posted 06/06/2008
The 6/6/08 issue of the
Stamford Advocate ran a story about how many of the Westhill HS Baseball Team standouts got their start with the North Stamford Little League. Read the story
here. NSLL alumns currently on the team include:
Sean Mullins, Steve Rivera, Tommy Dolan, Bobby Horn, T.J. Hickey and Richard Pucci.
Among the interesting quotes:
"It was five years ago. That was when six players on this year's Westhill team put together a run that resulted in the Little League state tournament title.
The North Stamford Little League squad of 2003 reached the New England Regionals, and advanced to the semifinals before losing to Saugus, Mass. The Massachusetts team ended up finishing second among U.S. teams that year. North Stamford's coach? Paul Hickey.
"It doesn't surprise me whatsoever," Hickey said. "Naturally, back then they were a great group of kids and had a lot of success. We expected them to be successful when they got to Westhill."
The core of that North Stamford team included Hickey's son, T.J., who will get the starting assignment in tonight's championship game. Steve Rivera, who won Tuesday's semifinal against Amity, was another big pitcher for North Stamford."
"Hickey said the players could handle adversity at a young age, and it's a trait that has carried over as the boys matured into young men.
"Some kids, when they are 8, 9 or 10 yeas old, if things go wrong they start crying and get frustrated," Hickey said. "This group always showed a good aptitude for those tough situations. You have to hang in there even when you fall behind. That showed itself on Sunday (in a state playoff game against Simsbury). They got behind early, but they didn't let it bother them. Other guys might get a little upset with that."
