Caldwell-West Essex Little League

17

Nov, 2022

Caldwell-West Essex Little League Aims to Expand

Caldwell Little League is changing its name as it hopes to entice more players from neighboring towns to join.

The ultimate goal: To send a highly competitive team to the Little League World Series.

The renamed Caldwell-West Essex Little League (CWELL) was launched this week.

In addition to the name change, the league added a provision to its constitution that would create dedicated board seats for any neighboring West Essex town that commits to making CWELL its primary baseball league. The league’s boundaries include Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Essex Fells, Roseland and Fairfield.

League president Darren Giordano of West Caldwell said it offers “a fun and relaxed atmosphere for players of all skill levels to learn, play and thrive.”

In 2023, CWELL players age 8 and older may compete for spots on a more competitive All-Star team that will play in the qualifying rounds of the Little League World Series.

Last season, more than 400 children took part in the Caldwell Little League, which debuted or reintroduced several family-friendly events to the usual slate of games.

The season started with a festive Opening Day parade and ended with a series of championship games, punctuated with a Home Run Derby for the older Minors and Majors division.

Throughout the year, children not only played baseball and softball but participated in raffles, team pictures, ice cream truck visits and a special “Night at the Ballpark,” where hundreds of players and coaches paraded on the field at a Somerset Patriots game.

After the season concluded in June, the league held free fall/winter clinics at Hustle Baseball Academy for returning players.

A fall sandlot softball league just finished its first season.

“Growing the game in a fun, family-friendly way with the community members we see in town every day is a core focus for our league,” Giordano said.

He noted the important role that Caldwell and West Caldwell have played in the league’s development.

“We would be remiss if we didn’t specifically thank the West Caldwell Recreation Department, Mayor (Joseph) Tempesta and the Town Council that helped us every step of the way. Caldwell and West Caldwell accounted for over 350 of our 400 players,” he said.

“But if we can develop similar relationships with our neighboring towns, we can expand competition, improve access to fields and, ultimately, send a highly competitive team to the Little League World Series.”

Caldwell-West Essex Little League

News Detail

17

Nov, 2022