MORE THAN JUST A GAME
Softball tournament takes place in memory of car crash victim
WATERFORD, N.Y. » Hallie Czajka earned game ball for Guilderland’s softball tournament team after Sunday’s championship win because of her positive attitude.
“She had that kind of positive spirit throughout the entire tournament no matter what the bumps and bruises and the bad hops and the good hops,” said her coach Thomas Kachadurian. “She continued to maintain a very positive attitude and picked her teammates up, so I think that’s a great reflection of what the tournament is about is to preserve and always pick those up around you who might need it.”
Eight teams competed in Waterford Little League’s first annual Paige Ahearn Memorial Softball 8-U Tournament this weekend.
Paige Ahearn died last October in a car crash. Jessica Bellerose, of Troy, pled guilty to felony counts of second-degree manslaughter and second-degree vehicular manslaughter, as well as a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated in March.
“It just means so much that these kids playing we keep her memory alive. We’re having fun,” said Paige’s uncle Nathan Barton. “The parents have been great, the coaches have been great, so it really represents what she meant to this community, and it was just giving back. It’s been really special.”
Guilderland has played in tournaments before. But this tournament was different.
“It’s really been uplifting and eye opening. Getting involved with the tournament the girls didn’t really understand why we were doing what we’re doing. They just thought it’s another tournament,” said Kachadurian. “It’s another way to be able to play softball, but when they were here and they experienced the opening ceremonies I think that got a better perspective as to how and why we play the game of softball. It’s a game but it also reflects a lot of life values and how important it was to Paige and the family and to make sure that they play with that type of spirit. That’s why I awarded our game ball to [Czajka].”
Guilderland defeated Latham in Sunday’s afternoon championship.
Latham beat Saratoga Springs in one of the semifinal match ups.
“It was great to be invited. It was great to participate. I heard that Waterford made a lot of money for their Paige Ahearn fund and that’s what’s it’s about,” said Saratoga head coach Jonathan Bujno. “It’s about supporting these communities, supporting these young girls and along the way having a good time and raising some money for a good cause.”
The money raised this weekend goes back to the community. Two seniors received scholarship money from the Paige Ahearn Memorial Scholarship this past June.
“We’re raising money to bring attention back to Waterford softball because we struggled to get a team here, so being able to put this together and having Paige’s parents behind us really have helped us make all of this happen,” said Barton.
Kachadurian was happy with how his team responded to adversity to capture a championship.
“To us it meant the world because it really meant that we were able to overcome a difficult first day of seeding and then a second day where we really had a difficult early morning game and then we had to bounce back from some of our players not being able to make it,” said Kachadurian. “We had to play with nine and some of the girls played out of position, some of them played in places where they aren’t comfortable. But they were able to find the better player in themselves and to step up when the opportunities present themselves.”
Although Barton’s team lost early Sunday, he was proud of how the tournament went.
“I’m just proud of all these kids. These coaches have preached nothing but have fun, be eight years old. It wasn’t about winning or losing,” said Barton. “As a collective group of teams I thought it was great. I thought it was something that really brought her spirit out and we all had a great time, and I hope to do it again next year.