VALLEY WEST LITTLE LEAGUE

NEWSLETTER valleywestlittleleague.org WINTER 2014

2013 was the most successful year for Valley West Little League in recent memory. All three all-star teams had impressive tournaments with both the 11-12-year-old and 10-11-year-old teams capturing District 18 titles. The 10-11 teams managed to finish as runners-up in the Section 6 tournament, just one win away from capturing a berth in the Pennsylvania State Championship tournament.

The 9-10-year-old team made it to the District 18 North championship round before losing. Additionally, the 7-8-year-old tournament team amassed a record of 15-1 while winning two of the three tournaments they entered.

These four teams managed to establish Valley West as a powerhouse league in District 18, and it looks like we’ll remain there for some time. Let’s try to add three more “balls on the walls” of our dugouts in 2014.

The 11-12-year-old team, pictured above, consisted of Brady Antolick, Franklin Ator, Frank DeGaetano, Alex D’Angelo, Paul Flowers, Jordan Pick, Daniel Podlesney, Nolan Schneider, Mason Sokolowski, Quest Wilson, Ryan Wolk and Larry Zapotocky. The manager was Curtis Pick, and coaches were Jeff Antolick, Frank DeGaetano, Frank Ator, Lon Wilson and Jack Schneider.

The team rolled through the District 18 competition with shutout wins over West Hazleton and White Haven before a hard fought one-run win over Tamaqua. They then defeated Lansford and Towamensing to claim the District 18 Title.

In Section 6 action in Freeland, they opened with a decisive 14-3 win over Stroudsburg before losing two straight games to Warwick and Pennridge.

The 10-11-year-old team, pictured below, included Kyra Antolick, Brian Bartal, Lance Book, Jonathan DeBellis, Chris Latoff, Jake Marnell, Gavin McGowan, Jordan Stefanick, T.J. Pleban, Andrew Vayda, Christian Yamulla and Corey Zientek. Staff included Bob Bartal, manager, with coaches Jeff Antolick, Matt McGowan, Brian Vayda, Mike Latoff and Lance Book.

The defending District 18 champs opened the tourney with an easy win before losing game two to Valley East. They then worked their way through the loser’s bracket, playing five consecutive nights and defeating Anthracite, Towamensing and Valley East before facing last year’s runners-up, Tamaqua whom they defeated two games in a row to retain their title.

In Section 6 play, they opened with an easy win over Stroudsburg before losing game two to Council Rock-Northampton and going into the loser’s bracket. They beat Pennridge and Council Rock-Northampton on consecutive nights to force an elimination championship game with Council Rock. The team battled in the final before losing 7-5 and coming up just short of advancing to the Pennsylvania State championship round.

Story continued on page 2

Banner year for Valley West Little League

Inside this issue: Sign ups/important dates ......... 2 Eligibility rule change ................ 2 Volunteer form info .................. 2 2013 review ................................ 3 President’s Message ................... 3 2014 board .................................. 3

2013 improvements .................. 3 Clothing sale............................... 3 Special thanks ............................ 4 Upcoming clinics ....................... 4 Treasurer’s report ...................... 4 Golf tournament ....................... 4

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Sign-up time is here! All sign-ups for Tee-Ball (ages 4 to 6), Minor League (ages 7 to 9) and Little League (ages 9 to 12) will be held at the Conyngham Borough Building on Main Street.

Date: Time: Wednesday, February 5 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, February 12 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, February 19 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, February 26 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 1 1 to 3 p.m.

Other important dates

Date: Event/details: Saturday, March 22 Little League tryouts, 1 p.m.,

Larock Field Monday, March 24 Little League practices begin Saturday, March 29 Minor League tryouts, TBA Saturday, April 12 Opening Day/pictures Saturday, June 7 Season ends/playoffs begin Saturday, June 14 Playoffs end Saturday June 14 League picnic

Minor League and Tee-Ball players will be called by coaches after the teams are selected. Minor League practice starts on or about March 31. Tee-Ball practice starts on or about April 7. Don’t worry - if you signed up, you will definitely get a call!

NEWSLETTER valleywestlittleleague.org WINTER 2014

Important residency and school attendance eligibility

rule change for 2014 In an effort to accommodate Little Leaguers playing with their classmates and to ease the burden on parents and guardians, Little League recently amended its residency requirements to allow children to play in the local league whose boundaries include the school they attend. To verify enrollment, parents will need to bring an official school document, such as a report card or school enrollment form, confirming enrollment in the school for the current academic year, dated before October 1, 2013. What does this mean? If your child attends Valley Elementary School, he or she is now eligible to play Valley West Little League regardless of where you reside. This is designed to be a parental decision as to where your child plays Little League baseball.

