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Light Rain Local PAL, Little League create winter softball program
For the past decade, Franklin Square resident Joe Rigano’s passion has been youth baseball and softball, and staying committed to other sports programs for local children. As commissioner of the Franklin Square/Elmont Police Athletic League, which has existed for more than 50 years, Rigano is able to live do what he loves most year-round.
Recently, he’s been working to make the local PAL even better.
In May of 2010, Rigano — who’s been involved with PAL for seven years, and commissioner for three — worked with Roy Vasil of the Merrick PAL to initiate the first inter-PAL baseball program on Long Island, and that program has been growing ever since. In 2010, Massapequa, Hicksville, Farmingdale, Merrick and Franklin Square/Elmont played their first inter-organizational season, and in the summer of 2010, even more local teams participated.
On Nov. 2, the Franklin Square/Elmont PAL and Franklin Square Little League teamed up to create the community’s first Winter Softball Training Program, in order to help players better compete with surrounding schools. Rigano said that 30 second- to sixth-grade girls are currently enrolled in the program, which will run through March. He also said that although enrollment has closed for the program this year, he’s hoping to have more participants and bring more volunteers and players, as well as surrounding schools, into the program next year.
Additionally, PAL and Little League are planning to expand the winter training program next winter to include a baseball program.
He added that the training program includes five volunteer coaches — Paul Sirone, Gerry Gomes, Chris Schemmer, Eric Dill and John Ricobbono — and two trainers, including Denise Smith and Katie Mirabile, both Franklin Square residents and once-members of the F.S. Little League. Smith and Mirabile both attended the H. Frank Carey High School, where Mirabile was a three-year varsity catcher, earning three most valuable player awards and two all-county honors. They were both also members of two district championship teams, played on a total of eight district all-star teams, and both went on to play college softball.
Denise is currently ranked 14th regionally in batting, with a .529 average for Nassau Community College.
“Denise and Katie are enthusiastic women, who love to teach,” Rigano said. “These two young women are the epitome of what we are trying to create in our community, and are excellent role models for our kids. We are sincerely proud of what they have been able to accomplish, and are lucky to have them serve as our head trainers … with Denise and Katie, and the many volunteer coaches who graciously have dedicated their time to the success of this program, we can build a program that can rival any.”
He added that with the Little League’s help, they were able to bring a professional pitching coach into the winter program.
“[We have] a wonderful community with great people, and phenomenal kids and athletes,” he said, “and it must be our mission to help continue the successes that we have built, and continue to produce athletes that we can be proud of and call our own.”
According to Rigano, registration is currently open for the 2012 season of the F.S. Little League, which includes softball and baseball, and early registration will open for the Franklin Square/Elmont PAL’s summer baseball and softball programs in February.
For more information about the Franklin Square/Elmont PAL or Franklin Square Little League, call Rigano at (516) 369-7098 or email Richie Oliver at rotrnr@optonline.net.
