Malverne Little League’s secret weapon: Joe Ariola

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The Malverne Little League did not have a team that won a district championship since the 1980s. Then, in 2013, things began to change. The kids playing in the senior division — those ages 15 and 16, broke the league’s 30-year dry spell and captured the district flag.

And then they won again in 2014. And 2015. And again last year.

“For a village that’s one square mile, it’s an incredible achievement,” Joseph Ariola, president of the league, said of its four-year winning streak.

What’s the magic? Ariola is quick to point to the coaches who have been guiding the players along the way — Pete Figliozzi, John Canny, Chris McDaniels, Tom Boffardi, Chris Patti and Ed Wilenski — and, of course, the talents and dedication of the kids. But there’s something else happening with Malverne Little League, and board members say it’s the strong, largely anonymous support of Ariola himself.

“Every significant improvement project undertaken by our board has been conceived and/or driven by Joe,” said Devin Sullivan, a league Board member, in a written statement on behalf of the board. They credit Ariola, a 10-year volunteer with the league, with the new concession stand at Harris Field, a new batting cage at Whelan Field, and working closely with Malverne school administration to create a new field at the north end of Malverne High School so 13-year-old baseball players can play on a Little League-sanctioned field in their hometown.

And that’s not all. According to board members, Ariola’s involvement is what has made Malverne’s fields among the most desirable places to play. That’s due to Ariola’s heavy involvement in the fields’ maintenance. “Just last month, Joe installed turf on the baseball fields at Whelan and reconstructed the pitching mounds,” the board stated. If you’re out and about in Malverne in the early morning during baseball season, you have probably seen Joe riding the league’s tractor down Ocean Avenue to groom the field for that day’s games. “Everyone needs their alone time,” Ariola said of his field maintenance, which he does two to three times a week during the season. “It makes for fluffy fields that are safer and nice to play on.”

His nighttime job as an operating engineer for New York City’s Department of Transportation makes his daytime hours in the Little League possible. “Rather than see his night hours as a hindrance, “ Sullivan said, “he celebrates the fact that his working schedule allows him more time to devote to the Malverne Little League.”

At the Jan. 4 village board meeting, the mayor honored the league with a citation, at which time Ariola highlighted the team rather than his own efforts.

“Joe Ariola is a great example of selflessness and dedication to the youth of our community,” league board members noted in a joint statement. “He keeps all of us board members motivated and involved because he ‘walks the walk.’”