POPS softball league honors high school seniors

The POPS 40 & Over softball league held its annual scholarship ceremony on June 11 at the Merrick Public Library. POPS (which stands for “Past Our Prime Softball”) presents scholarships each year to select graduating high school seniors who will be attending college in the fall. The scholarship recipients are children of the over 600 players in the POPS league, and were chosen based on a combination of academic achievement, athletic participation, and involvement in community service.

Eighteen individual certificates were presented by POPS Commissioner Dr. Keith Pastuch, who cited achievements of each recipient to the crowd of parents, players and members of the POPS Board of Directors. The recipients boast impressive resumes, including things such as: participation in high school sports, charitable activities, raising money for charitable organizations, helping local kids, and membership in high school clubs.

Some of the scholarships were given in name of POPS players who have passed away. POPS gave scholarships in the memory of Ron Gies, who was involved with local Little Leagues and was a firefighter who lost his life responding to the events of 9/11. There were also the Peggy Carlock Scholarship and Oceanside Department of Community Services Scholarships, given to recognize their support of the vision of the POPS Commissioner to start a softball league for men in their 40s.

POPS was founded in 1999 by Dr. Keith Pastuch. It featured four teams. It now has two different leagues (a 40 & over and a 50 & over), has grown to 38 teams, and plays on fields in western Nassau County. Most players reside in Oceanside, Merrick and Bellmore, but many come from towns across Long Island.

The 2014 scholarship winners, their high schools and the colleges they will attend:

Breanne Cassuci, Valley Stream, New Paultz

Brianna Spataro, Oceanside, Nassau Community College

Jared Cohen, Oceanside, SUNY Buffalo

Jaycie Goldberg, Oceanside, University of Massachusetts

Sarah Rothery, Bellmore JFK, University of Connecticut

Madison Weiss, Oceanside, Ohio State University

Daniel Saugar, MacArthur, SUNY Oneonta

Tyler Weinstein, Bellmore JFK, Hofstra

Brenden Donion, Long Beach, USC

Gregory Simicich, Floral Park, Farmingdale

Zach Levy, Oceanside, SUNY Binghamton

Ross Kleinschmidt, Kellenberg, University of Scranton

Natalie Dorfman, Hewlett, Indiana

Amanda Ashe, East Meadow, University of Maryland

Robbie Rosen, Calhoun, Hofstra

Caitlyn O’Hare, Calhoun, Syracuse

Don Verrico, Massapequa, Rochester Institute of Technology

Joelle Sudeck, East Meadow, University of Hartford