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For Hooksett, fair is foul

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:49:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Donald Pare has video evidence that baseball is indeed a game of inches.

Pare’s 11- and 12-year-old Hooksett Little League team was eliminated from District 1 play after consecutive losses, including a 5-4 setback to Salem National on July 1.

Hooksett was tied 4-4 in the top of the sixth and final frame, but a Salem batter blasted an opposite field double to right field that bounced off the foul pole, scoring two and giving the visitors a onerun lead.

In the home half of the inning, Hooksett put the tying run on third with one out after Justin Reno’s sacrifice bunt moved Jeff Arbur to third, but the first baseman remained there.

When the eventual gamewinning double pounded off the pole, Pare came onto the field to question the home plate umpire, believing the hit had found the fence in foul territory.

Following the game, Pare watched footage from a parent’s camcorder and made up his mind about the call.

“It was tough to see, but it was a great call by the umpire. After watching the tape, it hit right on the pole,” said Pare. “If that ball didn’t hit the pole, it was a whole different story.”

After dropping into the losers’ bracket, Hooksett was eliminated on Friday, July 3, following a 9-0 setback to Concord National.

In its final D-1 contest, Hooksett was hitless until the sixth inning, when Max Curran hit a leadoff single up the middle.

Hooksett performed well defensively during its stint in the tournament, committing just a single error in the game against Concord.

“They had fun and they extended their season a little bit,” said Pare. “They saw what it’s like to play at the tournament level. They enjoyed the whole ambiance, and it was important for them to be able to perform on this stage.”

Eligible to return next season are current 11-year-olds Chris Pare, Jake Clark, Kevin Taylor, Alec Patterson and Tom Bolduc.

This year’s 12-year-olds were Jeness Peterson, Sean Benoit, Josh Cote, Jeff Arbur, Justin Reno, Jason Toledo, Max Lurran and Alex Stoltman.

Post 21 helps student-athletes defray college costs

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:22:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Despite a disappointing season for the Concord American Legion baseball team, Post 21 manager Averill Cate wanted to conclude the summer on a positive note.

In fact, he said he wants to end every Legion season like he’s done this year.

On Thursday, Aug. 14, Concord Post 21 and the Forty-and- Eight Club congratulated four athletes and one coach on fine performances and awarded them a total of $4,750 in college scholarships.

The players, Daniel Solomon of Concord, Matt French of Hooksett, Mitch Philibert and Nick Comtois each received $1,000 in education funds, and Brian Drew, who coached Concord’s junior American legion team this season, took $750. Drew a standout at Concord High School, currently attends Keene State College.

French, an outfielder, played his high school ball at Trinity in Manchester. Cate said the third-year Legion player has been a huge asset for the team.

Nick Comtois, another three-year player, pitched and played the outfield. He attended Coe-Brown High School in Northwood and now heads to the State University of New York Cobbleskill this fall. Longevity is not necessarily a prerequisite for the award, however.

Solomon, an outfielder who recently graduated St. Paul’s School in Concord, plans to attend the University of New Hampshire, and Hillsboro- Deering’s Philibert, a pitcher and third baseman, completed their first season with the Concord squad, yet both are reaping the benefit of a generous college scholarship. And that’s the point, said Cate.

“If you play for our program, and you stick with it through the summer, and you’re going to college, we’re going to try and help you with $1,000,” he said. “If you go to college and you still have another year of eligibility and come back, we’ll try and get you another $1,000.”

Hooksett’s never-say-die group falls just short in Salem

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:28:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Through five innings on July 9, Salem American proved a most inhospitable District- 1 Little League host, keeping Hooksett’s 11- and 12-yearold all-stars from threatening its house. Strong pitching, flawless fielding and timely hitting gave the home team a 4-0 edge.

Prior to the top of the sixth and final inning, Hooksett coach Jim White queried the subdued group of 12-year-olds.

“Is the season going to end now?” asked White.

“No!” replied the 12 suddenly energized green-and-gold-clad ballplayers.

The season did end, but not before Hooksett nearly knocked down Salem’s front door, scoring three times, putting the tying and go-ahead runners on second and third, scaring the heck out of the hosts, then succumbing, 4-3.

It was the second 4-3 loss by Hooksett in its District-1 run. The locals also fell to Salem National on July 2, but the late-game effort, said White, came as no surprise to him.

“That’s been their signature,” he said. “They make it really tough on the opposition.”

This year’s group outscored its foes, 32-11, crushing Manchester Central, 10-0, and Plaistow, 12-1, in losers bracket action.

Hooksett scored runs in bunches during the tournament, and the team tended to unleash its attack later in games. Among the many tournament highlights were Scott Robidoux’s first career home run and Andrew Kehas’ blast against Plaistow.

“That’s where that confidence comes from,” said White. “We know we’re going to hit, we’re going to score. It’s just a matter of when.”

Jake Bjornberg, who led off in three of the games, posted an on-base percentage around .500, while Aidan White led the stingy pitching staff with two wins. He allowed three earned runs in 11 innings, fanning 11 in the process.

Kehas started against Salem American, and he nearly escaped a first-inning jam with the help of right fielder Connor Boucher, whose catch and throw home held a Salem runner at third. Two singles later, though, and Hooksett trailed, 2-0.

The deficit doubled in the fourth. A pair of errors allowed the two runs to cross, but relief pitcher Austin Sprague fanned two straight – one looking at strike three, the other swinging and missing – to avoid further trouble. He fanned two more in the fifth, setting up Hooksett’s sixth-inning rally.

Bjornberg worked a bases on balls. After an out, Kehas walked. Sprague’s infield single loaded the bases, moving the Hooksett faithful to the edge of their seats. After catcher Mike Martinez collected an RBI with another walk, Brian Jutras delivered a two-RBI single to left.

Jake Parker advanced the runners to second and third with a groundout, but Boucher was nipped at first by the pitcher, who was forced to throw from his knees to end Hooksett’s uprising and its spirited season.

“That,” concluded White, “was typical of the team.”

Cam St. George hit cleanup for Hooksett, while Tanner Walls and Justin Smith, who walked against Salem American, completed the all-star roster.

Hooksett shows heart in losers bracket victory

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:40:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Hooksett 11- and 12-year-old Little League all-star bats were slowed for the first three innings of a District-1 losers bracket game at Plaistow. But a mid-game acceleration in bat speed mirrored the rapidly increasing numbers on the visitors’ side of the scoreboard.

Hooksett scored 11 runs in the final three frames en route to a 12-1 victory over Plaistow on Monday, July 7. They were scheduled to face Salem American on Wednesday, July 9.

Aidan White threw an efficient complete-game effort for Hooksett, throwing just 76 pitches, while Andrew Kehas scored three runs and drove in four to pace the offense.

Kehas stepped to the plate with two on in the top of the fourth inning and smoked a line drive to left-center field. The ball quickly sailed over the mediumsized fence and landed in the dirt and rocks, giving Hooksett a 4-1 lead.

“That was big,” said Hooksett’s head coach, Jim White. “You shouldn’t have to wait until a home run to get excited, but that really did pick them up.”

Hooksett scored four of its runs on wild pitches from Plaistow pitchers and was aggressive on the base paths all night.

White said the team’s defensive efforts are key to continuing in the tournament, and his fielders showed why against Plaistow, turning multiple double plays in the contest to thwart rallies.

“The defense was good in both games,” he said. “Then I thought we started hitting, and it became consistent. We couldn’t get a big hit against Salem (National), but we were able to do that (facing Plaistow).”

Hooksett defeated Derry American on June 30, 5-2, in its first game of the tournament before falling to Salem National on July 2, 4-3, to drop into the losers bracket, where it defeated Manchester Central on Saturday, July 5, 10-0, to advance to the contest versus Plaistow.

In a five-run inning against Plaistow, Michael Martinez and Brian Jutras chipped in RBI singles following Kehas’ three-run blast.

