Lynbrook Little League persevered this summer

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The decision to “Play Ball” amid the pandemic this summer wasn’t an easy one for Lynbrook Little League’s board of directors, but moving forward with the idea proved to be a home run for 100 kids.
“We had to make sure we could adhere to the strict guidelines put in place by both Little League International and Gov. Andrew Cuomo,” said Lynbrook Little League Vice President and Umpire in Chief David Smollett. “It was completely understandable that we didn’t have a unanimous decision by the board to have a season. We received a lot of calls from parents asking us to give it a go, and we’re glad we did. Everything worked out in the end.”
Baseball and softball were on the short list of sports permitted to begin July 8 under social distancing guidelines put in place by Cuomo. Lynbrook typically conducts three seasons, spanning from early April through early November. However, making one season happen, from late July until late August, for Minors (9-10 year olds) and Majors (11-12 year olds), was better than none, Smollett said.
“I think everyone was a little surprised how successful we were,” he said. “It was a challenge, but the kids and parents all did a great job with the safety measures and distancing rules. We only had one rainout and every team played 14 or 15 games.”
Greg Straub, a member of the board who also coached his son Kasey’s team and conducted half a dozen free skill-building clinics for younger players, said the kids just loved being on the field. “Kids didn’t get to do a lot during the spring and summer,” he said. “It was great to get them out there.”

In addition to limiting spectators to two per participating athlete, per Cuomo, Lynbrook put extensive safety measures in place, including purchasing 200 masks and installing sanitizing stations in the dugouts, positioning the umpire behind the pitcher (instead of behind home plate), each team providing its own baseballs, eliminating sharing of equipment, handshakes and hi-fives.
“It’s tough to tell kids they’re not allowed to celebrate after something exciting happens,” Smollett said. “They adjusted well. The important thing was they got to play in a safe and healthy environment.”
Registration for 2021 will begin in January. For more information, go to www.lynbrooklittleleague.com.
“We usually have 500 kids in a normal season and hopefully that’ll be the case again,” Smollett said.