Brick Life

Brick Little League Kicks Off Season and Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Girls Playing

by
Daniel Nee
April 23, 2024

Participants celebrate the 2024 Brick Little League Opening Day Ceremonies. (Photo: Brick Little League)

Brick Little League kicked off its annual Opening Day ceremonies on April 13, with this year’s events celebrating the 50th anniversary of girls being allowed to participate. The season started off with a “Girls With Game 50” matchup to start things up.

Mike Desmond, president of Brick Little League, said during the ceremony, the league recognized the local girls and women volunteers, coaches and players that are a part of Little League, including Kellie McLoed, who was the first – and still only – female Majors Division Manager at Manchester Little League, who is also a NJ District 18 Volunteer.

Brick Township Mayor Lisa Crate was on hand for the celebration where the league presented her a plaque recognizing her as the first elected female Mayor of Brick Township. Crate proclaimed the day “Girls with Game Day” in an official township proclamation and she also threw out a ceremonial first pitch and was presented a bouquet of flowers in the league colors of blue and white from Isabella Pagan, one of the league’s players.

Participants celebrate the 2024 Brick Little League Opening Day Ceremonies. (Photo: Brick Little League)

In the spirit of “Girls With Game 50,” 12-year-old player Layla Good read the Little League Pledge, which is a nationwide tradition at all Little League opening day ceremonies, Autumn Curialle sang the National Anthem and female umpire Sonia Madas was in uniform represented as the first girl umpire of the current League charter. At the end of the ceremony all of the women and girls took a group photo on the pitchers mound.

With the entire combined team of girls and boys, the league has seen tremendous success in recent years. As the League kicked off its season, they took a look back at 2023, handing out trophies to their 11-Year-Old District Championship Team coached by Coach Jason Burgess and their 2023 Senior League District Championship Team coached by Coach Jake Vitale.

Being a volunteer driven, community-oriented youth baseball league during the ceremony they also took the time out to recognize some of the organization’s volunteers: Joe Genova and Ron Murcer as well as NJ District 18 Administrator Frank Trenkle, who is in his last year as the local District Administrator. The League also presented a check to nonprofit group “Brick United” for their Scholarship Fund and Golf Outing on June 19t at Cream Ridge Golf Course. Donnie Ayers and Cathy Lindenbaum, of the Brick United board of directors, were on hand to receive the check.

Participants celebrate the 2024 Brick Little League Opening Day Ceremonies. (Photo: Brick Little League)

Living a few miles away from one of the most successful minor league baseball franchises in the nation also comes with its perks if you’re a Brick Little Leaguer. Buster from the Jersey Shore BlueClaws was on hand to welcome the crowd and raffle off four free tickets to the Brick Little League Night out at the BlueClaws on Saturday June 29th at 7:05 p.m. versus the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Buster road in onto the field in a Pine Belt Cars Jeep Rubicon.

“This [2024] is a very special year for Little League International, as 50 years of the first girls being allowed to play Little League Baseball is being celebrated around the world and also here locally,” Desmond said. “Here in Brick, we have 53 girls out of all our 590 players, playing baseball at multiple divisions and age groups; which we are proud of having so many girls playing and thankful for all of the women that volunteer to make local Leagues run.”

Participants celebrate the 2024 Brick Little League Opening Day Ceremonies. (Photo: Brick Little League)

Desmond said the games are open to the public and residents are encouraged to cheer on the youngsters who are playing. The games are also streamed at YourGameCam.com.