The next inning Jake Bjornberg added an RBI single and Kehas struck with a run-scoring double before crossing the plate himself on a wild pitch.

White said the offensive outburst provides a lesson his team can take deeper into the tournament.

“It should just show them that it’s a team sport,” he said. “We had some heads hanging down, thinking about what they didn’t do instead of what the team did do. Not just one person can carry the team.”

At games, some adults cross the line of unacceptable behavior

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:45:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Sitting at a youth hockey conference, watching what was likely to be another boring prerecorded training video, Kermit Brunelle sighed.

On the screen, Don Lucia, coach of the national champion University of Minnesota ice hockey team, was giving a speech.

“A lot of people think I have the best job in hockey, and I tell them, ‘You know, I have the second- best job in hockey,’” said Lucia. “‘The best job is being the head coach at an orphanage – no parents to deal with.’” Brunelle chuckled.

The Bedford native has been coaching youth hockey in the greater-Manchester area the past decade.

For nine years, he woke before sunrise, brought his son or daughter to a frigid ice rink and taught half-awake children to skate, handle the puck and, most importantly, play hard and clean. Only this year did he shed the added pressure of coaching one of his own children.

He’s been able to handle the lack of sleep and multiple layers of clothing well enough.

In fact, the experience has generally been positive, even rewarding, but it’s parents who think their child deserves more playing time than another, or those who vocally second-guess a coach or official, that grate on his nerves.

That behavior, said Brunelle, does not reflect the true nature of youth sports.

In some cases, emotions run high; in extreme cases, people are hurt, even killed. Usually, it’s the child who suffers.

Pressure points
As a Little League coach in Goffstown, Bob Gurskis knows all too well the weight parents can put on coaches’ and players’ shoulders.

In a town where baseball roots grow deep, he feels like just another weed to be plucked from the infield dirt, even after leading the Goffstown 9- and 10- year-old tournament team to a District 1 title in 2007.

“Some parents are so demanding, I literally have to talk to them and say, ‘Hey, lighten up, you’re taking the (kid’s minds) out of the game,’” said Gurskis. He said he’s talked to several players so disenchanted they’re ready to quit the sport rather than continue into Babe Ruth. It’s no wonder, he said, that at least one study indicates only 9 percent of children play organized baseball after the age of 12.

Gurskis grew up playing in Nashua and competed in semipro ball. He relocated to Florida and coached Little League there before moving to Goffstown. The attitude toward junior baseball in Goffstown – as compared to everywhere else he’s lived – is astounding, he said. “This year, even more than ever, I think it’s kind of 50-50.

Half the families and half the people involved understand baseball is entertainment. It’s a game. Coaches teach you to work hard. Sports is a healthy thing,” he said. “The other half take the game so far to the opposite direction. Every play is life or death. Every pitch is the last out of the World Series.”

And Gurskis said that mentality has reached the softball diamond, the soccer field and the football gridiron, among other playing surfaces.

“Everyone gets emotional,” he said. “But it becomes personal. ‘Why is your son getting the starting assignment and not mine?’ or ‘Why is he playing four innings and mine is only playing three and two-thirds?’”

Gurskis has clashed with fellow board members and coaches who have exhibited such an attitude, both at games and behind closed doors.

He can deal with the shots fired at him. It’s the collateral damage that concerns him.

“The pressure comes down on the kids, and that’s not what you want,” he said. “They’re going to find pressure in life without us. We don’t need to put more on them.

“Let’s help them try to be successful and analyze and improve what they’ve done wrong rather than scream at them for swinging at a bad pitch.”

It’s not just the coaches and players who are targets.

Leon Kenison of Bow began officiating baseball in high school when he was forced to substitute for a group of absent umpires. Roughly 50 years later he’s still listening to parents, coaches and players question his rulings. Most of it is background noise.

“Because of my gray hair, I guess I don’t get as much grief as some of my younger colleagues, whether it be from parents, coaches or players … But it’s tough to say because I’ve really trained myself not to hear that stuff,” said Kenison. “I know the younger (umps) let it get to them a little. When I’m in the stands I prefer to be a silent spectator and only positively encourage those on the field, but if I’m umping and someone gets really bad, I’ll just turn to them and say, “Gosh, I could use some help.”

There is constant recruiting for umpires, added Kenison, who said he’d rather be officiating than coaching.

“The coaches get a lot more pressure from parents in terms of, ‘Why doesn’t my kid play more?’” he said. “Not only do they have logistic stuff, in terms of scheduling practices and finding fields, which is a nightmare, but they have to deal with the parents of a 12-year-old kid who is going to break into the Major Leagues next week.”

Kenison has umpired and/ or coached at every local level, from Little League to high school to American Legion and beyond, and he’s seen the sport and the attitudes evolve.

In the past, a disruptive parent would be reprimanded and usually calmed by peers. These days, it’s not necessarily a parent’s actions that create problems, said Kenison, it’s inaction. “A kid (is) throwing a hissy fit when they think they’ve been tagged out or something like that,” he said. “… I’m not saying parents should reprimand their kids right on the field, but I certainly don’t see folks getting involved (in discipline) like they did 20 or 30 years ago. I think it makes it harder on the coaches more than anyone.”

Brunelle can relate.

On the ice, he teaches children to play with respect for themselves, their foes and the game, minus the violence generally associated with hockey. He knows other coaches preach a similar approach.

Yet many pupils still exhibit selfish tendencies.

“It’s the trips home from the rink after games,” said Brunelle. “(Parents are) talking about the performance of their individual child, where on the bench we’re stressing team play.”

Every now and then he witnesses the effects of a parent coaching from a distance.

“A lot of parents, I think, try to live vicariously through their children,” he said. “But parents yelling from the stands in such a manner that a child can hear it, that child usually takes it as criticism and internalizes it as a negative experience for them.”

Indeed, such actions generally serve as a deterrent to participate, said Kate Hays, who practiced sports psychology in Concord for 25 years before moving her practice to Toronto in 1997.

“Ironically, a kid may lose interest in being involved in sports because of the huge amount of negative energy involved,” she said. “(The parent) is thinking they’re protecting their kid or standing up for their kid, but most kids actually find that type of intervention embarrassing and feel more pressure to perform.

“Essentially, what may ordinarily be a fun activity with friends begins to have a lot of emotional pieces that in turn create long-term implications.”

Jim Bail not only coaches and serves as a Little League board member in Windham, but he scouts players for the professional ranks.

At one particular American Legion game in 2007, Bail was asked by Concord coach Avril Cate to take a look at a couple players.

Bail obliged and, after the game, pulled one particular athlete aside and told him he’ll never have a chance at the next level if he continues to throw fits over an umpire’s calls.

“I see parents softening their kids up a little more than is good for them,” he said.

More than ever, he added, parents are turning their children into victims.

“(The players) aren’t taking enough ownership for their own issues,” he said. “They try to pout their way onto teams or try to pout their way into starting positions – with mom and dad in the background saying how unfair it is – instead of bucking up and doing it themselves.”

Even in youth football, said Dave Tremblay, a coach receives their share of parent-generated headaches.

Tremblay has coached football at the youth and high school level for roughly 10 years.

“Generally, I think you have two different types of parents,” said the current Pembroke Academy head coach. “You have the parents who expect their kids to be all-stars, and then you have the parents who kind of have the fear of the unknown, the ones who get nervous when their kids are practicing five days a week, and they’re getting used to the physicality of the sport.” The latter is easier to deal with, said Tremblay.

He remembered one incident when he coached the Hooksett Hurricanes.

A neighbor, whose child played under Tremblay, decided to confront him because of a perceived lack of playing time.

A mildly heated exchange ensued, recalls the coach, but he said he learned from the experience.

“First of all, the Pop Warner rules set forth and regulate playing time, but I’ve just learned to be really open with everyone and let them know up front how it’s going to be. I also spread the responsibility among my coaches, so it’s not just my decision, and parents can’t single out one person.”

