Spring brings longer days, warmer temperatures, and the promise of summer around the corner. For over 500 kids in Ridgefield, spring means baseball season. Baseball is Ridgefield’s longest-standing organized sport, with the Ridgefield Little League currently running its 70th year.
At the heart of the Little League organization are the team sponsors, whose generosity makes it possible for the over 80 teams in the league to purchase uniforms, play on well-maintained fields, and hire knowledgeable umpires. Teams are named after their sponsors, most of which are local businesses.
This year marks the nineteenth season that one sponsor, the Schlierf family, has made baseball possible for a group of young players. Brian’s Club is a well-recognized team in the Double-A division, which includes players around ages 7-9. The Schlierf’s began their sponsorship in loving memory of their son Brian, who died on August 18, 2004, when he was eight years old.
Former Brian’s Club players and coaches agree that there is something special about the team. And it’s not just the end-of-year team celebration, which the Schlierf family always graciously hosts.
Nicolas Genna, currently a Junior at Ridgefield High School and a member of the high school varsity baseball team, played on Brian’s Club in 2016. Nicolas remarks, “Playing for Brian’s Club made baseball more than just a game for me. The experience helped foster a love for baseball that has continued through today. It was a great experience for me and my teammates. We had an O.K. record during the season, but during the playoffs, the team really came together as we made a deep playoff run. We wanted to win for Brian’s family. Playing for Brian’s Club was an honor.”
The Schlierf family sponsors a team in memory of Brian because, quite simply, Brian loved baseball. When remembering Brian, the family says, “It wasn’t important to Brian if you won or lost, only if you played your best and had fun doing it. Brian enjoyed playing
with his friends and being part of a team. He enjoyed learning about baseball, practicing, and seeing the results of his hard work.” The Schlierf family hopes to foster that same love of the sport for other aspiring young players.
Good luck out there to our players, coaches, and baseball families. And thank you to the Schlierf family, and all of our team sponsors, who have made this season possible.