For Diane Noga Greece Little League is a way of life. “I work on Little League business every day except Christmas Day, that’s the one day I take off during the year,” Diane says.
Diane and her husband Gene Noga have been involved with Greece Little League for 33 years, it started when they signed up their son Michael for T-Ball and decided to manage and coach his team. “We have volunteered doing many jobs over the 33 years, coaching, team management, field prepping, concessions, administration, pretty much everything,” Diane says. Currently they both work in administration Gene as the Little League Board President, Diane is responsible for many administrative duties including communications, managing the website, supervising and working at the concession stand and much more. Diane is County Certified to oversee the Concessions Operation.
All three of the Noga’s children participated in the Little League Program. In the early 1990’s when their daughter Paula said she was tired of playing “with the boys” and wanted to play softball, Diane approached the board and the result was the formation of the girls softball program. “Our daughter, who lives in Maryland, now coaches her daughters’ softball teams,” Diane says. That is true for past teammates of Gene and Diane’s kids, the Nogas are now meeting them again on the fields as the coaches of their own kid’s teams. “It’s a community organization but it is more like relatives getting together, former players are now the coaches, managers and volunteers. They want their kids to have the same good experience playing Little League that they had,” she says.
Greece Little League was chartered in 1954 as Barnard Little League, and in the 1950’s they became Greece Little League. In the early 1990’s Greece Little League started looking for property to establish a central location where all of their team’s games could be played. In 1994 they purchased a 37 acre parcel of land at 3641 Latta Road where they built a Little League Complex consisting of 7 ball fields, a T-Ball area, a Concession Stand and, as Diane says, “We have real bathrooms, that’s very important to people.” Currently the Complex has 7 acres which will be developed into 7 additional ball fields.
All proceeds from the Concession Stand and Greece Little League fundraisers goes back into the Little League Complex. “We are the only Little League in the area that owns our playing fields and Complex. It is just like owning a home with a mortgage, taxes and upkeep. We have a wonderful group of volunteers that work to keep everything going, we are a family. Our volunteers are from all walks of life… parents, grandparents, council members, business owners, bankers, police officers, even our Chief of Police, Chief Phelan is a coach. Everyone is here to help our kids grow and to teach them how to live and work together as a team,” Diane says.
The purpose of Greece Little League is to teach kids that through effort you can accomplish your goals, we do not discriminate against ability. “It is so rewarding to see the expressions on the player’s faces when they make an out or a double play. From the first day on the field to the end of the season every kid improves, and learns about accomplishment and team effort. They celebrate the victories of everyone, and learn good sportsmanship and taking turns. It is such a joy to watch each year,” Diane says.
To learn more about Greece Little League visit www.greecelittleleague.org.
Photos by Tom Parsons