Even if disagreements occur, Hays said these kinds of moments offer opportunities to positively resolve problems.

More importantly, she said it’s necessary to communicate with the child and identify and separate the aspirations of the young athlete from the parent.

Proof positive
One of Brunelle’s most memorable moments as coach involved a youngster from Minnesota who had transferred to New Hampshire and was moving back to the Midwest with his parents.

“I received an e-mail thanking me for my efforts as a coach, and more importantly it said the one thing the boy remembered is, at the end of the game when you shake hands, you’re supposed to take your glove off.”

That, said Brunelle, was indicative of parents who care, and there are many of them, he said.

In fact, all parties interviewed for this story acknowledged they’ve generally had positive experiences with youth sports, and they said there are some encouraging trends.

Leagues around the country are taking proactive approaches to eliminating inappropriate behavior.

Kenison noted that approximately 10 years ago the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association created a policy that mandates any coach or player ejected from a game must sit at least one additional contest. A second violation brings an immediate end to that individual’s season.

Several other organizations, said Kenison, including Babe Ruth, have adopted similar policies. “It’s sort of a motivational tool to make people behave, and from what I’ve seen, it’s made a heck of a difference,” he said. “People previously felt they could have their say anytime they wanted, and now we just say, ‘See ya.’ I think that’s had a very sobering effect on malcontents and makes the umpiring job much easier.”

Brunelle said USA Hockey and Granite State Youth Hockey have created a parents code of conduct and are enforcing zero-tolerance policies concerning a parent’s verbal or physical abuse of a player, coach, fellow parent or official.

If an individual breaks the code, he said, a 30-day suspension follows, and those punished must go before a board and request reinstatement.

“I think it’s needed just to make sure parents understand this is a game,” said Brunelle, “and winning and losing is not that important, as long as kids continue to develop as players and people.”

Hooksett softball and baseball highlights

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:10:00 GMT

Hooksett 18 – Dunbarton 7
Shannon Argo and Shannon Martin went 4-for-4, and Kim Wallace, Bry Pearson, Elaina Lavigne, Amber Young, Ashley Pilotte, Sam Desaulniers and Lindsay Read were a combined 17-for-25 with seven walks, as Hooksett rolled in junior-league action. Winning pitcher Argo turned in five strong innings, striking out five.

Hooksett 6 – Laconia 5
Amber Young’s two-out, eighth-inning hit eluded the center fielder as Hooksett lost an early lead but still won the game. Shannon Argo pitched eight strong innings with 14 strikeouts.

Hooksett 20 – Merrimack Valley 6
Hooksett scored 11 runs in the top of the fifth inning to break open a tight game. In the decisive frame, Lindsay Read and Ashley Pilotte doubled, and Alexis Lievens belted a three-run home run. Read reached base all four at bats, and Amber Young reached three times. Sam Desaulniers fanned four and retired the last six hitters to end the contest.

Hooksett 18 – Merrimack Valley 3
After a slow start, Hooksett erupted for 12 runs on 13 hits to down Merrimack Valley. Bryanna Pearson, Amber Young and Ashley Pilotte led the offense with three hits each, while Elaina Lavigne and Emily Miville each went 2-for-2.

Hooksett Applebees 15 – Hooksett Tokyo Joe’s 11
Hannah Locke, Abby Desharnais, Katie Dugan and Chelsea Desmarais keyed a fourth-inning Applebee rally in major-league action. Paige St. George, Lauren Shaw, Alexis Johnson and Erica Woods added to Applebees’ attack. Shaw and Johnson shared pitching chores and played solid defense. Rebecca Shedd had a strong game behind the plate. Sam Somers, Meghan Menard and Mary Darby led Tokyo Joe’s seven-run second inning. Ashley Aylward and Alex Nelson handled pitching duties for Joe’s.

Hooksett Tokyo Joe’s 11 – Hooksett Appelbees 10
Ashley Aylward singled and later stole home, giving Tokyo Joe’s its second win and knocking Applebees from the ranks of the unbeaten. Alex Nelson pitched well for Joe’s in the third and fourth innings.

Hooksett 13 – Bow 9
Emily Duchesne earned the mound win with relief help from Alexis Johnson, who allowed one run in the final three innings.

Trinity nine, still young, swings for return to final

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:19:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

After sneaking up on the competition in 2007 and reaching the state finals with one of the youngest teams in Class L, coach Ed Poisson knows his Pioneers aren’t surprising anyone this year.

But the expectation remains the same.

“To make it beyond that first round in Class L you’ve got to throw your No. 1, and you’re just hoping your pitching staff can hold up,” said Poisson of the difficulty in returning to the state championship game. “I think everybody is looking at us, and they know we have the pitching … They’ve seen them play last year and all summer long, and they know we’re mature, so people expect us to be (in contention).

If the kids continue to do their jobs, this could be a very successful year here at Trinity.”

Last year the Pioneers entered the postseason with a 10- 12 record as the No. 13 seed. But after upsets of Keene, Nashua South and Goffstown, they reached the promised land, only to fall to another upstart team, Merrimack.

This season, despite foes’ familiarity with the Pioneers, the team boasts a 6-2 record. And they’re still young.

With one senior on the 2008 squad, and several Neighborhood athletes receiving regular playing time, Poisson said he’s not only excited about this season, but 2009 as well.

Among a strong group of juniors are Bedford’s Sean Lyons and Garrett Cole, Hooksett’s Rick Fosher and Goffstown’s Dave Danielson.

Last season, Lyons batted .500, stole 18 bases and threw out four baserunners from the outfield.

He’s also the team’s No. 2 starter behind another junior, fellow left-hander Dylan Clark. Fosher, a righty who suffered a serious leg injury and missed the latter half of last season, is Trinity’s third starter and also mans first base. Cole, the team’s closer, and Danielson pitch this season in relief, as does sophomore Connor Lyons.

The younger Lyons, who plays outfield with his brother and senior captain Tim Moreau, batted .367 as a freshman. Sophomore Nick Nallette of Goffstown, who played junior varsity last season with Danielson, has made a smooth transition from shortstop to catcher. Danielson starts at third base, and Cole moves from second to shortstop.

Dealing with rules, harassment and stereotypes, girls are finding success competing with the boys

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:19:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

It’s uncomfortable, but it’s a conversation both parties know must take place. As practice begins, Bill Walton, the John Stark wrestling coach, pulls Morgan Belanger aside.

“You know if anything inappropriate happens, you have to tell me,” he says. Belanger nods. She’s had this talk before. “I mean anything,” he continues. “If a guy touches you the wrong way, or a grab turns into a grope, I need to know about it.”

“No problem, coach,” she replies. Thus far, she’s been right.

In the 10 years since Walton started the wrestling team at John Stark, he said an issue has yet to be brought to his attention concerning any of the eight female grapplers he’s supervised. But he knows it takes only one brazen adolescent male to put the program in a very tough spot.

So the awkward conversations continue.

Look past the potential issues associated with high school co-eds wrestling on a mat, however, and Walton said there are some very talented female athletes holding their own against testosterone-laden counterparts – and that holds true in other traditionally male-dominated sports as well.

From the gridiron to the baseball diamond, the wrestling mat to the hockey rink, and on every surface in between, these girls are proving they can play with and beat the boys.

The challenge
Marc Noel knows a thing or two about female athletes. The Pembroke Academy boys hockey coach has also mentored the Lady Monarchs the past 10 seasons.

He’s sent eight females to play college hockey. His 20-yearold daughter, Stephanie, played for the Concord girls club program while attending Bishop Brady, and she’s now enrolled at Rochester Institute of Technology, where she played hockey her freshman season.

Noel’s Spartans currently feature two female players, forwards Jennifer Poulin and Alyssa Caruso.

Poulin, said Noel, is an impact player who will compete at the college level. She tallied seven goals and 12 assists during the 2007-08 season, her junior campaign.

