Greenwich Village Little League Kicks Off Season With Its Own Opening Day
League has built back to 90 percent of the pre-COVID level with just under 800 players for baseball, softball and a challenger division.
| 03 Apr 2023 | 04:37
Greenwich Village LL, which uses Pier 40 on the Hudson as its home field, kicks off the 2023 season on the fields on April 1. Photo: Office of Manhattan Borough president Mark Levine
While the rest of us were getting excited about Opening Day, the youngest New Yorkers had their own fun with Greenwich Village Little League’s own season kickoff.
The league’s own Opening Day took place on Saturday, April 1st. “Thrilled to join the Greenwich Village Little League today for opening day at Pier 40,” tweeted Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine with a series of photos of the event.
This spring season, GVLL has just under 800 players registered across baseball, softball and challenger programs. This is about 90% of their 2019 enrollment, which was the last season before the pandemic. The 2020 spring season was entirely canceled, but enrollment has steadily rebounded since then, reaching 67% of pre-pandemic levels in 2021 and 86% in 2022.
“We’re finally feeling like we have totally shaken off the effects of the pandemic at this point,” says Peter Marino, the president of GVLL. “So this season is about making sure we are giving the best experience to all our kids, from beginners just learning the game to more experienced players looking for good competition.”
This season, the league has almost 250 volunteers, from team coaches who run the games and practices during the season to those who volunteer year-round as board members. “Like all Little Leagues, GVLL is all-volunteer, so their involvement is absolutely critical,” says Marino.