Local PALs team up to play more games

The Nassau County Police Activity League operates youth clubs and provides sports, crafts and other programs of a team or individual nature for all children in the county, in an effort to prevent juvenile delinquency through the positive interaction between police officers and youths.

PAL organizations have long participated in several sports, including basketball, flag football, lacrosse, dance, bowling, soccer, karate, baseball and softball. Although some of these programs have enjoyed inter-PAL playing, players within the PAL baseball/softball program have long had to play within their own PAL team — until last year.

In May of 2010, Joseph Rigano, commissioner of the Franklin Square/Elmont PAL, which has existed for more than 50 years, worked with Roy Vasil, of the Merrick PAL, and began the first-ever inter-PAL baseball program. That program has been growing ever since.

Following the Massapequa, Hicksville, Farmingdale, Merrick and Franklin Square/Elmont PALs’ successful inter-organizational season, in 2010, more local PALs decided to join in the collaboration this summer, and the PAL softball program was incorporated into the inter-PAL competition.

This summer, the North Bellmore, Merrick, Massapequa, Farmingdale, Hicksville, Roosevelt, Baldwin, Wantagh/Seaford, Levittown and Valley Stream PAL softball and baseball teams competed inter-organizationally. At the end of the baseball/softball season, in August, all-star games were held for the 5th/6th-grade, 7th/8th-grade and 9th/10th-grade PAL divisions. Local PAL baseball programs include pre-Kindergarten to 10th grade students, but inter-PAL competition doesn’t currently include students in the 4th grade or below.

The all-star games weren’t held in typical playoff format. Players from different PAL teams mixed to create even-numbered teams — the “West” and “East” teams — and the “West” teams were victorious in each division during the tournament. However, Rigano said, the purpose of the all-star games wasn’t to find a winner.

“We really don’t care who wins,” Rigano said. “The kids are the winners here. The boys and girls are competitive and want to win, but I am more happy seeing the kids play ball.”