CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - For the first time since 2019, the Carmichael Little League held Opening Day to kick off a new baseball season Saturday at the La Sierra Community Center.

Jason Daffron is in his second year as President of the Carmichael Little League. Daffron, manager of the 50/70 A’s, has been coaching in the league for nine years and has served on the board of directors for six.

“I coach because of my son (Aidan who is 11),” Daffron said. “I love being out here with the kids. It’s not really the wins and losses, it’s more of just having fun, that’s why I’m out here.”

The Carmichael Little League was one day away from holding Opening Day back in 2020 until the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports around the world.

“We rode our bikes to the field everyday thinking about this,” Daffron said about Opening Day.

Justin McGivney is the league’s field coordinator and coaches both his sons, Alonso, 11, and Alejandro, 9. McGivney manages the junior Giants and serves as an assistant coach for the AAA Blue Jays.

“It was hard that very first year during COVID because nobody knew what was going on and they wouldn’t let us come on the field,” McGivney said. “So, we would just come out as dads and just let kids hit balls, but we couldn’t organize with the little league. So that one season off was hard.

“My oldest son, that was his 12-year-old season,” McGivney continued. “There were six kids in that division who were hitting (the baseball) over the fence in practice. So that was the first year those kids were actually hitting home runs and they didn’t get a chance to try it in a game. And then they move up to the bigger field where it’s way harder to do. There’s nothing more fun than being a 12-year-old hitting a home run. So, we lost that season, but other kids lost their last season.”

According to Daffron, this has been the most “normal season” the league has had in three years. In 2021, the league was able to have a season but was unable to do off-the-field gatherings such as a pancake breakfast and opening day festivities.

“Everybody wants to play baseball, everyone wants to be out here,” Daffron said. “You always think about COVID in the back of your mind, but I think a lot of people are a lot more comfortable now and this feels like a normal season.”

Going into this season, the league has the most teams and players they’ve had since 2017 with almost 300 players and 25 teams according to Daffron.

Cole Carpenter, 6, is one of the new players, suited up in his orange and black Giants uniform. Carpenter said batting is his favorite part of baseball and that he wants to play catcher because he’s bad at it and wants to practice. Carpenter was unable to play T-Ball in 2021 so he’s thrilled to be playing this year in the A-Division.

Aside from reuniting with old friends, taking team photos, eating from food trucks and much more, the Carmichael Little League community took time Saturday before the 70^th season began to honor one of their own that they lost suddenly in Feb. 2020.

J’aime Rosales, a mother of three, said her neighbor Dennis Telleen was a big and gruff “throwback” coach to those who knew him best. Telleen demanded the best out of his players and that they worked hard, as long as they were having fun.

To honor Telleen, the AAA field where he spent most of his time coaching at has been renamed, “The Dennis R. Telleen Memorial Field.”

“There are two things you can control: Always having the best attitude, and giving your best effort,” the sign created in Telleen’s memory reads.

Atreo Torres, 11, plays catcher and first base for the Red Sox. Torres said his favorite memory playing little league was when he was on the Cubs playing for Telleen. Torres also said his favorite thing about little league is the opening ceremony and pancake breakfast, so you can be sure that he was excited to have both those events return this year.

Local little leagues are non-profit organizations that are made possible by sponsors.

“It just makes a big difference out here to have a sponsorship,” Daffron said. “Putting new scoreboards or bleachers (in). This is a non-profit, everything goes towards the league. Things are worn out. A lot of our equipment is 20 to 30 to 40 years old. That’s what sponsorship money goes to. Dirt, just keeping the fields up, it’s a lot more work than people realize. Our field coordinator is out here every day. Sponsorships please, we need them.”

For more information on how to become a sponsor, please contact Sponsorship Coordinator Megan Prudler at [email protected] or (916) 712-1040.