Red Devils May Care: FDU Donates Backstops to Hopatcong Little League

The Red Devils may care.

Farleigh Dickinson University offered to donate three mobile backstops to Hopatcong last weekend, borough Little League President Cathy Bowen said at Tuesday night's recreation commission meeting.

The commission quickly granted the acquisition of the backstops, which Bowen plans to use at Senior, Narticitong and Jefferson fields. The backstops will mostly be used for softball, but lower baseball levels may also use them.

Bowen said the backstops would allow Little League greater scheduling flexibility, and possibly more revenue.

"Honestly, I need to make money," Bowen said. "What I want to do is use these field, like Jefferson, [which] has no concession stand, and Vets field, [which] has no concession, to practice and to get the games at Nariticong and Senior Field so I can utilize the concession and make more money.

"I don't want to raise the [registration] rate."

Little League owns Senior Field. The borough owns the rest of the town's baseball and softball fields. The only mobile backstop in Hopatcong belongs to the high school.

Bowen said FDU approached Hopatcong's Little League about donating the backstops. Then resident Chris Colabella relayed the information to Bowen, who hopped right onboard.

"The timing was perfect," Bowen said, adding that resident Jason Siero will most likely transport the backstops from the Madison campus to the borough soon.

"This is going to help us tremendously," Bowen added.

Bowen said though the backstops are used, Colabella said they're in good condition. "Honestly, let's say worst case scenario, we paint it if there's a a little rust or something," Bowen said.

The commission had its reservations, however, before granting Little League permission to take the equipment. Commission member Joan Reilly said she thought Narticong Field had a water-drainage issue. But Bowen said the borough's Department of Public Works remedied it, dumping "a whole bunch of clay" on the problem areas.

Commission member Willa Scantlebury said she was worried about a group of people grabbed the wheeled backstop and rolling it away. Bowen said it was too heavy, and she didn't believe it would happen in Hopatcong.

"Aren't you afraid somebody will drag this thing or haul it across the field?" Scantlebury said.

"They won't bother it," Bowen said. "We really don't have those issues. The kids know it's for them."

Bowen said about 365 kids signed up for Hopatcong Little League last year, making it the borough's largest youth sports program. Only the Hopatcong Warriors youth football program brings in nearly as many, and it incorporates cheerleading.

One child paid $75 to join Little League last year while a family with two cost $125 total and three cost $150, Bowen said. A family's fourth child was free.

"We're not raising the rates," Bowen said. "We'll just hustle and make some more money somewhere else."