“Jen’s a big girl that puts the puck in the net,” said Noel. “She’s been playing boys sports ever since she was little, so it’s the only thing she knows.”

Kaira Ellis understands that concept well.

Ellis began playing ice hockey when she was 4 and grew up competing with boys in the Concord Youth Hockey League and for the New Hampshire Selects.

As a goaltender for the Pembroke Academy girls hockey team, Ellis said she had to earn the respect of her teammates.

Now an assistant coach for the Spartans – after playing three years for the Saint Anselm College women’s team – she said she once again had to earn the players’ esteem. Yet she doesn’t believe it’s a male/ female thing.

When she stepped onto the ice as a high school freshman, she, like any other newcomer, had to prove herself. As a coach, her players needed to understand she knew what she was talking about before they would listen to her.

Ellis knows full well, however, that’s not the case at all schools. She’s thankful for the consideration the Pembroke players have shown her through the years.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they’ve walked on egg shells either. As a four-year starter in net at Pembroke, Ellis shared the same locker room with her male counterparts. All parties went into separate stalls to change and respected each other’s privacy, but she shared in the same off-color jokes typical of sports locker rooms throughout the country.

Ellis was just one of the guys, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I went from playing boys high school hockey to girls hockey in college, and the boys game is a lot faster,” she said. “You have to be mentally prepared.” It’s more than just being prepared that allows females to compete with males, said Noel. It’s a state of mind, a desire to excel when others tell them they shouldn’t be there.

Belanger said she struggled as a 77-pound freshman grappler and only found success when Walton taught her to enter a match believing she had just as much chance to win as her male foe. This year, as a senior in the 112-pound weight class, Belanger finished in the top four at the Class I wrestling championship and earned a berth at the Meet of Champions.

To Walton’s knowledge, one other female reached the Meet of Champions, and only Belanger walked away with a victory at the event.

The past four years, Belanger said she’s always been outmuscled, but has learned to use her speed and flexibility to gain a winning edge.

She’s also discussed her teammates’ mentality when they enter matches with females. Walton said he’s seen a male wrestler’s psyche totally destroyed by losing to a female.

Belanger learned to take advantage of any opponent’s apprehension. “I tried to get into their head and make them feel like they didn’t want to touch me, let alone wrestle me alone on the mat,” she said, adding she wishes other females would have the courage to wrestle. “It’s really not that scary. It’s actually a pretty fun sport once you get out there and learn to enjoy it.”

Getting physical
“Wrestling is a contact sport, and it’s not just football contact, it’s close-knit contact with no pads and no real barrier,” said Walton. “I always talk to the girls about the fact there is grabbing, and you’re going to have opponents grab legs and grab arms.

But it’s the other areas they might try to grab, or grope, that concern me.”

In turn, Walton said he advises his male competitors that expediency is key when facing a female. “I tell the guys to try to pin them as quickly as possible – nothing good can come of spending too much time on the mat,” he said. “You don’t want to go out there and embarrass the girl or belittle her either. You want to respect her like any other opponent.”

It’s not the sanctioned match, where refs, coaches, parents and fellow wrestlers are all watching closely, that gives Walton anxiety. It’s the practice room.

“I can’t see any guy ever trying to do something in an environment that they are being so closely scrutinized, but at practice, I can’t be watching everyone all the time … I always like having two girls because they can (practice) and work out together. It’s less looking out of the corner of my eyes for me.

“Thankfully, no issue has come up,” added Walton. “It’s tough enough trying to explain and get people to understand all the hard work and time that goes into wrestling, let alone having to go to the school board or administration and trying to explain something like that happening.”

That doesn’t mean it’s never happened.

Belanger said the one time she thought an opposing male wrestler took advantage of the situation, she went to her teammates.

They spoke to the offending opponent, explained it was inappropriate and warned him to avoid repeating his mistake. It wasn’t a problem again.

Ice hockey’s environment is different.

“(Girls) play a physical game against each other. There’s no checking, but they bump each other, and it gets a little nasty sometimes,” said Noel. “But when the girls play with the guys, they’ve got to be able to take (hard checks), there’s no doubt about it. Jen (Poulin) has been checked over and over again. She takes her lumps and bumps, but she keeps coming right back at them.”

It’s the hard checks, however, that keep some girls away from the sport, said Tom Ackerson, coach of the Concord High School girls hockey team, state runner-up in the inaugural year of the New Hampshire girls varsity hockey division.

“(Hockey) is physical for both girls or boys … There’s no checking in girls hockey, but players still get knocked around, it’s just not as ‘goony’ as it is on the boys’ side,” said Ackerson. “They’re not going out there trying to hurt each other.”

“Jen (Poulin) started getting a lot of grief (for being a girl), so when the boys were picking on her, she beat them up, and they left her alone,” said Noel.

Harassment
Lighthearted banter and roughhousing aside, many female athletes deal with both verbal and physical harassment that is sexual in nature.

Former University of Colorado placekicker Katie Hnida absorbed abuse in every form during her two years with the NCAA Division-I squad. According to a Feb. 23, 2004 article by Rick Reilly in Sports Illustrated, Hnida said teammates groped her, called her vulgar names, threw footballs at her head and worse. She also said she was raped by a teammate she considered a friend.

She dropped out following her sophomore year and, according to the story, was depressed for two years, suffered insomnia and gave up kicking.

But Hnida rebounded. In 2002, three years after the alleged rape, she walked on at New Mexico. In August 2003, she became the first female to score in a Division I game when she notched two extra-point kicks in a 72-8 win over Texas State-San Marcos.

A league of their own?
Not for everyone
Hannah Paitchel could be playing softball with other girls her age. Instead, the 11-year-old is striking out boys on the Pelham Little League diamond.

Paitchel, who has two older brothers, has played baseball since she learned to walk, said her father, Steve.

During the 2007 Little

League all-star season, Paitchel was not only the lone female to compete, but she was one of three 10-year-olds to play on Pelham’s 11-year-old all-star squad. In fact, Steve Paitchel said two other girls Hannah’s age joined the Little League this year.

“I think she’s led by example by giving them the comfort to play the sport they love without having to feel uncomfortable about it,” he said.

Hannah also excels playing flag football with the boys, said her father. She accounted for 30 of her team’s 35 touchdowns last year.

“In all fairness, the best boy athletes are actually playing real football, so the competition level is a little watered down,” said the elder Paitchel. “But that just makes her accomplishments in baseball that much more impressive because the competition isn’t watered down, and she’s dominating.”

While the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association restricts female athletes from playing male sports when an equivalent female-only option is available, R. Patrick Corbin, executive director of the NHIAA, said that rule does not apply to baseball because the sports have sufficient differences. Still, Corbin defended the restrictive policy because he said it promotes female athletics.

“We haven’t determined what to do yet because we don’t know where (Hannah) will be when she is 13, so we always said we would re-evaluate at that point,” said Steve Paitchel. “If she continues to be as dominating on the pitching mound as she is now, I think it would just be wrong to make her stop.”

Corbin added the NHIAA discourages females from playing baseball because, when freshmen and sophomores become upperclassmen, the playing field, in general, heavily favors male athletes.

“I’m going to try to play baseball as long as I can,” said Hannah. “And if I can’t, then I’m going to switch to softball, which I think will be a lot easier.”

Ellis said the formation of the NHIAA’s all-girl hockey division restrains female hockey players.

“For any girl that has the talent to play on a boys hockey team, it’s a great opportunity for them, and they should take it because when they get into college they have to play with the girls,” said Ellis. “If you take Jen (Poulin), for example, you put her on a girls team without the numbers and the depth, and it’s not as beneficial to her. It’s tough for me to endorse taking that away from the girls who have a lot of potential and are playing first or second line on a boys team.”

Ellis said that’s proof enough girls shouldn’t be restricted from playing where they’re most comfortable.

