AUBURN #- Stewart Field at Emerson Park has never seen anything quite like the 2006 Auburn Little League season opener.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Young baseball players anxiously wait for the end of the ceremony to get started with their first games of the 2006 season.
Young baseball players anxiously wait for the end of the ceremony to get started with their first games of the 2006 season.
Despite unseasonable cold and rain there was plenty to celebrate.
“This is the first time there has been an opener this big,” said Dave Rabuano, president of the Auburn Little League. “We are dedicating the building of the new concession stand, with locker rooms and all new facilities. And we are celebrating a new three-year lease with the county that hopefully will lead to a long-term lease and the future and will make sure we are playing here for the next 20 years. So it is definitely bigger than anything we've done before.”
The idea of creating a new facility at the park has been in the works for the past 10 years. After working with the county parks and recreation department ground broke in March and it has been a mad scramble the past few months to get things ready for opening day.
“There hasn't been the time or the money,” Rabuano said. “It has been really crazy the last two months, from the demolition to the creation of the new state-of-the-art facilities, but it has been well worth it.”
This season the league has grown to include 275 players in both Pony League and Little League and the new facilities will be enough to accommodate all their needs.
“We simply needed more,” Rabuano said. “But we also wanted to create a place where everyone could come and enjoy the games. A place where parents could stay and not just drop off their kids and pick them up after. I think we built things so they are the way they should be and we are giving people who come here something more.”
Those in attendance said they were very much impressed with the changes they saw.
“I didn't really expect it,” Denise Morphy said. “I come here to watch my grandson play, but I didn't know they were going to change things so much. I think they've really done something nice here.”
Rabuano himself was a Little League player in the 1960s and said things have come a long way since he played.
“I remember how it was and this is the best shape the fields here have ever been,” he said. “And I think I know where things have to go so we can show the kids that we want them here and that we want them to enjoy their time here and give them something to do.”
To kick off opening day in grand style, the players were treated to a carnival.
“We hoped to have more stuff here,” Rabuano said. “But with the weather we couldn't really set it all up. But a lot of planning went into it and we really tried to give the kids something special. I don't think the park has seen anything like this in years.”
Coming out to the park and seeing the inflatable bouncing rooms and stage for the dedication ceremony was a real thrill for first-year players such as Alec Tavener.
“When I first got here, I didn't know what was going on,” he said. “But then my mom told me what was going on and I thought it was really cool to see all of it.”
That excitement carried over on to the field as well, as kids got ready to kick off the season.
“I'm pretty shocked to see all of this,” Andrew Merrill said. “I didn't know opening day was going to be like this. And I'm really excited to play, this is the first time I'm going to be pitching in a game and I've been practicing really hard and I'm excited to get to do it.”
As great a start as this was for the season, Rabuano said this is just the beginning of what he hopes will continue to be a growing process to keep improving the facility for players and families so they can stop and enjoy not only a baseball game, but the entirety of Emerson Park
“We are going be having fund raisers,” Rabuano said. “And we are taking contributions and we are still looking to name the new building after someone, maybe a major contributor. This is just the beginning. We want to get people to come up here and stop and enjoy everything, the whole park and see what is here. It is really a gem that I think is here for everyone to take advantage of and enjoy. We have had great support from the community and the county legislator. It's really about giving the kids something, to show them that we want them here and we want to show that we are serious about making sure that Little League is here to stay, and that we always want to stay here at Emerson Park.”
To make contributions contact Dave Rabuano at 567-9485 or contributions can be sent to P.O Box 492, Auburn, NY 13021
“This is the first time there has been an opener this big,” said Dave Rabuano, president of the Auburn Little League. “We are dedicating the building of the new concession stand, with locker rooms and all new facilities. And we are celebrating a new three-year lease with the county that hopefully will lead to a long-term lease and the future and will make sure we are playing here for the next 20 years. So it is definitely bigger than anything we've done before.”
The idea of creating a new facility at the park has been in the works for the past 10 years. After working with the county parks and recreation department ground broke in March and it has been a mad scramble the past few months to get things ready for opening day.
“There hasn't been the time or the money,” Rabuano said. “It has been really crazy the last two months, from the demolition to the creation of the new state-of-the-art facilities, but it has been well worth it.”
This season the league has grown to include 275 players in both Pony League and Little League and the new facilities will be enough to accommodate all their needs.
“We simply needed more,” Rabuano said. “But we also wanted to create a place where everyone could come and enjoy the games. A place where parents could stay and not just drop off their kids and pick them up after. I think we built things so they are the way they should be and we are giving people who come here something more.”
Those in attendance said they were very much impressed with the changes they saw.
“I didn't really expect it,” Denise Morphy said. “I come here to watch my grandson play, but I didn't know they were going to change things so much. I think they've really done something nice here.”
Rabuano himself was a Little League player in the 1960s and said things have come a long way since he played.
“I remember how it was and this is the best shape the fields here have ever been,” he said. “And I think I know where things have to go so we can show the kids that we want them here and that we want them to enjoy their time here and give them something to do.”
To kick off opening day in grand style, the players were treated to a carnival.
“We hoped to have more stuff here,” Rabuano said. “But with the weather we couldn't really set it all up. But a lot of planning went into it and we really tried to give the kids something special. I don't think the park has seen anything like this in years.”
Coming out to the park and seeing the inflatable bouncing rooms and stage for the dedication ceremony was a real thrill for first-year players such as Alec Tavener.
“When I first got here, I didn't know what was going on,” he said. “But then my mom told me what was going on and I thought it was really cool to see all of it.”
That excitement carried over on to the field as well, as kids got ready to kick off the season.
“I'm pretty shocked to see all of this,” Andrew Merrill said. “I didn't know opening day was going to be like this. And I'm really excited to play, this is the first time I'm going to be pitching in a game and I've been practicing really hard and I'm excited to get to do it.”
As great a start as this was for the season, Rabuano said this is just the beginning of what he hopes will continue to be a growing process to keep improving the facility for players and families so they can stop and enjoy not only a baseball game, but the entirety of Emerson Park
“We are going be having fund raisers,” Rabuano said. “And we are taking contributions and we are still looking to name the new building after someone, maybe a major contributor. This is just the beginning. We want to get people to come up here and stop and enjoy everything, the whole park and see what is here. It is really a gem that I think is here for everyone to take advantage of and enjoy. We have had great support from the community and the county legislator. It's really about giving the kids something, to show them that we want them here and we want to show that we are serious about making sure that Little League is here to stay, and that we always want to stay here at Emerson Park.”
To make contributions contact Dave Rabuano at 567-9485 or contributions can be sent to P.O Box 492, Auburn, NY 13021
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