*The below are excerpts from a letter recently written by Bill Consiglio, Founder & CEO, to parents who had previously registered young children (entering grades 4 & below in Fall 2020*) for 21CS’ upcoming summer camps, prior to the NY-Pause initiative in March 2020.
*UPDATE 6/22/20: Children entering Grade 4 (Fall 2020) may now attend camp! Click here for more info.
Dear Baseball Family,
This is one of the harder emails I’ve had to write in quite some time as, personally, I believe much of life’s satisfaction has to do with the communication of expectations. That’s why we work so hard to communicate openly, regularly & in advance when it comes to information about our programs. Having been fortunate enough to oversee summer baseball camp programs in Yorktown since 2006, I speak assuredly knowing we’ve been able to meet this expectation for the members we serve in our local communities.Due to the current situation involving Covid-19, we will need to incorporate a number of tedious, but important, procedures into our daily practice in order to maintain safety as a top priority throughout our camp programs this summer. As a result, we are currently in the process of developing a comprehensive safety plan in concert with the Town of Yorktown Parks & Recreation Department. Without a doubt, baseball camp this summer will look and feel, at the very least, somewhat different, with more restrictions than ever before.Please know that as soon as the conclusion below was reached, I wanted to make sure this information was sent to you.After getting the input from a number of our key staff, over a series of phone calls, we’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to establish a minimum grade requirement in order to attend camp. Collaboratively and unanimously, we believe it is in the best interests of both campers and staff, that any child attending camp this summer must be entering 5th grade or higher (up to grade 9) in Fall 2020, so that we may consistently adhere to the planned procedures and protocols required by the aforementioned comprehensive safety plan, in order to prioritize safety for all involved.Why? We felt that in our professional opinions (many of us are teachers during the school day), from a child development perspective, the demands of the safety plan can be extremely challenging for younger children to consistently adhere to. This may only be exacerbated when considering that children haven’t been in a highly structured environment such as camp or school in what will have been approx. 4 months at the time of camp.“Johnny, keep your hands away from your face…again.”“Bobby, move away from Stevie…again.”“Tommy, pick up that ball, not this one…again.“Unfortunately, on it would likely go. Next thing you know, it turns into a Covid-etiquette camp and not a baseball camp! (Trying to find some humor in all of this).Collectively, we didn’t believe it would be fair to place younger children, and in turn staff, in the position of being unlikely to consistently follow these new, stringent and frequently occurring protocols, thus leading to an unenjoyable and stressful camp experience.Please know, as someone who wakes up everyday thinking about ways to help his own kids fall in love with the game that I did as a young child, This Breaks My Baseball Heart. Being a father of two boys (one of which is too young to attend camp), I also understand the truly valid need to “get the kids out of the house!” In the end, we need to be able to execute the safety plan that will be in place, thus maintain each individuals’ health at the forefront of everything we do.My sincere apologies once again if the above leaves you looking for a place for your child to attend. As with many things related to the pandemic, the information we had our disposal to make an intelligent, informed decision kept moving in different directions, it took some time for things to settle and felt we were able to make a well-reasoned determination. I wanted to make sure you were notified as soon as this decision was finalized. That’s why I am emailing you here, personally.Most importantly, I hope you and your loved ones have been able to remain both safe and healthy during this turbulent time.Should you have any questions please feel free to contact me here.Regards from the Diamond,BCBill Consiglio, Founder & CEO
“Both of my boys raved about the camp. I’ve never seen them so excited every morning to go to camp!”
I fully appreciate the enthusiasm Bill and his staff have in communicating the sound principles of baseball. Far too often in the college recruiting process we see young players who have no understanding of how to play the game. Yet, they are unrealistically in pursuit of a college scholarship. I am not saying that every player who participates in 21st Century Sports will receive a college scholarship to play baseball. What I will say is that Coach Consiglio and his staff will provide players with the proper techniques to give them the best chance to have a positive baseball experience, no matter what level they aspire to play – college, high school or Little League. And as a parent myself, that’s all you can ask.
Coach Consiglio does a great job in developing the young player. He is very passionate and knowledgeable about the game and takes a lot of pride in seeing his players progress. I have no doubt he will lead his staff to undertake this same mission.
Coach Consiglio opened my eyes to the possibility of playing college baseball. He helped me in all aspects of my game; helping me to improve my skills on the field, my mental makeup about the game, and how to handle the college recruiting process. He was always there to offer honest and straightforward advice and continues to check up once my collegiate career began.
Thank you for the fabulous baseball birthday party you organized and ran for our son Thomas! As parents who have hosted over a dozen outsourced birthday parties in the past, you should be proud to know that your company threw the most enjoyed and professionally organized party of any company we have ever worked with!
To quote the birthday boy: “My baseball party was the best birthday party I have ever had and ever been to!
The staff at 21st Century Sports has done an excellent job working with all of the baseball programs in our town – from TeeBall to Little League to Babe Ruth & up through the Varsity program – over the last few years. They take a comprehensive approach to the ‘well-being’ of our baseball feeder programs and have helped us instill a systematic instructional program to pass on to both our youngsters and coaches. More imporantly, they have established personal relationships and connections with each of the different baseball programs in our town. This comprehensive approach enables everyone in our baseball community, from the time they are first able to throw a ball until they leave for college, with the feeling that not only have they been provided with the very best possible instruction, but have worked and interacted with our children and parents – as people who sincerely care about the game of baseball as well as each individual’s skill development.
What do you do when your son wants only a Baseball Birthday Party for his 7th b’day?! I NOW KNOW – YOU CALL 21ST CENTURY SPORTS! Their staff was a HOME RUN! From the first time I contacted them to the last minute of the party it was a fantastic experience! Their baseball party team kept my son and his friends not only engaged but excited the entire time! In fact, when the party was over the dads were so inspired that they began their own post-party game! Weeks later parents were still approaching me and saying that my son’s baseball birthday party was one of the best parties their child has ever been to! Thanks so much to the staff at 21st Century Sports for making my son’s birthday party a day he will never forget….AND EVEN COMING UP WITH AN AUTOGRAPHED BALL OF HIS FAVORITE PLAYER! THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY & UNEXPECTED!!! We can’t thank your team enough 🙂
Just wanted to let you know that, once again, your guys were awesome.
Professional, kind, and the kids had an absolute blast!
“My son loved every minute of camp!”
“My son is a 15u competitive travel baseball player who was looking to get additional instruction and I came across Coach Bill Consiglio through a camp over a year ago. My son has since worked with Coach Consiglio on many aspects of his game and I have to say that since then, my son has elevated his game and has become more confident. Coach Bill has a unique way of communicating with the kids so they understand what needs to be done. He has coached at the highest levels, including Division I and can very readily see things that other coaches do not. He understands what each child needs in order to succeed, improve and move onto the next level. If you are looking for a coach who understands the game and can help your child improve, I highly recommend Coach Consiglio.”
“Great program, well organized! Our son learned all about the game. Made lots of new friends. Highly recommended!”
