Uniondale Little Leaguers join Ducks on baseball field

The Uniondale All Stars Little League got a taste of the big leagues last week, hanging out on a professional baseball field with the players for the Long Island Ducks before the Aug. 18 game.

“It was great to get them out there and let them experience that,” Ronnie Williams, the Little League president, said.

A group of 28 Knights, ages 8 to 15, traveled from Uniondale to Fairfield Properties Ballpark, in Central Islip, to watch the Ducks take on the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Williams said he takes the Knights to a Ducks game every year, but this year was a special experience.

While at the game, the kids jumped at the chance to run onto the field and stand alongside the minor league teams’ ballplayers as they took the field for the national anthem. The kids met the professional players, shook their hands, and posed for photos.

They were supposed to play catch with some of the Ducks as well but weren’t able to, due to inclement weather, according to Theudia Chambers, the public relations coordinator for the All Stars.

The Knights took advantage of the opportunity to take the field because of the variety of offerings the Ducks have in store for large groups. The Nicolock Dream Team experience, sponsored by Nicolock Paving Stones, allows Little League teams and other groups to stand on the field with Ducks during the national anthem, Michael Polak, the Ducks’ vice president of communications, said.

“We always like to offer some unique experiences to groups that come out to the ballpark to make their experience that much more special,” Polak said.

At the Aug. 18 game, the Ducks also celebrated Jewish Heritage Night, which was presented and sponsored by the Jewish Community Centers of Long Island. To mark the occasion, commemorative baseballs decorated with the Israeli and American flags were distributed to the first 1,500 attendees. In addition, the Ducks’ ballplayers wore special jerseys with the Star of David on the sleeves that fans could bid on through an online auction, with proceeds going to the Jewish Community Centers through the Duck’s QuackerJack Foundation.

The evening celebrated Jewish culture in other ways as well, with themed items for sale in the stadium’s gift shop, including Jewish-themed Ducks T-shirts and hats. Chambers said the evening was all about “blending cultures” and was glad the Uniondale kids had a unique “cross-cultural experience” during the game.

“It was a really nice mixed cultural event for the kids from our community,” Chambers said.

The mission of the Little League in Uniondale is to “teach the integrity of the game of baseball,” to develop character, and to “improve the skills necessary to become a better baseball player,” according to its website.

The Ducks lost the Aug. 18 matchup with the Blue Crabs, 7-5, after starting their season on April 25 with a 6-2 victory over the Lancaster Stormers. The Ducks currently stand in third place in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

The Little League accepts players from ages four to 16, for a season of baseball that begins in April and runs until October. In addition, the league holds baseball clinics through the summer and into the fall, as well as in the spring and during the off-season in the winter. A travel team is also available for more advanced players.

Williams, who has been the president of the All Stars Little League for 13 years, said he prioritizes keeping the league going throughout the year for the kids who really love baseball.

“Some kids only play baseball, and that’s what they love,” he said, “so we diversified the league.”

To learn more about the offerings of the Uniondale All Stars Little League or to sign up, visit UniondaleLittleLeague.com.