Story continued from page 1 The 9-10-year-old team members, pictured above, were Matthew Abreu, John Ashton, Christian Badamo, Anthony Cera, Michael Kilker, Marcus LaBuda, Joey Lewis, Kevin Meluskey, Luke Russo, Brandon Schlauch, John Skuba and Luke Walser. Team manager was Jack Meluskey, with Tony Kilker and Mike LaBuda, Tony Badamo, Steve Walser and Tony Russo serving as coaches.

The team opened action in the District 18 North Tournament with three straight wins over Hazle Township, West Hazleton and Valley East before dropping two straight to a tough Hazleton squad in the northern championship round.

The 7-8-year-old tournament team, above, included Brett Antolick, Jonas Aponick, Gage Chipeleski, Jacob Davidovich, Antonio Doganiero, Luke Gennaro, Nick Hebel, Corey Matriccino, Jacob Mummey, Brady Pettit, Grant Russo, Ella Schneider, Joe Skuba and Connor Wolfe. The manager was Jeremy Mummey and coaches were Joe Aponick, Tony Doganiero, Emil Gennaro, Bobby Hebel, Scott Klesh, Rob Schneider and Ken Skuba.

This young team entered the Hazle Township, Hazleton and West Hazleton tournaments, compiled a 15-1 record, and took home the championship trophies from both the Hazle Township and Hazleton tournaments.

Attention: managers, coaches, team moms and umpires

Anyone who comes into regular contact with the children must submit a Little League Volunteer Application Form before the first practice. Please contact Mike LaBuda at 274mountainside@gmail.com for a copy of the form. The form is also available at www.valleywestlittleleague.org or at sign-ups.

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2013 in review

Participation numbers:

Little League - 95 players on eight Little League teams: Conyngham Builders, Conyngham Pharmacy, Eury's State Farm Insurance, Maylath Design, McNelis Law, Shuman Disposal, Valley Athletic Supply, and Valley Pharmacy.

Minor League - 59 players on six teams: Benjamin Real Estate, Diversified Cable, Fairway Chevrolet, Onsite Portable Toilets, Valley Pizza, Valley Vets Home Association Post 8161.

Tee-Ball - 70 players on six teams: Bedrock Gardens, Fairway Subaru, Schagen Electric, Sugarloaf Child Care, Valley Pets, Valley Vets Home Association Post 8161.

Fall Ball League - 55 players on five teams: Harry’s U-Pull It, McNelis Law, Valley Pizza, Valley Athletic Supply, and Valley Testing and Balancing. Additionally, one team of 12 players represented Valley West Baseball in a District 18-sponsored fall league (11-12-year-old division).

Please support team sponsors and advertisers It takes a lot of commitment to make this league run as well as it does, and we couldn’t do it without the help of our team sponsors and advertisers. Please return the favor and support them throughout the year whenever you have the chance.

Sponsoring an outfield sign is a great way to advertise your business to hundreds of people each year and support Valley West Little League - at a real value! A 4’ x 8’ sign costs $300 the first year ($200 production fee and $100 advertising fee). After that, the annual renewal fee is only $100. For more information, contact Frank Ator at 570-788-3311.

Regular season results In the opening round of the playoffs, Shuman’s defeated Valley Pharmacy in two straight games, while Conyngham Builders beat Valley Athletic Supply 2 games to 1. In the championship game, Shuman’s defeated Builders by winning two straight games to capture their second consecutive league championship.

Congratulations to players Brady Antolick, Brett Antolick, Kyra Antolick, Julian Cerullo, Collin Eisenhower, Marcus Labuda, Jacob Magula, Dylan McCoy, Gavin McGowan, Corey Zientek and Cameron Zynel; manager Jeff Antolick and coaches Steve Cerullo, Mike LaBuda, Matt McGowan and Gene Zynel.

NEWSLETTER valleywestlittleleague.org WINTER 2014

2014 Board of Directors/Officers Mike Beltrami President 570-359-3163 Brian Vayda Vice President 570-401-4255 Bob Bartal Secretary 570-788-5363 Frank Ator Treasurer 570-788-3311 Jeff Antolick Coaching Coordinator 570-436-1313 Tony Doganiero Player Agent 570-788-4680 Gary Genasevich Community Representative 570-384-0377 Mike LaBuda Minor League Coordinator 570-788-8933 Frank DeGaetano Fundraising Coordinator 570-788-6789 Michael Latoff Manager Representative 570-401-9136 Tony Kilker Safety Officer 570-956-2794 Lisa Pleban Information Officer 570-788-8794 TBD Auxiliary President Eric Reed Field Maintenance 570-233-8126 Fred Pleban Equipment Officer 570-436-2565

President’s message

Last year was a memorable one for Valley West Little League. We won two District 18 championships and just missed out on sweeping all three age divisions. But, the success of our league is not measured by championships. It’s about creating a positive experience for the children and families who participate.

In order to do that, it takes a lot of hard work, most of which is done behind the scenes by the many volunteers who give up their precious free time to make the league run as smoothly as it does. But, we could use a lot more help. Make this the year that you get involved. Don’t wait for somebody to ask you to do something. If you see anything that could be done better, please approach us and offer your assistance to improve it. We certainly won’t turn you away.

