throughout the region and the top scorers in each age group advance to the Team Championships held at the closest MLB ballpark.
