JESSUP, PA — Sun-soaked blue skies, a crisp spring breeze and freshly manicured fields welcomed players for a day of fun, excitement and competitive spirit.
Teams from Pittsburgh, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut converged at the Jessup Youth Softball Complex on Saturday morning for a tournament that featured teams representing Schools for the Deaf.
It was a day-long event where the teams, players, coaches and fans enjoyed the games and the enthusiasm the kids showed through every pitch, hit, run and catch.
“It’s always a lot of fun,” Vladimir Slavov, 18, of Scranton who plays for the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf Lions said through an interpreter, Mary Ann Stefko.
“I enjoy having the time to spend with my friends and make memories.”
It was the fourth year for the tournament that offers students from neighboring state schools who are either deaf or hard of hearing to spend time and also take part in hotly contested athletic games.
The Western Pennsylvania State School for the Deaf is the base school for the state and offers specialized instructions services for students in ninth through 12th grades. The Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children is now located in Clarks Summit and houses and instructs students from preschool through ninth grade.
The New Jersey School for the Deaf, The Lexington School for the Deaf from Jackson Heights, New York, and The American School for the Deaf from West Hartford, Connecticut all fielded teams for this year’s tournament.
“We started this event four years ago with only a couple of teams and I think we played two games,” said Donald E. Rhoten, the Chief Executive Officer of The Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.
“It’s just been amazing how it’s grown and the enthusiasm they all have for the games. Every year it gets better, and to see the skills of these players, it is really rewarding.”
After a short pre-tournament program the teams took the field and played with fierce intensity.
There were sharply hit balls, stabbing stops in the infield, home runs, web gems and a lot of cheering and celebrating.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the students together and play some good softball games and get to meet players and students from across the country who are their deaf and hard of hearing peers,” said Jon Konzelman, the assistant to the principal at The Scranton School for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing School.
And for some, it was a homecoming.
Once students from Northeastern Pennsylvania advance to 10th grade, they move to Pittsburgh to attend the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.
“This is my home,” said Slavov, who was the starting pitcher for the Lions. “That makes playing these games her more special to me.”
Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com
Published: May 18, 2014
Link Source: Scranton The Times-Tribune article