Finally, please mark your calendars for Sunday, April 27 at 1:00 p.m. when we will host our first annual Valley West golf tournament – the Leigh A. Genasevich Memorial. Anybody who knew Leigh knows what a special person she was. She touched so many of our lives in such a positive way, and her spirit will always be with us. Let’s continue to honor her memory with a great event that she will look down upon with joy and kindness.

Sincerely,

Michael Beltrami

2013 capital improvements Thanks to the hard work and dedication of many coaches and parents, several upgrades were made to the fields at Whispering Willows Park. These included new carpeting for the press box, new fryer for concession stand, concession stand floor refurbished, new batting cage net, new outfield fence at back field, and four trees planted along the first base side of field.

Clothing sale Valley West clothing will again be sold with all proceeds benefitting the league. Valley Athletic Supply has worked with us for the last two years to put a great design on a quality piece of clothing at a reasonable price. Offered are Under Armor hoodies, golf shirts and tee shirts in men’s, women’s and youth sizes, along with baseball hats, winter hats and wind breaker jackets. Contact Bob Bartal at 570-788-5363 for an order form.

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Special thanks We wish to thank the following outgoing managers who devoted countless hours to the league and made the youth baseball experience much better for so many children: Tom Myers, Curtis Pick and Lon Wilson. Lon is also the outgoing safety officer.

We also recognize Rob Schneider for his continued help with the Valley West clothing fundraiser, Craig Radzwich for supplying a storage pod at the field, Steve Clabia for ensuring we have umpires, and Louis “Booty” Beltrami for his continued support in sponsoring our pizza fundraiser.

Thanks also to Wolk’s Tree Farm for donating four shade trees which were planted along the first base side of the field and to Jason Seiwell of Therma-Tek Range Corporation for donating a new fryer to the concession stand. We also thank Bonomo’s Floor Covering for providing the new carpeting for the press box, as well as Shelly’s Lumber for a new press box door and resident handyman Matt McGowan of Hallmark Homes for installing the door, and Joe Kress for procuring a backhoe and operator to plant our new trees and purchasing hats and new uniform jerseys for the District 18 fall ball team.

Last but not least, we recognize John and Debbie Cara and their family of Gould’s ShurSave for their never ending support of Valley West Baseball.

Pitching/coaching clinics at the CVCO

Shuman’s coach Jeff Antolick, who pitched in the New York Yankees organization, will once again conduct pre-season pitching clinics at the CVCO.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to help your player improve! The clinics are free and are for Valley West Little League players only. The clinics are scheduled as follows:

Sunday, February 9 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. for 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. for 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds

Sunday, February 16 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. for 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. for 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds

Sunday, February 23 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. for 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. for 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds

Coaches—You also have a great opportunity to learn from experienced, high-level baseball coaches. Jeff Antolick will bring some local and collegiate coaches in to provide pointers on running effective practices and to offer proven pitching, hitting and fielding techniques. Help your team become more competitive by attending this clinic from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 23.

2013 Treasurer’s Report

Oct. 2012 – Sept. 2013 Ordinary Income/Expense

Income

Concessions ........................................... 18,421

Donations Received ............................... 3,870

Fundraising ............................................ 3,200

Registrations .......................................... 12,645

Sign & Team Sponsors .......................... 11,675

Total Income: 49,811

Expense

Bank Charges ......................................... 26

Capital Improvements ............................. .. 9,224

Charitable Contributions ......................... .. 250

Equipment Rent & Maintenance… ......... 435

Field Supplies & Expenses .................... .. 4,706

Insurance ............................................... ... 546

Little League Int’l/District 18 .................. 2,137

Office Supplies & Expenses .................. 87

Postage & Delivery ................................. 181

Printing & Reproduction .......................... 225

Professional Services fees ..................... 700

Rent & Meeting Expense ........................ 667

Security ................................................. 384

Sponsorship & Promotion Costs ............. 1,230

Tournament Fees ................................... 1,208

Uniforms & Player Equipment ................ 26,786

Utilities ................................................... 5,371

Website .................................................. 219

Total Expense 54,382

Net Income <4,571> Cash Balance at beginning of the year 23,124 Cash Balance at end of year 18,553

NEWSLETTER valleywestlittleleague.org WINTER 2014

Memorial golf tournament scheduled

The inaugural Valley West Leigh A. Genasevich Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at Sugarloaf Golf Course on Sunday, April 27.

The goal is to make this annual event a great fundraiser for our league, as well as a good time for friends and supporters of Valley West. In addition to registering a foursome of golfers, you can support this worthwhile endeavor through event, tournament and program sponsorships, as well as prize donations. For more information contact Gary Genasevich at 570-956-0440.

Let’s all mark our calendars and pitch in to make this event something we can look forward to every spring long after our children have moved beyond little league.