Another year of Opening Day festivities for Niles-Centerville Little League (NCLL) was in full swing on Saturday, March 8. Toward the back of the Vallejo Mills Elementary School campus in Niles, a sea of kids in fresh uniforms buzzed around a busy snack shack and green field with new-season excitement.
The Opening Day celebration not only marked the beginning of another season of Little League baseball, but also NCLL’s 60th anniversary.
“This is truly a special year for NCLL and we are thrilled to celebrate 60 years in style,” said NCLL president Jeff Beck.
As the pancake breakfast fundraiser began to wind down, Gary Williams, former PA announcer for the Oakland Raiders and former NCLL parent, announced the commencement of the parade of teams. Williams introduced the teams of the 2025 season from teens to children as young as four years old, as well as coaches.
“We currently have coaches that played in the first years of the league. They coached their kids decades ago and now help coach their grandkids,” shared Beck as he described the sense of community the organization brings. “Our community is passionate about NCLL and making sure the league continues to thrive,” he continued.
While the league has continued to thrive, 60 years didn’t come without its challenges. Beck explains how one of the first hurdles the league faced was relocation in the early years. The original school where the league had their fields was shutting down.
Luckily the league was able to secure the baseball fields in the back of Vallejo Mills Elementary where they currently remain. However, it wasn’t as simple as just securing the fields.
“Our volunteers and community rallied their time and effort to fix up the fields, add additional fields, build a snack shack and build our batting cages,” said Beck. “Soon after the snack shack was built, there was a fire which destroyed much of the structure. Luckily, we were able to rebuild quickly.”
‘NCLL keeps getting stronger every year in large part due to our amazing volunteers and community support’.
Jeff Beck
Another bump in the road for the organization was a very familiar struggle for many: COVID-19.
Like many other organizations, NCLL was forced to cancel their 2020 season and lost about 40% of its registrants when the league returned the following season. Registrations continue to steadily climb back up to pre-pandemic numbers.
With all the challenges, NCLL president made it clear how much parents and volunteers are an essential part of the league.
At the Opening Day ceremony volunteers received a moment of recognition for their time and dedication to the organization. Beck shared how the league will continue to make this season special and highlight its history.
“From our Opening Day ceremony honoring volunteers to social media posts detailing memories and history throughout the upcoming season, we will tell our story to our community of longtime members to those who have just joined us recently.”
It is evident that NCLL is grateful for its volunteers who return long after their little ones have outgrown Little League baseball.
“Over the decades, we have witnessed other leagues fold and/or merge because of lack of members, mis-management or lack of volunteers. NCLL keeps getting stronger every year in large part due to our amazing volunteers and community support. Sharing our rich history with our community and players is an honor and something that we see get passed down to each generation of families that step onto our fields.”
For more on Niles-Centerville Little League, visit ncll.us.
