raising kids
Little League friends John Gano (left) and Christian Speciale (right) doing the pandemic version of the high five after their game against each other.
A ‘DIFFERENT’ SEASON TO REMEMBER BY JOE LOVERDE
A local sportswriter and coach for youth sports on Staten Island for nearly 40 years.
was most disappointed about all stars.” Not having a chance to compete for the chance for an unforgettable summer with the all-star tournament was disappointing to the kids and parents alike. “Not too many teams, when they start the season, have a legitimate shot to go to the regionals in Bristol, Connecticut, to be on ESPN, to go to the Little League World Series and play on TV,” said James Speciale, Christian’s dad and the manager of the Great Kills all-star teams that had all that success the past two years. “This team would have had the talent to do that. “I really felt bad for the kids. They have been talking about it for a year.” While South Shore Little League, which was expected to be Great Kills’ biggest obstacle in getting off the Island, and Mid-Island Little League have had teams reach the World Series, no team from Great Kills has made it. It’s an experience like no other for a Little League player — and their families.
F
or kids like Christian Speciale and John Gano, this was supposed to be a special Little League season. As 12-year-olds, it was their final year in Little League — their last chance to run 60-foot bases, face pitching from 45 feet away and swing for the fences 200 feet from home plate.But for Speciale and Gano and a bunch of their pals from Great Kills, it was also supposed to be an extra special season. “Little League in general is really fun,” said Gano, a tall, lanky pitcher. “But also, this year, everyone felt we had a good chance to make it to Williamsport.” As in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and the Little League World Series. The Great Kills National all-star team won the Staten Island District 24, New York City and New York State 10-year-old championships in 2018. Last year, that same group of boys won the Eastern Regional as 11-year-olds. This year, with Great Kills Little League reducing its number of charters from two to one, the best players from its American all-star team were expected to be combined with the National team to make one super team. The anticipation to see how this team performed in all-star play this summer was building in the early months of 2020 when indoor practices began. And then COVID-19 happened. Like just about everything else, youth sports seasons were put on hold, and it looked like there might be a lot of disappointed 12-year-olds who would not get to enjoy their final year in Little League. The national organization announced on April 30 that there would be no national tournament — including the World Series in Williamsport — this summer. “It was upsetting,” Speciale said. “I wanted to make my last year my best year. But I 18 August 2020 • siparent.com
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7/29/20 6:23 PM
