Does Caldwell Need A Little League Program? These Local Parents Say ‘Yes’

CALDWELL, NJ — Does Caldwell need a Little League youth baseball program? A group of Caldwell residents say the answer is a resounding “yes” and want other local parents to join their push to start a program in town.

In a September email newsletter, the Caldwell-West Caldwell School District shared a message from Caldwell parents B.J. and Janus Kurus, who made an impassioned case to bring Little League to the borough.

The pair – who have three children - have started an invitation-only campaign group on Facebook. Learn more about the campaign here.

B.J. Kurus, a licensed local architect and chairman of the Caldwell Zoning Board of Adjustment, is also a volunteer coach for some of the sports programs around town, including baseball, soccer, wrestling and football. This background and connection with the local sports scene has inspired Kurus to answer the call to “do a little bit more to make [Caldwell] even greater.”

“Establishing a Little League program in Caldwell and our neighboring towns would be a great benefit,” Kurus wrote. “A Little League program is a great addition to any community. It’s more than just a baseball league. In fact, the Little League is the only sports organization to be chartered by the U.S. Congress. That puts the Little League in good company with the likes of the Boy Scouts of America and the American Red Cross. The benefits far surpass developing a child’s hitting or fielding skills.”

Kurus said that he’s already been in contact with the Little League headquarters in Williamsport, PA, and had a conversation with a Little League District Administrator Skip Mofenson about the possibility of bringing a program to Caldwell.

“In our conversation, he stated that over the past few years he has received many calls from parents living in Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell and Roseland, asking him why their towns do not have a Little League program,” Kurus wrote. “I have spoken to at least 25 parents now, that when asked about this matter, say they would support a campaign to bring the Little League to our area. This leads me to believe that there may be a demand for a Little League program in our area, and that there is enough interest here to form an investigative committee to review and determine the needs of our community, as well as the needs of our neighboring towns.”

Kurus stated that parents and community members who would like to support a Little League program in town can contact littleleague4caldwells@gmail.com, or send a request to the Facebook campaign.

Do you support a Little League program in Caldwell? Let us know why it would be a good idea for the community in the comments section.

Photo: Flickr Commons, Tom Sorensen

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