There’s no place like...
Staten Island. Especially when it comes to our youth sports scene, most notably our local Little Leagues. No, it’s not quite Friday nights in Texas, but our little borough boasts some of the most passionate fans, dedicated coverage, and state of the art athletic facilities -- each of which rival some of the best in the nation.
It’s easy to forget that, though. We’ve been spoiled by watching our kids at Little Leagues like Great Kills or Snug Harbor with their immaculate turf fields. Heck, South Shore even has a whole stadium! Next year, Mid-Island will have a brand new turf field and the rest of the borough’s leagues are in solid shape, to boot.
The games come with the pomp and circus of a professional atmosphere. They are typically covered by veteran reporters and captured in photos by skilled photographers, which eventually appear in the local newspaper (small plug). Many of the games are even livestreamed now, too.
It wasn’t until covering last week’s Eastern Regional softball tournament at Snug Harbor LL that I, myself, realized just how advanced our local youth sports ecosphere has become. The 10 out-of-state teams were in amazement at the show Staten Island put on for them -- even with no borough teams involved. Public address announcers introducing players and coaches? Reporters interviewing 10-year-old players after games? A live-stream broadcast of the entire tourney on YouTube? These are not norms in most areas around the country.
These are luxuries. Privileges. The people here are no different, either.
Administrators like District 24 coordinator Frank Cambria or Snug Harbor LL president Dennis Thompson go above and beyond with their devotion to the game and, more importantly, the kids. Their duties include scheduling Staten Island’s Little League All-Star tournaments, staffing umpires, coordinating coaches and players, and upholding the rules. You’ve surely seen Cambria at every tournament this summer.
Maybe you haven’t seen him, but you’ve certainly heard Danny Chanod’s voice if you’ve been active on the Little League circuit. The Nobody Cares Sports broadcaster was calling as many as seven games a day - which are broadcast on his YouTube channel . The games began as early as 8 a.
m. and would sometimes end close to midnight. The live-stream coverage allowed families, many of whom lived hours away from the Eastern Regional action in Livingston last week, to see the games from afar.
Other Little League presidents, like Great Kills’ Rob Pascale and South Shore’s Vin Nichilo, also opened their doors to out-of-state teams this summer. They were up bright and early prepping fields and were typically the last ones out the door cleaning up after games. Each of the Island’s LL loops has strong leadership and a dedicated community around it.
On the field, many of the contests featured three or even four-person umpire crews and Staten Island’s best officials were out there for the biggest games. It’s truly a blessing to play ball here on our little rock. Out-of-towners have taken notice, too.
“Frank and Dennis - from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” said Maine 10s softball coach Nate Schools. “The Maine families, players, and coaches are grateful for the opportunity to come to your complex and play against the best teams in the NE (northeast)! We do not have those opportunities in Maine. You and your staff provided a fantastic backdrop for all of us.
The whole experience was unforgettable.” “It was something I will never forget,” chimed Vermont head coach Adam Carter. For Cambria, there was one simple mission behind it all.
“Seeing them have fun and enjoying themselves was our goal and made the tournament worth doing,” he said..
