By Anthony Bosco
For the first time in its history, District 26 will be hosting the New York State Little League championships in girls’ softball for ages 13 and 14.
The tournament, which will pit the winners of New York’s four sections, begins July 27 and runs through July 30. The games will be played at the Elmjack complex in East Elmhurst, with opening ceremonies — to be attended by Mayor Michael Bloomberg — kicking off the weekend at 10 a.m.
“It’s a big thing to take on,” said Dom Abbatiello, District Administrator for District 26. “It’s really a lot of work. They asked for volunteers and I volunteered.”
According to Abbatiello, teams may come from as far as Buffalo to compete for the state championships. The winner of the state tournament moves on to compete for the regional crown, which precedes nationals.
“I want to put softball on the map,” said Abbatiello, who will be hosting the tournament along with Donna Martin from District 27. “The girls deserve just as much as the boys.”
Abbatiello got his start in the Little League system much the way many other volunteers got started, coaching his own children. With his kids now grown, Abbatiello stayed on as a volunteer, eventually becoming president of the Mid Queens-Fresh Meadows Little League and then an assistant district administrator before taking over the top spot when longtime Little League volunteer, Steve Goldfinger of the Little Neck-Douglaston Little League, died two years ago.
“They started when they were 5 years old,” Abbatiello said of his children. “Somebody was there for my kids and they did a good job so I thought I’d stay on and help. I like it.”
District 26, which encompasses most of Northern Queens and houses the Bayside, Elmjack, MQFM, Little Neck-Douglaston, College Point, Forest Hills and Glen Oaks Little Leagues, also will be hosting sectional softball games in the 11, 12, 13 and 14 age groups prior to the state championships.
Sectional games are a precursor to the state championships.
The whole summer season gets started with leagues in the same district competing for the district championship and the right to play in the sectionals. Double-elimination district tournament play, featuring all-star teams from each in league in a variety of age divisions, begins just after July 4 in District 26.
District 26 also is going to host sectional baseball games, one on July 21 for 11- and 12-year-olds at the newly refurbished Crocheron Park Field No. 3, and one on July 27, for 9- and 10- year-olds at Spieler Field on 73rd Avenue in Hollis Hill.
“It’s a lot of work,” Abbatiello said. “A lot of people look at it like we’re playing ball, but we start Jan. 1 and go through the whole year. We’re hosting a lot of games this year.”
District tournament play in District 27, which covers southern Queens, begins July 1.
The leagues in District 27 include Briarwood-Jamaica, Broad Channel, Cambria Heights-Laurelton, Jamaica Estates-Holliswood, Jewish Community, Ozone-Howard, Rochdale Village, RGMVM, Rockaway, Rosedale, St. Albans and Woodhaven-Ozone-Richmond Hill-Kew Gardens.
Harold Weisman, the district administrator for District 27, has been volunteering his time to Little League baseball for decades, starting off as a manager for his own children’s teams before becoming the district’s top man in 1970.
According to Weisman, more than 10,000 children play baseball in District 27 from ages 5 through 18, something made possible by the tireless work of volunteers, volunteers who make his job easy.
“A lot of people take a beating,” Weisman said. “You don’t hear about the good people. They do the work.”
Reach Sports Editor Anthony Bosco by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 130.
