By Marc Thaler
Staff Writer

Gage Turgeon practices his stance while his coach, Fred Lombardi, gathers up Tyler Riendeau and Christopher Gianitsis of the Sousa Signs team on Goffstown Junior Baseball Opening Day, Saturday, April 30. (Nathan Duke Photo)

There's no denying it: More than ever before, children have several spring sports they can choose to play. Still, it's tough to argue that any of the available athletic activities create the same buzz as Little League Baseball's Opening Day - especially in Goffstown.

On Saturday, April 30, Villa Augustina Field was the site for the opening ceremonies that ushered in another season of Goffstown Junior Baseball.

"One of the things that makes baseball so special is that it was the premiere sport in Goffstown for so long . just like when you go south and they have football," said Goffstown Physical Therapy head coach Sonny Kingsbury, whose team took the field for the first majors division game of 2005. "Plus, Goffstown has such a good program. There are a lot of volunteers, good sponsors and some of the best fields in New Hampshire."

Alex Apolito, 6, talks baseball with teammate Justin Wanner, 7, during Opening Day ceremonies for Goffstown Junior Baseball at Villa Augustina Field. (Marc Thaler Photo)

Knowing youth baseball has a special place in the community, current GJB President John Yost said the board of directors was hard at work, from last October until Saturday's ceremonial first pitch, planning for the '05 campaign.

"It was difficult work, but our goal now is that everybody enjoys baseball," Yost said. "We want the kids to have fun and the coaches and parents to set good examples for the kids. Yes, we'd like to have good games. But it's not about winning and losing."

The GJB experience, Yost said, is about helping young ballplayers grasp the fundamentals of the game. In turn, the hope is every child will enjoy his or her days on the diamond and continue to play baseball for years to come.

"I want to teach them to love the game," Kingsbury said without hesitation. "A lot of coaches tend to think about the competition, which I think is more for the Babe Ruth level. I want to spend more time teaching them to play the game correctly." Kingsbury and his fellow coaches will have plenty of eager athletes to educate this spring, considering the program had a nice spike in numbers for the '05 season.

After welcoming 380 children to the diamond last year, Yost said 410 5- to 12-year-olds signed up to play ball this year. "We actually have more 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds (compared to year's past)," Yost said. "Our main focus is the younger players and helping them transition from tee-ball to farm league and up."

Marcou Construction lines up on the bench, ready to play the first game of the season against the Real Estate Store team on Saturday, April 30. Real Estate won 12-2 over Marcou. (Nathan Duke Photo)

Among the players who proved they have some serious talent were J & G Roofing's Nathaniel Quealy and Goffstown Physical Therapy's starting pitcher Ryan Beal; both play in the majors division. Quealy made several solid pivots at second base while turning the double play during pre-game infield practice. Then there's Beal, who showed his fastball is for real.

In addition to teaching players the importance of teamwork, Yost said GJB also provided an all-day clinic to help coaches help their players sharpen skills.

Although it's early, GJB Opening Day also breeds excitement for the state's summer tournament. After a dream season that extended to the Little League World Series in 2000, the possibility always exists that Goffstown could play in Williamsport, Pa. But that's still months away.

Team members stream onto the field after the parade, which traveled down Mast Road from the Village. (Nathan Duke Photo)

For the foreseeable future, Yost said the league's primary focus is making sure hundreds of young athletes tie their laces and smile while rounding those bases.

"There's been a very strong commitment by a number of parents and coaches since the early 1970s," Yost said. "GJB has had a very strong program. It seems we have some natural talent on this side of the river."