Still, Ackerson said female hockey has its place.

“I think if you have a girls team it allows more girls to play,” he said. “There are very few that can compete at the boys level. I’ve watched some girls play for some of the local (boys) teams in this area, and I’m not sure if they get to excel at the rate they would like to.”

Walton said he’s excited to see the creation of the girls hockey division because it signifies forward thinking by the NHIAA.

“Right now, we’re drawing more females into those perceived male sports and, who knows, maybe eventually we’ll have female wrestling in New Hampshire,” said the John Stark wrestling coach. “I know California has female wrestling, and the Olympics have female wrestling.

Unfortunately for New Hampshire, I think we’re still a long way away from that.”

Historic firsts and championships top 2007 Hooksett-area sports

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:16:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

For Hooksett-area teams and individual athletes, 2007 was a year in which the surprising became the norm, particularly at the high school level.

Though squads such as the Central girls tennis team finished tops in Class L and Cawley Middle School collected multiple titles, other perennial contenders bowed out of the postseason early, or missed the playoffs altogether.

The Central boys hoopsters didn’t reach the finals a year after winning the state title, and the gridiron was strangely absent a Little Green team.

Still, Pembroke Academy football was in the playoff hunt for the first time in school history, and Memorial’s track and field team collected a rare but disappointing mark during the state championships.

Let’s take a look back at the year in Hooksett-area sports.

Winter

Gymnastics
Manchester Central’s Nicole Simoneau repeated as the individual state all-around champ with 36.600 points in the NHIAA girls tournament.

Spirit
In January, the Pembroke Academy cheerleading squad finished tops among Class I participants at Kiwanis.

“A state championship brings a banner to your gym, but this is just as important,” said Pembroke coach Donna Ong.

“We’ve been here lots of years, but to have so many supporters out there is just awesome. It’s what these girls deserve.”

Weeks later, Central finished first in the co-ed competition at the state championships in February.

Pembroke placed third in Class I, and after finishing second at the Kiwanis event, the West cheerleading team finished eighth at states, in the process bidding farewell to eight-year coach Sherri Reinfurt.

“This year was more special because we knew it was our last for us and coach,” said senior co-captain Hayley McDonough.

“We’ve had some great finishes too (two second-place finishes and one third-place award). Hopefully, whoever takes over next year can step in and fill coach’s shoes, but it’ll be hard.”

Wrestling
West’s Mark Watts took home third place in the 145- pound weight class at the Division I wrestling championship on Feb. 17, earning him a trip to the Meet of Champions, where he finished sixth.

Memorial 171-pounder Nick Berube finished second at the D-I meet, and Central 130-pounder Ben Champagne placed third.

Others reaching the Meet of Champions from West by finishing in the top six at the division meet included Jared Crain, David Lamarche and Caleb Earnshaw.

Crain, a 130-pound sophomore, surprised competitors when he finished fourth at the M of C, just missing a bid for New Englands.

Basketball
Defending Class L champ Central hooked up with cross-town rival Trinity in the post-season semifinals. There, No. 3 Trinity avenged a regular-season loss to second-seeded Central, 52-49, before being bedazzled by a last-second buzzerbeater in a 54-51 heartbreaker to Salem in the final.

The No. 16 West girls lost, 53-36, in the first round of the Class L playoffs to top-seed Timberlane, a team that was upset in the quarterfinals by No. 8 Central, 56-51.

The Little Green’s surprising run came to an end in the semifinals when the girls lost to Bishop Guertin, 42-37.

Auburn Village School’s girls basketball team defeated Merrimack, 52-39, to win the Class M Tri-County championship.

Indoor track and field Memorial took second place at the Class L indoor track championship behind strong performances from Wes Cotnoir, fellow Auburn resident Thomas Piccioli and Bobby Johnsen, who placed second, third and fourth, respectively, in the 55-meter dash. Chris Lemieux took third in the high jump.

David Irving won the shot put with a throw of 52 feet, 5 inches.

The Central 4 X 800 relay team of Matt Paulson, Corey Sinotte, Craig Brown and Dante Vitagliano emerged victorious, and the 4 X 200 team of Mitch Albro, Chris Mitchell, Muzafer Aku and Paulson finished third in 1 minute, 36.25 seconds.

Paulson also won the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:05.26.

And thanks to Julianne Quinn and Kristin Johnson, the West High School girls finished fifth at the meet.

Quinn, broke two of her own school records by finishing the 1,000-meter run in 3:01.72 and the 1,500 in 4:53.32. She finished second in both. Johnson, like her teammate, finished runner-up in her best event, the 3,000-meter run, with a time of 11:00.37.

Spring

Tennis
Central High School won its third girls tennis title in school history and its first since 1995, defeating Bishop Guertin, 8-2, in the Class L championship.

The Manchester West boys failed to dethrone perennial tennis superpower Concord, losing 5-2 and settling for the consolation plaque.

The Blue Knights girls fell in the Class L semifinals, 7-2, to Central. But Derryfield School won its fifth straight boys state championship, crushing top-ranked Berlin, 8-1.

“The more you do something, the more comfortable you are doing it,” said Cougars coach Bruce Berk. “So they’ve been there, they’ve played in the finals before and have confidence because of that. When kids compete, because they’re kids, all you can do is ask them to play close to their potential. If they can play better in the tournament, that’s what I hope for.”

In the Class M-S girls title match, Derryfield was edged by Gilford, 5-4.

Baseball
While other local teams failed to reach their respective class finals, a Derryfield squad with local talent reached the championship game as the No. 10 seed in Class S. Though the Cougars fell to Lisbon, 7-2, coach Jeff Hastings took pride in the improbable run.

“The team definitely thrives in the underdog mentality,” he said. “I talked it up a little bit because I wanted the guys to be loose, to realize all the pressure was on Lisbon … No one, except us, expected anything out of the 10 seed.”

Thirteenth-seeded Trinity had similar success with local athletes, reaching the Class L final before losing to Merrimack, 7-2.

“No one thought we’d even be here,” said sophomore starting pitcher Sean Lyons. “We knew we had the potential to win this. We knew we were capable of proving everyone wrong.”

Softball
Cawley Middle School, on June 1, celebrated its second straight Tri-County Class M softball title. It wasn’t the Hooksett school’s only championship in 2007.

Track and field
Pembroke sophomore Allison Brehm tied a 45-year-old record, crossing the 200-meter dash finish line in 25.84 seconds at the Class I championship. She then finished second in the 100- meter dash and third in the long jump.

Manchester Memorial became the first team in state history to eclipse 100 points and fail to win a state championship. The Crusaders lost to the perennial thorn in their side, Merrimack, 114-105. Minus its best sprinter, Cotnoir, Memorial still earned nine first- and second-place finishes at the event. Central finished fifth overall.

Among the victors, Memorial’s Lemieux finished first with a 6-foot-4 high jump, David Irving won shot put and discus, William Wrobel took the javelin, the 4 X 100 team won, and Sean Beauvais topped all competition in the triple jump.

Thomas Piccioli finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.79 seconds.

Matt Paulson took individual titles in the 400- and 800-meter runs and combined with Central teammates Sinotte, Brown and Vitagliano to retain the 4 X 800 crown.

Though West’s Russell Johnson finished eighth in the Class L championship, his personalbest time of 4:32.29 in the 1,600- meter run still qualified him for the Meet of Champions; his effort was one of the next four best times among the four New Hampshire classes – L, I, M and S.

Elias Grijalva also advanced to the state meet, recording West’s lone team point by placing sixth in the 400-meter dash.

For the West girls track and field team, which placed 12th in Class L, Kristin Johnson came in third and Kelsey Hunt finished fifth in the 3,200 meter run, Julianne Quinn took fifth place in the 1,600, and the foursome of Quinn, Brittany Frazier, Kay Penny and Haley Lydstone finished fourth in the 4 X 400-meter relay.

