Cold No Deterrent to 2013 Mineola Little League Parade

Numerous Mineola youth stood shivering at first in the municipal lot at Wilson Park on Saturday morning, wearing extra layers for the early-spring day and cloudless azure-colored sky that greeted the 2013 little league opening day parade, warming themselves by keeping their bodies moving as the sun slowly cast its rays from above, turning thoughts to the season ahead.

“There’s a lot that goes into starting a new season,” Mineola Athletic Association President Frank Giordano said during the opening ceremonies at the field complex. “This truly is a complex piece of machinery with many different components which enable us to provide our children with a phenomenal program.”

The parade began from the Wilson Park parking lot, went north to Westbury Avenue, west to Roslyn Road before heading north to Jericho Turnpike, then proceeded west to Mineola Boulevard, south to Second Street, east to Willis Avenue, then north again before heading into the little league complex.

The entire parade lasted a little over an hour as parents marched with – and carried – their young children as traffic stopped along the major roads in Mineola.

Giordano also thanked village superintendent of public works Tom Rini and the village board, saying that “they are the life source of our beautiful parks and fields we play on. I can tell you from experience, the mayor and the board have answered the MAA’s calls time and time again.”

“Things like this, things like these fields, things like this program, do not happen by accident,” Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss said. “It happens because of the hard work – and I’ll say this to the kids, the players – to the people that are standing behind you and the people that are standing in the stands and the support that you guys have, you make it all happen. Today is opening day, but to get to this point started months and months and months ago with hard work, meetings, phone calls and elbow grease getting it all done.”

Each of the members of the village board had not only coached a team in the program, but once played on the fields as well in their youth.

“We sat there just like you guys are doing now,” Strauss said to the players.

Deputy mayor Paul Pereira would join fellow trustees Paul Cusato and George Durham in kicking and throwing out the first soccer ball, baseball pitch and softball pitch, respectively.

“God likes baseball,” Dottie Easton, wife of Rev. Chester Easton, of the First Presbyterian Church said before an invocation. “We have proof of it because in His book, he wrote at the very start, ‘in the Big-inning.’ I heard the first draft was ‘in the first quarter,’ so He must like soccer, too.”

The opening day ceremonies are also a time to bestow awards upon those who contribute to the league. Each year the Mayor’s Trophy award is handed out for effort above and beyond on behalf of the little league program. This year the award was bestowed upon three individuals: Frank Pizzardi (soccer); Ryan Faley (soccer); Steven and Robin Kostulias; and Mike Medved.

Pizzardi is the acting president of the MAA Soccer Club as well as a coach, setting up fields and putting equipment away as well as helping out with baseball.

“There aren’t many people in the forty-plus years of this organization as far as I know that have done as much in a relatively short period of time as Frank has done for the soccer side of things in this organization,” Dan Russelman said. “What Frank does so well is he does all the behind the scenes tasks and responsibilities that a lot of people don’t realize. There are few people that day-in and day-out give as much to this organization as Frank Pizzardi.”

Faley coaches soccer for the various teams on which his three daughters, Sarah, Grace and Kira, all play. He is also commissioner of the soccer tots program and is recording secretary of the executive board. The three girls all came forward and accepted the award on their father’s behalf.

The Kostulias have been coaching since 2009.

“This is how you know when people are appreciated as a coach,” Russelman said, “when we have our draft and we call the names, Robin always says ‘well those parents want their son to be on my team, those parents want their son to be on my team,’ so we have 40 kids playing and there’s 30 people who want to be on Robin’s team; that makes it a little difficult.”

Medved has been a member of the MAA since 2006, with his two children both playing. He has coached in the intramural program and assisted with the travel programs. This past season Medved also took out a boys U11 team to give the chance for several athletes to play soccer who otherwise might not have had the opportunity.

The 27th annual Sandy Byrne award for unselfish dedication in the MAA was bestowed upon Gino Ferreri.

“Gino’s been around here for a very long time,” Russelman said, pointing to photos of Ferreri hanging on the wall dated before the birth of his daughters Sabrina and Theresa. “Gino’s done more than most people for this organization.”

A soccer coach since 1985, Ferreri has also worked in the intramural program, founded the girls soccer team the Mineola Red Devils, served as a member of the soccer board, equipment manager, soccer club president, MAA treasurer and MAA president.

Also receiving the mayor’s trophy was Robin Roach, Joe and Paula Lavrado and Larry Egan.

Roach manages the MAA snack stand, including placing orders,purchasing food and supplies, hiring and staffing the stand, cooking and serving the food and summer schedule coordinator.

“Anytime I need a volunteer, Robin always volunteers to step up,” MAA baseball, softball, and cheerleading section president Bill Duffy said.

The Lavrados have headed the sponsorship committee for the past three years, mailing sponsorship letters to local businesses and getting them on board and making sure teams have proper banners. Joe has been the baseball vice-president for the past two years and also volunteers as a coach.

Egan grew up playing MAA baseball and has volunteered for at least the past 10 years, coaching his sons and is an assistant coach for the Mineola Hurricanes. He has served as co-president and is currently the opponents commissioner of the baseball-softball board.

“As a coach, Larry has always provided his players with a great baseball experience,” Duffy said. “He believes in equal playing time, having fun and enjoying the game of baseball.”

The 47th annual Joe Bruno award – the highest award recognizing the efforts of an adult member of the MAA – was given to John Perlow, a longtime MAA volunteer who has served as information technology director for over 6 years, implementing the online registration system that is now in place. Perlow has also served as vice-president of the baseball board, league commissioner, travel team coordinator and purchasing agent. He has also coached intramural teams, district teams and was the head coach and assistant coach for both of his sons’ Mineola Hurricanes teams. Perlow has also run a Memorial Day tournament at the MAA which drew teams from New York City.

“I have had the honor of coaching with John for the past four years,” Duffy said. “He loves the game of baseball, playing and teaching., although at times he will get distracted on the phone, texting someone, looking something up on Google, or sending an e-mail to complain about umpires.”

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