No question that Montville is a baseball town. With two Little Leagues, a Babe Ruth League and now older girl's softball, there are ample opportunities for players, fans and supporters to get involved.
Montville's leagues depend on the volunteered energy, time and talents of families and friends of the sport, according to John Guetens, president of the Montville American Little League (MALL).
The larger of two leagues in town, and serving the western side of town and Oakdale, the American League has about 350 kids participating on 30 teams. These start with Tee-ball (5-year-olds), baseball and softball for minors (6 to 12 years old) and majors (13 to 15 years old).
This season the league started senior league softball that gives girls age 13 - 15 across all of Montville a chance to stay involved in the sport without having to join a traveling team before they can advance to high school teams.
What few people, aside from the 60 American League coaches, the 15 board members and team parents, may realize is that it's an all-volunteer effort. That includes maintaining the League's four baseball fields at 570 Old Colchester Road, keeping equipment in tip-top shape, running the concession stands at the games, organizing umpires and orchestrating team schedules.
"We're self-sustaining," Guetens said. "We rely on our volunteers, whatever money can we raise."
Last year, he said, it cost the league about $35,000 to run. About half of the revenue comes from players' sign-up fees; the other comes from sponsorships, sign advertising around the fields, money from concession stand sales and fundraising. The league is a non-profit organization, so the Town on Montville contributed $2700 for the past fiscal year, he said.
Team sponsorship is a good way for area businesses and organizations to support the teams and get visibility, Guetens said. The price for a major league package of team sponsorship, with company names on all of the uniforms, plus an outfield advertising sign was $425. It was $300 for a minor league team. Or outfield advertising signs can be purchased separately. Mike Doherty, former league president, and now member-at-large on the board of directors, is involved with the outfield advertising.
"Over the last couple of years we've really made an effort to improve the physical facilities, putting a lot of work to make it a better experience for the kids," Guetens said.
Last year they paved their parking lot, with the help of Kobyluck Sand and Gravel. They hope to pave around the concession stand next and have budgeted to build new batting cages for the kids, he said. Construction is planned for once the season's games are over.
The team got a new website last year, which has been maintained by Jon Pierce. His wife, Kathy, has been the player agent, a major organizational job, Guetens said. Both are MALL board members.
The fundraiser this year was ticket sales for the Connecticut Defenders game on Father's Day, June 15. The teams got to keep half of the proceeds from every $8 ticket the kids sold.
"We never really have a hard time finding coaches and managers, but we're always looking for more people to get involved, especially in league administration," he said. "We've always got people matriculating out and people coming in who are willing to help out."
While there's always the exception, he said, by and large, most team parents are pretty reasonable and understand the sport is there for the kids and is meant to be fun.
Jeff Dombrowski is one of the life-long baseball loyalists in town, putting in at least 16 hours a week, between serving as equipment manager, board members, coach of the W.R Allen minor league team and being an umpire.
"I'm a second generation coach and played Little League my whole life in this town," he said. Dombrowski followed in the footsteps of his father, Walt, a name well known around Waterford Speed Bowl, in both racing and baseball. He considered pursuing professional baseball in 1984, but his life took another direction.
He has been involved with the league seven years, and all members of the family get involved, from his daughter, 15-year-old Ashley Coleman, who played minor and major league softball, son Nicholas, age 10, who plays on the W.R. Allen team, and younger daughter Madison, age 7, who plays on the Curves softball team.
Krystin Dombrowski and another team wife joke that their husbands must have cots set up in the press box.
"I swear to you, Jeff is there every day making sure all of the team fields look good," she said. "He's there watering, even at 7 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday, to make sure everything is perfect."
Krystin probably surmised what she was getting into when she met her future husband at a softball game in 1994. They were going to get married on the softball field, but her mom ruled that out.
"It's worth it to see the kids smiling," he said of being so involved with the sport. "When the kids come up and say 'Hi coach, hi Mr. Dombrowksi,' that makes you feel good. It's also the camaraderie of the parents who say good things about you."
Krystin also is directly involved, as the official team mom for W.R. Allen team. This includes making sure parents know when the team photo will be taken and setting up concession stand schedule for parents.
"Jeff is above and beyond for the team and the league," she said. "He is so involved, down there umpiring for other teams. He's so passionate about the sport and does so much for the teams. He's not there for himself; he's there to watch these kids grow."
Dombrowski credits Bob Dragoo, 73, a neighbor, long-time league president and baseball mentor, for getting him involved in the game. He also looks up to Arnie Pinkston, who has coached on both sides of town.
There are next generations of Montville Little League supporters coming up through the ranks, too, he said. Kyle Baron, 17, a junior at Montville High, umpires a couple of nights a week, cooks on the grill in the concession stand, and umpires softball.
"He does so much for this league, it's unbelievable," Dombrowski said.
League play started up in April during spring school vacation and is building up to the Mayor's Cup, a face-off between the top teams in the two leagues, on June 19. The match between the winning major league teams for both leagues was resurrected last year, Guetens said. Nationals won last year 1 to 0. The American League hosts this year's match.
Selection of the league's All Star teams, comprised of the best players from each team, will start in the next couple of weeks, he said. The league will be hosting some 9 and 10-year All Star games, too. The league also offers fall ball, he said, which is generally pretty low key since it is competing with soccer and football.
For more information, see www.montvilleamerican.org
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