West Garden Grove Little League baseball teams held their 57th annual closing awards ceremony at Buckingham Park, 6502 Homer St., in Westminster, Saturday, June 1.
West Garden Grove Little League baseball teams held their 57th annual closing awards ceremony at Buckingham Park, 6502 Homer St., in Westminster, Saturday, June 1.
League President Craig Cassidy thanked the parents for all of their work behind the scenes to make the Little League teams a success and for the players who showed up and played every day and worked so very hard.
The teams played games every Saturday at Buckingham Park as well as some week-day games too.
"Thanks to Westminster Little League for letting us play on their baseball fields," Cassidy said.
The Westminster Little League even let West Garden Grove Little League run its snack shops to earn money; everyone worked together and even the Central Little League took some of the West Garden Grove Little Leagu boys into their league.
Cassidy asked the players, "Did you have fun this year and did you play to win?"
To each of his questions, the players shouted out a resounding, “Yes,!”
“We are really proud of each of you," Cassidy said.
It was truly teamwork by all concerned with the Little League.
“Westminster Little League really saved our season,” said Lara Cassiddy, West Garden Grove Little League auxiliary president . “Without their generosity, I don't know what we would have done; we are very grateful to them.”
“We had inter-leagued with Westminster Little League last year and they were kind enough to offer us the chance to do it again this year with a bonus,” Lara Cassidy said. “They said we could play our lower division games of Coach Pitch and Tee Ball at Buckingham Park and play our minor division teams on their home field at Finley Elementary School. We are also able to open the snack shack at Buckingham Park and make some much-needed money to get our fields at Bell Intermediate cleaned up once we are allowed back on the property.”
Even though it was the final awards ceremony Saturday, the young baseball players could be seen on the fields playing in four different games of baseball during and after the awards ceremony – a true testament that the approximately 220 players love the game.
Dressed in their baseball uniforms, they looked pretty darned impressive, something akin to beginning professionals.
Lara Cassidy said that through proper guidance and exemplary leadership, the league assists youth in developing qualities of citizenship, discipline, teamwork and physical well-being and that by teaching the virtues of character, courage, loyalty and integrity, the league program, in the spirit of Little League Baseball, is designed to develop superior citizens as well as superb athletes.
