Sports
Related Photos
YOUTH BASEBALL: An-Jo loop gearing up for May 24 openers
Interested players can go to LockportAnjo.com to sign up.
One of the city’s oldest youth sports organizations, the Lockport An-Jo Baseball League is in full swing with big plans for 2008.
Instructional/T-Ball leagues for boys and girls ages 4 to 6 will open their seasons on May 28. The An-Jo Summer Baseball League will begin at the end of June and run through the end of August. A baseball Rookie Division for boys and girls ages 7-8, an American Division for kids 9-11 and a National Division for kids 12-13 will also be featured.
An-Jo games are played on a large parcel of land behind the old Niagara County Infirmary Building on Davison Road. The complex includes 10 baseball diamonds, a maintenance garage, concession stand and a batting cage. An-Jo will once again provide a venue for the Challenger Baseball League to play some of its games. Challenger is led my Mark Zimmerman.
A new wrinkle to An-Jo baseball is a 75-foot diamond which will be used by the National Division players. An-Jo president Todd Fragale said this will vary from the standard 60-foot diamonds utilized by most youths and will allow the kids to grow accustomed to the bigger field and become better prepared for the big leap to the 90-foot diamonds utilized on the high school level
Lockport An-Jo Baseball was founded in 1955 by St. Anthony’s and St. Joseph’s churches.
“The parishes may have closed recently, but An-Jo baseball lives on,” Fragale said. “The new concept of a Summer League, which we introduced last year, provided a great opportunity for the youth of the Greater Lockport Area to play not only in the spring, but throughout the summer.”
An-Jo vice president of rookies J.D. Seiler said the board is committed to its mission of bringing families together and they’re also encouraged about the upcoming season and future.
“An-Jo baseball isn’t about winning or losing. The An-Jo board is very serious about building character and developing our youths into positive role models, while teaching them about the game of baseball and providing them with a place to have fun, while encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle,” Seiler said.
“An-Jo baseball is about bringing families together. The entire board is committed to this mission and encouraged about the upcoming season and the future.”
Interested youths can sign up for An-Jo baseball by going to LockportAnjo.com. For more information, contact Fragale at 434-1444. Those interested in sponsoring a team, coaching, and/or providing support are especially encouraged to call, Fragale said.
- Sports
-
-
Edwards designated as Bills starting QB
Quarterback Trent Edwards has a renewed perspective on what it takes to be an NFL starter after being given the opportunity to reclaim his job with the Buffalo Bills.
-
Gymnast earns “A-A” Honors!
Twenty-one-year-old Amy Taylor of Lockport earned “All-American” honors recently at the NCGA National Gymnastics Championships held at Springfield College in Massachusetts.
-
Three-way tie for Porter Cup lead
Jake Katz is a jitterbug, lanky with boundless energy and sentences that never seem to end.
-
Derby Winners
-
All work, no play is Gailey way
Coach Chan Gailey has a simple message for his Buffalo Bills: Break time is over.
-
Peters races to East Coast championship
Wilson Middle school seventh grader Zachary Peters of Ransomville won the East Coast New York State Speedway Championships last month at Action Park Speedway.
-
LLL earns District title
Lockport Little League’s 12-11-year-old Williamsport Tournament Team won the District 1 Championship last week with a 6-5 win over Orchard Park.
-
Bleumink leads 2010 Porter Cup
Luke Bleumink weathered the wind and beat the rain to take a one-shot lead on the opening day of the 52nd Porter Cup at the Niagara Falls Country Club.
-
Shooting Stars
It was a homecoming of sorts last week, not only for the local participants of the 2010 Empire State Games shooting competition, but also a local native whose club hosted the event.
-
Division-leading Rage tackle Lions Saturday
The good news is Lockport’s 7-6 victory over the rival Monroe County Sting last Saturday has them in first place in the United States Football Alliance’s Empire East Division.
- More Sports Headlines
-
