September 2007 Volunteer of the Month

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Bill Ciccarone Makes Little Leaguers Feel Like Big Leaguers

By Chris Spaulding

Windham Sports Pages and Eastern Awards and Engraving are proud to announce Bill Ciccarone as the first recipient of the Windham Sports Community Volunteer of the Month Award.

Bill is a retired gentleman who maintains the Lowell Farm Field. He mows the grass, lines the field and drags the base paths before the games. He installed drains in the field to keep the field dry to reduce the number of cancelled games. He installed a clock at the scorers table. But these aren't the reasons why Bill won the award.

In Bill's own words, "It's the little things." The "little things" Bill was talking about are things like painstakingly trimming the grass along the outfield fence that helps give the look and feel of big time, manicured baseball diamond that rivals any high school or college field in the area.

The little things that make the boys feel special like the signs he made up for the teams that he hangs on the dugouts before each game.

The little things that makes each game an experience for the players, like playing the National Anthem and announcing the players before games.

The little things that remind the boys this is a game and it should be fun, like the bullpen phones he installed in the dugouts last year. They aren't hooked up to anything but the boys sure get a kick of them. Many of them possibly dreaming of their major league manager picking up a similar phone to call them in to close out game seven of the world series.

The little things add up and make the experience special for every player who gets to take the field. They also add up in terms of the number of hours Bill spends at the field. Bill shared that "from April through August I get to the field at around 2pm everyday and stay until about 7pm." Yes, that is seven days a week.

Bill added, "It is a lot less this time of year. I am only there two or three days a week. It is easier to keep the field in top condition if I work on it up until winter."

Thank you Bill for your extraordinary efforts. We couldn't have asked for a better recipient of the first Windham Sports Community Volunteer of the Month Award.

COMMENTS:

THAT FIELD IS AWESOME!

- Anonymous

PHOTO BY Chris Spaulding

PHOTO BY Chris Spaulding

"I was happy to hear about Bill receiving this award. There is no other person in my opinion that is more deserving...He takes so much pride in his work at Lowell Farm, and makes sure the kids who play on that field will have a wonderful experience... that they will never forget. We are blessed to have Bill be a part of the experience in youth organized sports."

- Carol Laberge

PHOTO BY Chris Spaulding

"Lowell Farm Field is a gem in this community...for the Windham residents who utilize the field, he saves many coaches the requirement of field preparation and cleaning up afterwards. We are all volunteers and Bill, a volunteer himself, alleviates one more requirement of being a coach and improves the facility as whole. Every Windham coach knows Bill and appreciates his efforts immensely."

- David Field

PHOTO BY Chris Spaulding

"During a time when it seems everyone is busier and busier, Bill stepped forward to relieve the league of maintaining one of their playing surfaces as well as other jobs like repairing and building benches and organizing equipment...his receiving this award is a great way to show just how much we appreciate volunteers such as Bill...Great Job Bill."

- Mark Cobb

PHOTO BY Chris Spaulding

PHOTO BY Chris Spaulding