Youth baseball returns to Aspinwall with popular Tee Ball league

Being involved in the new Aspinwall Tee Ball league was appealing for many reasons to community resident Steve Wein.

Aspinwall’s Little League program had long folded and opportunities for younger kids to be involved in baseball meant traveling to different municipalities. Wein, who has three kids, liked the idea of having an in-town league to get them involved in. He also liked the idea of volunteering to coach his kids.

Wein is a volunteer coach for one of the 3-to-6 year old teams in the league, which kicked off its inaugural 10-week season June 17.

“I’m interested in the progression throughout the year and the trust they put in you,” Wein said. “Every kid is different, and the main purpose is that everyone is treated with respect and kindness. Especially with 3-to-6-year-old kids, that’s what you want to show them.”

Gemma Pollice helped come up with the idea after some discussions about Aspinwall removing the smaller baseball field from the Aspinwall Recreational Area. Pollice, who played in the Little League in Aspinwall as a kid, didn’t remember when or why Aspinwall’s Little League ceased to exist.

Pollice, a Tribune-Review employee, wanted to try to develop a Tee Ball league to get kids in Aspinwall interested in baseball. After doing some research, they found that 20% of people in Aspinwall are kids under 10. Originally, the goal for the league was to have at least 40 players involved.

“We advertised on Facebook and put some flyers around town,” Pollice said. “We ended up with 120 kids. They are all ages 3-9.”

The league doesn’t yet have any older age groups, but Pollice hopes continued interest can lead to a few teams forming over the next few years. The league charged $30 per player, and they were able to generate enough income to buy every team four helmets, a bat and a dozen balls and stock the concession stand.

Each player received a shirt and hat. When Pollice looked for sponsors in the community, she was pleased with the result.

“We had 10 sponsors within 10 minutes,” Pollice said. “We had more people come up after and say, ‘How can I help? It’s great to see baseball back.’”

Making the decision to include 3-year-olds helped bring people in from outside the community. Vanessa Pollino, a Steel Valley graduate who lives in Cheswick, wanted to find something for her son Theo, who is 3.

“I think he liked going after the ball and liked going to the plate,” Pollino said. “He liked being around other kids. He’s a pandemic baby and hasn’t had a whole lot of social interaction. We wanted to get him out in the world.”

Pollino also hopes this league can be around as she has another son, Antonio, who is 20 months. The decision to get Theo involved in Tee Ball was a natural fit.

“He always likes throwing the ball around,” Pollino said. “He’s always talking to his dad about sports.”

Wein also has enjoyed the league thus far and would like to see it continue.

“I think it’s what is great about Aspinwall and what Aspinwall has been,” Wein said. “The community has gotten organized to have local events and leagues like this. It’s inclusive of people in the district who want to walk to the field and know a lot of folks and families that are there. It’s good to have friendships among kids and is a good opportunity for them to meet other little ones.”

For more information, visit Aspinwall Tee Ball on Facebook.