Summer
American Legion baseball Sweeney Post baseball reached the American Legion regionals by defeating Keene in the New Hampshire final, 9-6. Shortstop Matt Skeffington of Auburn led Sweeney throughout the tournament.

“He’s a leader, and the kids look to him for the big hit. Between him and Bryan Poltak, I don’t think there is a better shortstop-second base combo in the state,” said Sweeney manager Dave Flurey.

Little League/Babe Ruth baseball and softball Auburn’s 11- and 12-year-old softball team repeated as state champs by defeating Lamprey River in the title game, 13-11.

The Hooksett 10- and 11- year-old Little League baseball all-stars reached the District 1 final, but lost to Goffstown, 6-1, on July 21.

“Winning is nice, but it’s really about constantly improving and coming together as a team, and they did that,” said coach Jim White.

The 14U Bedford Hornets softball team, with players from Hooksett, Windham and Bow, won the state American Softball Association tournament and New Englands and advanced to the Eastern national tournament and PONY national tournament.

“It sounds so cool to say you’re going to be pitching in a national tournament,” said Rachael Morgan. “And we know there are going to be teams that bring some crazy skills. But I know I’ll have a good time because I’ve got a bunch of girls who’ve been together for awhile now, and that’ll make a difference.”

The Bedford Hornets 12U softball team – featuring local players from Auburn, Bedford and Salem, among other towns – placed third in the ASA tournament and second in the New England competition, earning a trip to Ohio to compete for the national championship.

Granite State Senior Games West High School coach and New Boston resident Lee Hess recovered from a 25-foot ladder fall to win the 50-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter dashes in the 55- to 59-year-old division.

Candia’s Dave Baldessari won the 65- to 69-year-old pistol shoot.

Punt, Pass and Kick Auburn 11-year-old Joey Dudek won the 10- and 11-yearold division of the local NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium in Manchester on Aug. 7.

He followed that performance by winning the sectional competition in Bristol, R.I., on Oct. 14, and the regional competition on the Gillette Stadium practice field prior to the New England Patriots Oct. 28 contest against the Washington Redskins.

Fall

Soccer
The Cawley Middle School boys soccer team won the Tri- County championship with a 5-4 win over Hampstead, while the girls team fell in the final, 2-1, to St. Joseph of Manchester.

“It was one of the best-played games in both championships we’ve seen in a long time,” said Cawley’s athletics director, John Frazier.

After finishing the regular season undefeated, the Little Green girls were knocked off in the quarterfinals of the Class L tournament.

The West boys team, which came back from a two-goal second- half deficit to beat Goffstown in double overtime in Class L’s first round, lost to defending champ Exeter in the quarterfinals, 3-1.

Fifth-seeded Memorial suffered a tough 1-0 overtime loss at No. 4 Londonderry.

The seventh-seeded Lady Blue Knights were upset, 1-0, by No. 10 Alvirne in the first round, ending the season 8-7-1 The season included wins against the playoffs’ No. 4 and 5 seeds, Merrimack and Memorial.

Football After going to Salem – the team that knocked Central out of playoff contention the week before – and pulling off a comefrom- behind 17-14 upset against the Blue Devils in the regularseason finale, West bowed out in the Division I first round against three-time defending state champ Pinkerton Academy, 34- 7.

Two weeks later, however, West once again came back to win a big game, this time against rival Central in the Manchester Turkey Bowl. West scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win the Queen City championship, 19-13, and avenge a 28-16 midseason setback to the Little Green.

“We made the playoffs, and we obviously hoped for a state championship, but if we didn’t get that, the city championship is the next best thing,” said West coach Travis Cote.

Cross country
Central’s Craig Brown and Cory Sinotte finished second and third, respectively, at the Meet of Champions on Nov. 4. West’s Kelsey Hunt finished fifth at the event.

Cheerleading
The Hooksett Hurricanes Jr. Pee Wee spirit squad was crowned Pop Warner state champs.

It marked the fourth straight year – and fifth in six years – that a Hurricanes cheer team won a state title.

Golf
West High School, which finished No. 1 in the regular season, came in fourth in Class L. For the Blue Knights, Kyle Badger fired an 18-hole round of 68, while Jake Nutter led the Bedford High Bulldogs with a 77.

In the individual tournament, Badger fell one shot short of the Class L title, carding a twoday 141.

Crew
Derryfield School won five medals in eight races at the 2007 Amoskeag Rowing Club New Hampshire State Championship Regatta. The men’s junior-novice- four won gold and the men’s junior-four teams A and B finished tied for second at 16:09. The women’s junior-novice-four placed second, and the women’s junior-four finished third.

Field hockey
Derryfield School, featuring players from Hooksett, Bedford, Hopkinton and Windham, finished the season undefeated and won the Class M-S state title on Oct. 28. The crown was Derryfield’s first in the sport in more than 20 years.

“It’s tough for us because we’re a Class S school, so … we’re always playing teams that are twice our size,” said coach Lenny McCaigue. “To win it is just a dream come true for us.”

Postseason players – Trio of locals helps Sweeney reach Legion playoffs

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:19:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Sweeney is going to the American Legion baseball postseason tournament, and according to manager David Flurey, the contributions of three locals have made winning the state title a possibility.

“We’ve shown that we can beat anybody, and at times we’ve shown we can lose to anybody,” said Flurey. “I hope, going into the state tournament, that’s a sign we can play our best against the best.”

The Manchester-based Post 2 squad compiled a 14-6 record, placing it in a five-way tie for first place, but because of various tiebreakers, Sweeney enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed.

The top four teams from each of the two divisions make the playoffs.

Auburn’s Matt Skeffington and Kyle Morrill and Candia’s Zachary Lemire have all played key roles in this year’s run.

And no player on the talent-heavy squad has contributed more than Skeffington, said Flurey.

In fact, in Sweeney’s last divisional match-up against Plymouth, a must-win game, Skeffington delivered five RBI and hit a grand slam and triple to ensure a 10-7 victory and a playoff appearance.

“He’s definitely the leader of the team,” said Flurey of his everyday shortstop. “He just has a knack for producing in the big games.”

Skeffington has a .390 batting average this year, including 14 extra-base hits in 23 games, and leads the team with 22 RBI and 25 runs scored.

“If he gets hot, he can carry a team on his back and definitely make a difference,” Flurey added of his four-year starter.

Morrill is Sweeney’s third starter and has pitched two complete-game district victories, posting a 2-2 record with a 3.24 earned-run average.

The soon-to-be Memorial senior also plays both infield and outfield when he’s not on the mound.

“He’s very versatile,” said Flurey. “Definitely, for a 16-year-old, he’s played a much bigger role than I think anyone expected.”
Morrill also brings a .500 on-base percentage as a hitter.

“And he’s fast,” said the manager. “If he gets on base, he can definitely create some havoc with his legs.”

Lemire takes home this year’s all-hustle, all-the-time award, said Flurey of the left-handed hitter who sees most of his at bats against right-handed pitchers.

“He’s a high-energy kid with a football background, and you definitely know, at the end of the day, he’s not leaving anything on the field,” said Flurey. “He’s one of the few kids you never have to worry about coming ready to play, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench.”

Lemire has played catcher, third base, designated hitter and sports a .420 on-base percentage. He has also pitched this season.

After winning two of three games to close the season, including a 6-4 victory at Portsmouth, Flurey hopes the three locals can continue their solid play through the playoffs.

“It’s wide open,” he said. “I don’t think any team is actually going in there as the favorite. There has been a lot of parity throughout the state this year, which should make for an interesting tournament.”

Goal-getters – This year, Hooksett 10 and 11s build on last year for next year

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:37:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Hooksett assistant coach Jim White said his team’s No. 1 priority is to improve each year as it faces similar foes in postseason all-star play.

Last year, as 9- and 10-year-olds in the District 1 Little League all-star tournament, the team finished 3-2 and lost, 16-8, to Pelham.

