Weathering the winter with indoor baseball

STATEN ISLAND, NY -- TRAVIS -- The calendar said December and the wind chill was nearing zero, but inside the Victory Sports Arena on a recent weekday night, members of the Clippers and the Hit Squad -- two of the 20 teams in the facility's increasingly popular indoor baseball league -- were wearing T-shirts and shorts.

It's the kind of scene that hadn't been witnessed anywhere on Staten Island until two years ago, when the Victory Sports Arena first launched this winter loop; and even then, only two teams participated in that inaugural campaign. Now in its third season, the league's size has increased 10 times, with 10 teams in each of two age divisions (6-to-8 and 9-to-11).

"We even had a waiting list this year. We had to turn people away," noted facility owner Evan Luwisch. "This year we sold out, with no spots for either individuals or teams."

The reason for the league's popularity can be seen in the faces of the players.

"It's good that they have this," beamed Patrick MacMillan, 12, of Westerleigh, "because I want to play baseball all year round. I love baseball."

"He's playing CYO basketball right now for St. Rita's, but baseball is his real love," noted Patrick's father, Lin MacMillan. "He played baseball for three teams in the spring -- at Mid-Island Little League, in Federation ball and CYO ball for St. Rita's -- and fall ball at Mid-Island and at Snug Harbor. We figured this was a good way to get him ready for baseball in the spring."

The chance to continue playing the sport through the winter is a huge plus in the eyes of Annadale resident Paul Meyers, coach of the Hit Squad 11s division team.

"It puts us at the level of competition with the teams that play down south," said Meyers, who coaches both a Federation team and one in Great Kills LL; in fact, the Hit Squad is comprised primarily of Great Kills players along with one player from South Shore LL.

"Now, we can constantly do drills and work on fundamentals," Meyers added. "Baseball is all about consistency, about doing things every day. I know New Jersey has two or three indoor leagues like this, but it's nice to have one on Staten Island."

For Tina Engelson of Westerleigh, it's given her a chance to have her two sons, 12-year-old Michael and 8-year-old Andrew, play together for the first time. Like MacMillan, they're also on the Clippers' 9-to-11 squad -- one of the seven Victory Baseball Academy in-house teams, with the other 13 clubs having outside sponsors.

"They love baseball. They can play morning, noon and night," she said.

Each game has a time limit of 90 minutes. Games are played on Saturday (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Sunday (10:30-3) and on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights (6:30-8). The cost for an individual player is $199; for a team, it's $1,500. The 10-game regular season runs from December to February, with single-elimination playoffs to follow. Prizes are awarded to the championship teams, and all teams are eligible for the playoffs.

"Every team is guaranteed 11 games and can play up to 13," said Mark Kain, Victory Sports Arena's director of baseball. "A lot of parents and grandparents come out, it's great to see. And there's never any arguments; that's what I'm most proud of. We try to promote a very relaxed atmosphere. After games, the kids shake hands ... it's old-time baseball."

Scoring in an inning is capped at five runs -- not only limiting blowouts (and the hard feelings they might create), but helping maximize the playing time for the youngsters since the clock is ticking.

"A lot of Little League teams come in, and their coaches work kids at different positions, to see what they have when the spring rolls around," Kain said.

The distances for the older division is 60 feet between bases and 46 feet between the pitcher's mound and home plate, the same dimensions used by Little League. "The only difference is that, for our younger division, it's 40 feet between the mound and the plate."

"If you want your kids to keep going through the winter," Luwisch said, "this is a great way for them to stay in baseball shape."

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Better baseball made easy in the winter

STATEN ISLAND, NY -- SOUTH SHORE -- Fall baseball leagues may be winding down, but for many young Staten Islanders, baseball season never ends. A 22-session winter baseball clinic kicked off at the Victory Sports Arena on Sunday, offering children ages 6-9 and 10-13 indoor practice to sharpen their skills for next spring.

"Baseball is 12 months out of the year now," said Mark Kain, director of baseball at the Victory Sports Arena. "A lot of boys play only one sport. I'll be here seven days a week in the winter, and this place will be jammed.

"Among the children catching fly balls, fielding ground balls and practicing their swings on Sunday was 7-year-old Jaden Casanova of Great Kills, who is starting his second year of the winter clinic. He plays in the Great Kills Little League and a federation team during the regular baseball season, and on an indoor winter league at the Victory Sports Arena. The winter clinic offers some extra practice to prepare him for the regular season, said his mother, Jackie Casanova.

"They learn the fundamentals of the game, from running the bases to hitting and catching," Mrs. Casanova said. "And Coach Mark is awesome. They know the game really well, and they make it fun at the same time.

"Checking out the clinic for the first time was John Cialino of Rossville, who brought his 9-year-old son, also named John, who has been playing baseball since he was 6. His father brought him to the clinic because of Kain's reputation among other parents.

"Baseball parents talk to baseball parents, and that's how you get a feel for places to go," Cialino said, while watching his son throwing a ball at a target in the middle of a net. "We've been here for batting practice. They have a good reputation, and it's close.

"Also at the clinic for the first time was Louis Colletti of Eltingville, whose son, Ciro, is 6 and has been playing baseball for a year and a half. Colletti coaches girls softball, so he knows the challenges of coaching and he "absolutely" intends to bring his son back for the duration of the winter clinic.

"So far this looks really great," Colletti said. "It's a good opportunity for him to get better. It's hard when they're this age. Keeping their attention is not easy. But these are pros, and they know what they're doing.

"The clinic began with a few dozen children, but Kain expects to have 40 children in each age group once the fall baseball season has ended. In addition, the Victory Sports Arena will host hitting camps, fielding camps and a winter baseball league.

"Some of these boys are here five or six days a week," he said. "This is where you get better."

"They don't realize it, but these boys are fortunate to have an indoor facility like this," he added. "They didn't have this when I was a kid. When it got cold in November, that was it."

For more information about the winter clinic, call the Victory Sports Arena at 718-370-3727 or visit www.victorysportsarena.com