Congratulations to our 12U Softball team, which captured the District 9 championship with a thrilling extra inning win over East Hampton!

Coginchaug Little League's COVID-19 safety protocols are available here:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.leagueathletics.com/Text/Documents/9938/98777.pdf

These protocols govern all regular season and tournament games played in Durham and Middlefield. They were adopted by the Board of Directors in accordance with the guidelines for youth sports promulgated by the State of Connecticut and Little League International, and in consultation with the health directors of District 9 towns.

We thank all players, parents, coaches, umpires, volunteers, and spectators for your cooperation as we navigate this little league season in the coronavirus age. Together, we can make it a safe and enjoyable one for all involved!

Friday was a magical night in Middletown for the Coginchaug Little League-Clinton Little League 10U girls! They battled a tough Madison squad, who tied the game 16-16 in the sixth inning. Fortunately, Coginchaug-Clinton responded with a walk-off win to cap a night our players and parents will never forget!

The summer season concluded last night for our 9-12 baseball program under blue skies. The boys practiced and played hard while having a fun time throughout the summer. Thanks to Coaches Costa, Torello, Champagne, Kotos, Kelly and Dunleavy for volunteering their time to make this season possible.

GO YARD LLC PROFILE OF THE WEEK

Name: Liam Fitzpatrick
Team: Durham Manufacturing
Age: 13
Favorite Food: Cheeseburger
Favorite Positions: Outfield, Pitcher
2020 ERA: 0.00
Future Job: President of the United States

Coginchaug Little League is on Facebook!

Click here to like us and receive CLL updates on your feed.

GO YARD LLC PROFILE OF THE WEEK

Name: Julie Kelly-Shapiro
Team: Durham Fire
Age: 14
Favorite Position: Second Base
Favorite Food: Chicken Nuggets
Favorite Song: Be Kind (Halsey)
Future Job: Horse Trainer
Best Thing about Little League: spending time with my friends

GO YARD LLC PROFILE OF THE WEEK

Name: Lia Wilson
Team: Lobo & Pascale
Age: 10
Favorite Position: Catcher
Favorite Team: Yankees
Favorite Food: Mom's Homemade Mac and Cheese
Best Thing about Little League: being with my friends and staying active

First, we power washed and scraped all four dugouts at Atwell and Herzog. Then we repaired the cracks and concrete damage. Then we primed. Finally, we gave them a fresh coat of paint inside and out, and added Coginchaug blue to the wood trim. To some it may not look like much, but if you've visited our fields the past few years, you know this is a huge improvement to our facilities!

Coginchaug Little League families,

Thank you again for your patience during this challenging time. Earlier this week, the State of Connecticut issued a series of protocols for youth sports as part of the Phase 2 reopening. Those requirements, along with feedback from local health officials and the guidelines provided by Little League International, will serve as the foundation for all little league play in Connecticut this summer.

If your son or daughter is interested in participating in our softball or baseball programs, it will be an entirely different experience due to these regulations. You can click here for a more detailed description, but the following are some examples of the protocols that must be followed this summer:

• All players, coaches, umpires, volunteers, and spectators must observe social distancing requirements at league activities
• All players, coaches, umpires, volunteers, and spectators must complete a daily self-health screening and cannot attend league activities when COVID-19 symptoms are present
• Players will not be required to wear a face covering while in the field of play, but must wear face coverings at all other times, including arrival/departure from facilities and when on the bench during games and practices
• A maximum of three players will be permitted in a dugout at any time; others must observe proper social distancing outside the dugout
• Players must bring their own equipment (bat, glove, helmet, batting gloves, water bottle, hand sanitizer) and keep their equipment bags outside the dugout at all times
• No gum, sunflower seeds, or food is permitted on the field or in the dugout area during league activities
• No handshakes, high-fives, or other physical contact is permitted
• No group huddles or team meetings are permitted during practices or games
• Coaches and volunteers must wear gloves, as umpires and spectators are not permitted to handle bats or game balls
• Coaches, umpires, volunteers, and spectators will be required to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose at all times
• There will be only one umpire per game, who will be positioned behind the pitcher's mound
• Spectators will only be permitted in designated areas along the outfield, and will not be permitted near the dugouts or home plate areas
• During the first few weeks of Phase 2, no more than 50 attendees are allowed at a given event, including players, coaches, umpire, volunteers, and spectators.  As a result, a maximum of (1) family member per player will be permitted to attend each league activity. The State of Connecticut anticipates increasing that number to 100 attendees by mid-July.
• All facilities must be sanitized and disinfected before and after league activities
• All participants, including players, coaches, umpires, and volunteers, must provide a signed waiver of liability before participating in any league activities (a copy is available here to review)

Because these protocols are mandated by the State of Connecticut and local health officials, compliance is not optional. The thirteen leagues in District 9 all will be bound by these requirements for participants and spectators. At present, the other twelve leagues in our District do intend to proceed with a season this summer, though the majority are limiting play to the Majors and Minors divisions.

