Boardman Little League honored with award

Staff report

The Boardman Community Little League organization is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Now it has something more to celebrate.

Little League Baseball and Softball, based in South Williamsport, Pa., has awarded Boardman Community Little League the second annual Carl E. Stotz Little League Community Award.

The award, named for Little League’s founder, honors “the lasting impact that local Little League programs have in communities around the world,” Little League Baseball and Softball announced in a news release on Friday.

The Carl E. Stotz Little League Community Award originated in 2014 during Little League’s 75th anniversary. The award comes with a grant of $5,000.

“Receiving the Carl E. Stotz Award validates the great local support Boardman Community Little League receives from our community, business sponsors, service organizations and leaders,” said Greg Krieger, Boardman Community Little League Secretary. “As a community and league, being associated with an award named after Little League founder Carl E Stotz is quite an honor.”

Little League president and CEO Stephen D. Keener said Boardman deserves the recognition.

“Like so many local Little League programs, Boardman Community Little League has been where families have come together, and where boys and girls have learned the valuable life lessons of teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League president and CEO. “As the league celebrates its 60th anniversary, we thought it was more than appropriate to honor them with this year’s Stotz Community Award for their continued success and current efforts to further celebrate their role in their community through their anniversary celebrations.”

Boardman Community Little League has been part of the fabric of society in the township since 1955. From its beginning, the organization was an early adopter of Little League International’s various programs — establishing their Little League Softball program in 1975, the year after it was introduced.

In 1989, the league became the home the Ohio District 2 Challenger Program, the year Little League launched that division for children with physical and intellectual challenges. A team from Boardman Community Little League also won the first-ever Junior League Baseball World Series in 1981.

Nina Johnson-Pitt, Little League Central Region Director, presented Boardman Community Little League president Tony Tarantino and the organization with the Stotz Community Award at their 60th Anniversary Celebration Day on June 6. Boardman Community Little League’s celebrations also included a team parade, recognition of past championship teams, and honoring other special guests and individuals involved with the league throughout its history.

Boardman Community Little League started with six teams approximately 85 players in 1955. The league has grown to field 90 teams with nearly 1,000 participants.