The 2021 Roosevelt Island Little League baseball season began Saturday, April 17 and played through June 19 with Division Championship Games for the kids and a Coaches Game for the kids at heart too.

Roosevelt Island Little League wife and mom Suzy del Campo Perea reports
and shares these photos:

When parents received on March 5th the email from the RI Little Leagues
Coordinator Danny about the baseball program coming back this Spring, it
was not only parents and children excited: the coaches got that shine in
their eyes and were ready to go back to the field.

To be honest, when I told my husband Coach Roberto about the Little League happening this year I noticed a smile on his face, the shinning in his eyes, and his usual calmness thinking out loud: where is my glove?Our first comment was: Coaches game? Its going to be awesome, we have
been waiting for 2 years for it to happen again.

I am pretty sure that the reaction was similar among all our returning coaches: Excitement.

Arya and Danny, the coordinators, planned out the Little League exceptionally well and almost all the previous years coaches were more than eager to come back to coach. Some of those coaches have been volunteering in the little League since it started 6 years ago.

The coaches organized a scrimmage to be able to have balanced teams among the 3 categories: T-ball, Minors and Majors. The goal was very clear, to provide kids with a safe and supportive environment to learn and practice a Sport, have fun, and to have what all the kids and parents have been missing: socialization of their kids among their peers, teamwork and if possible a victory every single game.

The Little League had over 100 players from age 5 (Kindergarten) to 14 yrs old (HS Freshman) all genders and all abilities, and 24+ coaches. Those coaches are the heart of the League. We had a wide array of coaches from very young coaches single with no kids, as well as a very experienced coach, and great player that is a Grandpa Jimmy Starace Sr.; female coaches, adults with no kids, coaches that have played before as well as others that have never played before. The common characteristic that they share is the Sense of Community to give Love back to our kids, to RI youth!

Every Saturday morning, the coaches of T-ball were at the field as early as 9am to get the little ones playing. They stay calmed and offered words of encouragement. It is not an easy task to have about 9-12 children 5-7 yrs old learning a sport, trying to hit and catch a ball and have fun at the same time. The coaches patience is formidable.

Minors and Majors coaches had a more difficult task, to create a team that can hit, catch, throw, and be quick to make the right decision. Majors coaches were at Capobianco field every single Saturday afternoon. These coaches gave the kids a sense of belonging in a team, gave them amazing afternoons of training during the week, not even rain can stop them. Minors Grey Vultures took advantage of the muddy Pony field, and led by Coach Ben, they learned to slide! Who cares about some mud EVERYWHERE when the kids and the kids at heart were having so much fun and a lesson on top of it!

Coaches moved back and forth carrying the huge baseball bag loaded with equipment without complaint. They arrived early on game days to make sure their players warmed up and were ready to have the best day of their week.

All coaches supported each other, there was no coach that will not lend a hand when needed even if they werent asked. They cheer for all players, and they kept tabs on each other’s games. The willingness to coach the kids made the difference in the lives of these kids and their families.

Plenty of times coaches were congratulating younger players down Main Street: Great game! You had fun? I know you hit really good. Keep up the good work! That is the spirit and the normalcy of Roosevelt Island that they brought this Spring.

We had 10 regular games, one All-Star game, semifinals and the Finals plus the Coaches game. All teams won some games and lost others, coaches made sure that a positive attitude and respect for the team played against were at the top of the list. Some coaches brought treats for the kids, sponsored pizzas for weekday games, and kept the spirits high.

The most waited, expected and exciting game of the whole season was the coaches game. Grey and Blue coaches vs. Red and Green. What a game! We even got back a very well loved and respected coach: Matt Hoskinson who came to play with his friends. We had pitching for the Red&Green team Mr Jimmy Starace Sr, and for the Grey&Blue Ben Rose. The umpire was Eugenio Garca, Blue Majors player.

The bleachers were full. Parents, players, friends, sons, daughters, neighbors, even residents of Coler came down to watch and cheer every single play. The coaches finally got to play,

and we got to see how suddenly these adults that gave so much love to
our kids were transformed into kids

that just wanted to enjoy the moment that they have been waiting for
the last 24 months.
There were strike outs, there were outs on first, second and third,
even at home. There were almost home runs, almost cause the grown trees prevented the balls to land at Grandpa Al Lewis playground. Everyone cheered the whole game.

This game was the culmination of a season that gave us so much. The
season gave the kids a sense of normalcy, they belong to a team and they
werent behind a screen. We got fun, joy and got so many
accomplishments. To parents, it was a relief to feel that finally we could
move back to a much normal activity where our kids can be together and
play. And for the coaches the time to give back to their community, for
their kids, the friends of their own kids (if any) and for all the
kids of RI; an opportunity to teach a sport they love, to see smiles on
young faces and to enjoy every second of being part of the Roosevelt
Island Little League.

To me and to so many more, the stars of Spring 2021 are RI Little League Coaches! Muchas Gracias

Thank you so much for all the love you gave to RI, you know how special you are to my family. I just hope that next year on top of a Coaches Game we can celebrate the season at any RI spot (hope we can get some recognition from our RI Business for all of you).

Roosevelt Island Little League Coach Ben Rose reports on the Division
Championship Games:

The Roosevelt Island Little League, is sponsored through the Roosevelt
Island Center of Community Development (RICCD). The league started its
season in mid-April and offered a 10-game season, free for all players,
and comprised mainly of Island kids, as well as some of our neighbors
from Astoria and Long Island City.

The league organizers and managers are Arya Shirazi and Daniel Vithlani. They volunteered countless hours and Saturdays to ensure a wonderful season for players and their families.

Roosevelt Island Little League Majors Division Champions

On June 19, 2021, 3 pm game time, the #1 Chilies defeated the #2 Greyhounds in a decisive victory.

Image From Yuki Rose

Coaches: JP Starace, Alex Chou, Jimmy Starace, Carlos Rodriguez

 Players: Jas Starace, Luca Starace, Toby Chou, Alex Rodriguez, Jamin
Rose, Diego Shirazi, Ben Gillespie, Tice Collins, Emilia Garcia, Oliver
Lenowitz, Isaiah Ballard

Roosevelt Island Little League Minors Division Champions

On June 19, 11 AM game time, the #4 Vultures upset the #2 Blue Wolves 6-5 to win the championship. (The win came after the vultures knocked off the #1 Red Blazing Phoenixes 5-4 in the playoffs to earn their championship berth). The Vultures had a storybook season when, after starting the season 0-5, the Vultures won all but one of their remaining games; each victory by a single-run margin or in extra innings.

Image From George Estreich

Coaches: Ben Rose, Roberto Borja

Players: Mason Rose, Leire Borja, Itziar Borja, Milo Mackey, Luke McNamara, Maxwell Devine, Beau Estreich, Julian Palmer, Juliana Paredes, Bran Heffner, Lorenzo Lineros, Adrian Turner