Coginchaug Little League has not yet made a final decision on the 2020 season, in part because we do not know how many players we will have this summer. We therefore ask you to please review the guidelines and the waiver form and then notify us if your son or daughter would like to opt-out by Tuesday June 16th at the latest. If we do not hear from you, we will presume that your child is willing to participate in a summer season, which likely would begin the week of June 22 and continue until the end of August.

We understand that this is a deeply personal decision for all of you. Ultimately, you must decide what is best for your family and whether your children and family members are willing to abide by these stringent regulations throughout the season.

If you decide to opt-out, we respect that decision. To do so, please email us at with your child's name and which of the three options you prefer:

1. A refund of registration fees
2. A credit that will be applied to a future registration
3. A tax-deductible donation to Coginchaug Little League, which is a licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

As to third option – the cancellation of the Durham Fair, along with restrictions prohibiting us from opening our Concession Stand, will result in a loss of at least $10,000 to our league this year. If you are able to do so, please consider making your registration a tax-deductible donation.

Once we know what participation looks like at each division, CLL will make a final decision on the 2020 season next week. Until then, thank you once again for your patience and your support.

Coginchaug Little League is proud to announce that Taylor McDermott and Nathan Strang have been selected as recipients of our 2020 academic scholarships. Taylor and Nathan have truly distinguished themselves in both the classroom and as members of the Coginchaug High School community. Taylor will be attending Curry College this fall, while Nathan is headed to Duke University. Because we are unable to recognize them as part of Opening Day ceremonies, we asked them both to share a few words on their selection for this scholarship:

I'd like to thank the Coginchaug Little League board for selecting me for the 2020 CLL scholarship award. I am appreciative of the opportunities that have been presented to me throughout my Little League experience up until this now. I would also like to thank my previous coaches: Mr. Whitaker, Mr. Lane, and Mrs. Huddleson for their time that they dedicated to my team and allowed me to grow as a player. Also, a special thanks to Mr. DeMartino who has watched me grow up through Little League and continues as my high school and travel coach. Personally, Coginchaug Little League has played such an important role in my life. I enjoyed all four years that I spent in the league with numerous different coaches and teammates. One of my favorite memories throughout the years was winning two championships and especially all-stars. I really enjoyed playing deep into the summer with a new team and some of my closest friends. The four years I spent in Little League showed me how much I love playing the game and I knew I didn’t want to stop playing anytime soon. In my final year, I knew I wanted to continue to play, thanks to the great experience I had in Little League, so I began travel softball. I enjoyed playing for the middle school, and then transitioning to more competitive high school softball. Seeing the high school program develop from when I first got there as a freshman to now is credit to all the skills that were developed when we were younger, in Little League. Everything that I’ve ever learned to love about the game began when I was in Little League. I now get the opportunity to continue my softball skills at the next level, in college. If it wasn't for such a great experience, I am not sure I would be the athlete or person I am today.
- Taylor McDermott
 

I'd like to state what an honor it is to have been selected to receive the Coginchaug Little League scholarship, Little League was such an important aspect of my childhood ever since I was around eight or so and this award really means a lot to me. When I look back on the handful of years that I spent playing in or working with the CLL, I'm filled with such nostalgic feelings of joy. This league brought me together with so many unique individuals I would have never otherwise known to, at the surface, just play baseball, but at a deeper level become brothers to and build lifelong memories with, all while growing up alongside one another. The perfect amalgam of friends, family, community, and culture; nowhere else could this ever have been done, but, maybe more importantly, nowhere else would I rather have spent those moments. The Allen Brook fields were like a sanctuary for me and so many others, and I sincerely thank the Coginchaug Little League and all of its volunteers for providing us all with a truly special place to grow up.
- Nathan Strang

Coginchaug Little League wishes Taylor and Nathan, and all CLL alumni, every success as they head off to college this fall.