This year, in the 10- and 11-year-old bracket, Hooksett avenged last year’s loss to Pelham with a 10-2 victory in the losers bracket finale and compiled a 5-2 record, losing both its games to offensive juggernaut Goffstown, including a 6-1 tournament championship defeat on Saturday, July 21.

“Winning is nice, but it’s really about constantly improving and coming together as a team, and they did that,” said White.

“Goffstown is a perennial winner, so next year, hopefully it’s the same thing. We beat Pelham this year. Maybe we come back and we’re the ones carrying the trophy next year.”

Though Hooksett allowed five home runs to Goffstown in a 11-1 loss June 30, knocking the locals into the losers bracket, manager Mike Boucher promised his team would limit Goffstown’s power in the rematch.

The District 1 champs went ahead in the top of the first inning, 2-0, but Hooksett quickly rebounded to keep the contest close.

Aidan White hit a one-out double and scored two batters later, when Drew Groves plated him with an RBI single, bringing the contest to 2-1.

The next inning, however, Goffstown scored four more runs. Still, Hooksett players maintained their focus and prevented the opposition from scoring again.

After White, Hooksett’s starting pitcher, kept Goffstown scoreless in the third, Matt Paradis pitched three innings, allowing one hit and fanning three.

But at the plate, Hooksett had difficulty grouping hits.

“It’s cliché, but we kept telling the kids, ‘It’s not over ’til it’s over.’ We’ve been hitting so well this year that we just said, ‘Keep your heads in it, try to stay patient at the plate, string some hits together, and make it a game,’” said White. “We started making some contact, but everything we hit was right at them, and they made some really nice plays to keep us from getting back in it.”

White reached base twice, as did Scott Robidoux, who singled and walked.

Others reaching included Groves on the RBI single, Brian Jutras on a base hit, and Cam St. George who drew a base on balls.

The elder White added that in the championship loss, much like the rest of the tournament, he was impressed with his team’s versatility.

“We never had one player stand out every single game,” he said. “Each time we played, different players stepped up and did something to make us win. Goffstown just prevented one or two players from really stepping up today.”

Hooksett’s contributors throughout the tournament included Reed Macey, Chris Moquin, Conner Boucher, Austin Sprague, Tanner Walls and Jake Parker.

Prior to the championship setback, Hooksett crushed Bedford, 20-8; edged Manchester West, 8-6; lost to Goffstown; squeaked past Manchester East, 2-1; slammed Suncook, 9-1; and took revenge on Pelham.

Sun-sett – Suncook ousted by Hooksett

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:37:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

For three innings it looked like Suncook, behind solid pitching and defense, was headed to the losers bracket final of the District 1 10- and 11-year old Little League all-star tournament.

But a 1-0 lead heading into the fourth quickly turned into a 9-1 defeat to neighboring Hooksett.

Suncook’s lone run came in the first inning when Kyle Haas reached on a single, then took second base on a passed ball. After Dillon Girard moved Haas to third on a base hit, Chris Gauss knocked him in on a fielder’s choice.

Shane St. Onge shut the opposition down for nine outs, but Hooksett’s offense broke through in the fourth inning with six runs and added three more in the fifth.

“Obviously, we would have liked to have played a tighter game, but once the snowball starts rolling down the hill, it’s tough to stop,” said Suncook manager Mike Caraway. “I thought Hooksett was a tremendous team, and if we were going to lose, I’m glad it was to somebody close to home and not down in the southern part of the state.

“It’s nice to see this area represented by players that conduct themselves well on both sides.”

Though the season ended in defeat, Caraway said it was a successful run for Suncook, which finished 3-2 in the tournament, including a 9-3 opening-round victory over Windham, a 12-5 drubbing of Manchester East, and a 4-1 win over Lamprey River.

“We were really pleased to finish fourth in the tournament, there’s no doubt about it,” Caraway said. “You go in never knowing the types of teams you’re going to run into, but I thought the kids all represented Suncook well and had a great experience.”

Prior to its loss to Hooksett, Suncook’s lone defeat came in a 3-2 heartbreaker to Pelham in the winners bracket semifinals.

Had Suncook beaten Hooksett, it would have played Pelham again in the losers bracket final.

Game notes

Haas walked and singled in the game, and Gus Connely added a base hit. Gauss was hit by a pitch and had an RBI on a fielder’s choice.

St. Onge, Ricky Morin and Dylan Gage each walked once. Others contributing included Girard, Kyle Rainville, Cody Merchant, Joe Caraway, Parker Heath and Kody St. Germain.

Back again – Hooksett 10 and 11s face nemesis Goffstown for title

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:30:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Last time Hooksett played Goffstown, it gave up five home runs in an 11-1 loss in the winners bracket of the District 1 10- and 11-year-old Little League all-star tournament.

Now, after victories over Manchester East and Suncook and a 10-2 win over Pelham in the losers bracket final, Hooksett has its chance at revenge against Goffstown in the tournament championship.

“After the way we’ve played the last three games, I think we have a very good chance (against Goffstown),” said manager Mike Boucher. “If we play the field well and we keep hitting like we have been, I think we can beat them, but we absolutely have to play our very best ball because they are a very good team and they all can hit.”

But to prevent a repeat of the previous outing, Boucher says his team will have to keep the ball in the park.

“We’re going to keep the pitches down,” he said. “We have kids that can throw against Goffstown, we just need to keep the ball low in the strike zone because everything that was hit out (the first game) was letter high.”

Against Pelham on Saturday, July 14, Hooksett came alive in the second inning after a scoreless first.

Matt Paradis led off with a double, and Scott Robidoux and Cam St. George followed with back-to-back walks before Brian Jutras knocked two in on an RBI double.

St. George and Jutras advanced on an overthrow to the plate, and Aiden White connected on an RBI double to give Hooksett a 4-0 lead.

Pelham kept it close for another inning, scoring a run in the third, but in the top of the fourth, Hooksett pulled away.

Austin Sprague led off with a base hit, then sped around the bases to score from first on a Conner Boucher single.

After White took a base on balls, Chris Moquin drove in two on a double, and Drew Groves followed with an RBI single.

Two batters and two outs later, Tanner Walls hustled his way to an infield single, scoring Paradis for a 9-1 edge.

Hooksett, after giving up its second run in the bottom of the fifth inning, answered immediatley when Groves singled and St. George later plated him with an RBI single.

In its previous game against Suncook on July 11, Hooksett put together a similar performance in a 9-1 victory.

Down in the fourth inning, 1-0, Paradis, St. George and Boucher all were hit by the opposition’s pitcher to load the bases with no outs. White took advantage, notching an RBI and reaching on a fielder’s choice before Reed Macey and Robidoux drew walks, bringing home another run. Moquin then cleared the bases on a line-drive triple past a diving right fielder, and Groves contributed a base-hit RBI for Hooksett’s sixth run.

The next inning, St. George led off with a single, and Jake Parker moved him over with a bloop single to center field.

After White walked to load the bases, Macey brought two runners home with a long double over the head of the center fielder, and Robidoux capped the scoring with an RBI single.

Suncook Manager Mike Caraway said he was impressed with Hooksett’s dedication and sportsmanship.

“I thought Hooksett was a tremendous team and if we were going to lose, I’m glad it was to somebody close to home and not down in the southern part of the state,” he said. “It’s nice to see this area represented by players that conduct themselves well on both sides.”

Boucher says it has taken a lot of hard work, by both the coaches and players, to put Hooksett in a position to win the District 1 title.

“We kept the nucleus of last year’s 10-year-old team together, and now they’re 11-year-olds, and we’ve worked really hard with them and feel very comfortable with the product,” said Boucher. “We’ve got a good mix of infielders and outfielders that we’ve rotated around, we’ve hit the ball well, and our pitchers have done extremely well.”

Hooksett and Goffstown play for the District 1 championship on Saturday, July 21 in Windham. If Hooksett wins, the teams play again the next day at the same location.

Summer fun – Now eliminated, Hooksett enjoyed fine District 1 run

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 22:30:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Sitting in the back seat of the family car, the drive from Kyle Macey’s Hooksett home to Sunset Heights Elementary School in Nashua could not have felt longer. He’d seen the same roads, the same signs and arrived at the same field twice before to face the same coach; and twice, his team had lost to that coach.

But not this time.

On Friday, July 6, Macey and the all-stars of Hooksett Little League’s 11- and 12-year-old division knocked out Nashua from this year’s District 1 baseball tournament. Macey made solid contributions on both offense and defense as Hooksett downed Nashua, 6-1.

“I’ve been wanting to beat these guys for three years now,” said Macey, who put his team ahead with a two-run home run before coming in to close the game on the mound. “When I first found out we were here (in Nashua) again, I just thought, ‘We’ve got to beat this team for good.’”

Hooksett played its cleanest game of the tournament, said manager Jeff Robideaux, recording an errorless effort while putting up six runs on four hits. Starter Zach Parker threw a beauty, striking out six and allowing one run – a solo shot in the top of the third – on two hits during 5 2/3 innings on the mound.

Trailing, 1-0, in the bottom of the fourth, Macey took a 2-0 knuckleball and drilled it over the left-field fence, putting Hooksett ahead, 2-1. The next frame saw more Hooksett hitting as first baseman Rick Prindiville led off with a single and Ryan Houde followed with a base hit. Leadoff hitter Zach Albert reached base on a fielder’s choice before Macey loaded the bases with an infield hit. With one out, shortstop Mike Beaudet lofted a grand slam to center field for a 6-1 Hooksett advantage.

“I was upset because I wasn’t hitting,” said Beaudet of his first two at-bats. “But coach took me aside and said to just relax and not take it so seriously. I was just so glad to give us more of a lead, I was thinking of a (sacrifice) fly, but then it carried over for the grand slam. Man, that was cool.”

Macey took the mound after Parker recorded two of Nashua’s final three outs on a groundout and a strikeout. Macey needed six pitches to get Nashua’s last batter to pop out to Hooksett third baseman Seth Gonya.

“Two games ago I told them about having a steady climb instead of a high jump through the losers bracket,” said Robideaux. “The team concept is really setting in, and it’s clearly making them play better on the field. The longer they’re in the tournament, the more relaxed they get – while I get more nervous.”

Facing Atkinson on Saturday, July 7, Hooksett saw its tourney run end in an 11-1 loss. The squad finished the tournament with a 3-2 record, the first time Hooksett has recorded a winning District 1 record in more than five years.

Rounding out Robideaux’s roster are Evan Hockensmith, Josh Wilson, Riley Cote, Joe Duffy and Thomas Richer.

Count down – Effect of rule change on number of pitches magnified in all-star setting

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:27:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

A national rule change limiting pitch counts gave Neighborhood-area Little League boards no choice but to follow the guidelines. But it certainly didn’t stop board members and coaches from voicing varying opinions on the decision.

The rule, officially adopted by the Little League International Board of Directors on Aug. 25, 2006, states players 10 and younger cannot exceed 75 pitches per day; those who are 11 or 12 cannot throw more than 85 pitches per day; and players 13 to 16 must not exceed 95 pitches per day. Furthermore, a pitcher who throws more than 61 pitches in one outing must receive at least four days rest before taking the mound again.

“Most young pitchers suffer medical problems from overuse,” said Chris Downs, Little League media relations manager. “Little League teams might not be the only baseball teams kids are playing for, and not all coaches are educated or experienced enough to know when it’s enough. Having the rule in place helps prevent that.”

Managerial mayhem

When Chris Mamos, president of Concord National Little League, informed his managers of the new rule, he heard mixed reviews. While most managers agreed the rule would benefit their young players, just as many were vocal in expressing what they didn’t like.

“Oh yeah, some of them were annoyed because it was one more thing they had to do,” said Mamos. “Of course they understood it was there to protect arms, but at the same time, some just didn’t think it was necessary to change from counting innings to counting pitches. But we didn’t have any arm injuries this season, so who knows?”

Steve LaRose, who’ll step in as head coach of the 11- and 12-year-old Goffstown all-stars, said the real adjustments will come during the tournament. Though this season is LaRose’s first, it’s the second in which GJB has seen the rule since signing up with a half dozen Granite State leagues in a pilot program testing the rule last season.

The pilot program included a fraction of the organization’s roughly 7,000 leagues, which includes 500,000 players from around the world eligible to compete in the Little League World Series each year.

“The deeper you get into the tournament, the more games you’ll play,” said LaRose. “So if it’s a 3-2 game and your ace is dealing, what do you do? Pull him after 50 or 60 pitches because you think you’ll need him again in another game? Or keep him in to preserve the lead to get to that next game? The rule will have more attention paid to it during the playoffs.”

Steve Stewart, president of Salem Youth Baseball, faced different reservations from team managers prior to the season.

“Their big concern was you’re managing and have one (pitch) count, and the other team has a different number for your pitcher,” said Stewart. “Then what? So we had both managers meet between each inning and confer. It added some extra time to each game, but it was the way we tried it.”

Proactive or reactive?

Though Little League’s installation of the new rule comes when baseball is now a year-round sport, some Neighborhood-area league officials said perhaps it’s too late. Stewart wouldn’t comment, but others stated the change came not as a means to prevent overuse of young arms, but as a result of seeing too much damage already.

“I was definitely for pitch counts because look at exactly what happened in (last year’s) Little League World Series,” said Brian Harrington, Bedford Little League president. “The kid threw 120 pitches. That’s absolutely too much for a kid’s arm. It certainly was a problem we were seeing in the past at times. I don’t care what parents say about their kids being able to throw that much in one game, now they have no choice.”

Harrington, last year’s 11- and 12-year-old Bedford all-stars manager, also said if used properly, the rule allows pitchers to throw more innings without the lasting harm of overuse.

In an August 2006 article in USA Today, research from the American Sports Medicine Institute, based in Alabama, found the six-fold increase seen in arm injuries had roots in youth baseball.

“Some managers needed this rule,” said John Riehl, Goffstown Junior Baseball president. “We’re always in the habit of trying to get one extra batter from the pitcher. ‘Oh, maybe he can get one more,’ you think, and then it’s three or four batters later, and he’s thrown way too many.”

Inexperience and overplay

Yves Pariseau, president of Auburn Little League, said limited resources in some towns simply don’t allow for highly trained managers at the youth level. Little League offers teaching programs in books and on DVDs and audio CDs, ranging in price from $13 to $300.

The sometimes costly programs generally lead to volunteers and parents stepping in as managers.

“Little League has a lot of first-year coaches,” said Dave Angus, manager of Ordway’s Market Giants, which plays in Concord. “It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s a community-based program. So yeah, you’re going to have dad out there coaching his son’s team, but its dad’s lack of experience coaching that might hurt his pitcher.”

While most players spend summers in Little League, the number of those playing the sport in other leagues, including AAU, club and high school, is increasing. Since Little League can’t force other leagues to adopt pitch counts, there’s no guarantee overuse can be avoided.

The ‘elite’

While the pitch-count debate continues, Neighborhood managers each noted one positive: developing new pitchers.

“Now you have to train some kids to be part of that elite club of pitchers,” said Bedford’s Harrington. “You can’t just rely on two arms to ride you through the tournament. It also creates a fairness between teams.”

Auburn’s Pariseau, Concord manager Jay Alosa and Stewart agreed.

“Maybe this makes us look at other kids as pitchers,” said Pariseau. “Instead of looking to one or two superstars, you might find a diamond in the rough because of this. Two years ago, we had a game where the pitcher threw 85 pitches in one inning. It’s times like that you wish the rule was already in place.”