Winter 2026 Newsletter

Greenwich Old Timers Youth Sports Alliance at the 64th Annual Dinner. Photo by Cheryl Moss.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As we proudly enter our 65th year, we are proud to share a small but meaningful evolution in our name – one that honors our legacy while embracing the future. The Greenwich Old Timers Youth Sports Alliance reflects with deep gratitude on the legacy we’ve built together. Since our founding, our mission has remained steadfast — to support youth sports, provide scholarships for deserving student-athletes, and honor those whose dedication and achievements have enriched the world of sports. What began as a small group of local volunteers has grown into a vibrant community tradition that continues to shape lives, strengthen families, and celebrate excellence both on and off the field.

For six and a half decades, our unwavering belief has been that youth participation in sports teaches lessons that last a lifetime. Through discipline, teamwork, commitment, sportsmanship, and the pursuit of good health, young athletes gain the tools not only to succeed in competition but to excel in life. These core values — fostered on local fields, courts, pools, and rinks — help build character and resilience, preparing our youth to become the leaders of tomorrow.

As we celebrate this milestone year, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all who have supported the Greenwich Old Timers — our donors, sponsors, volunteers, and community members who have shared in this mission. Your generosity and belief in the power of sports have made a lasting difference. Together, we look forward to continuing this proud tradition of giving back, inspiring the next generation, and ensuring that the values learned through sports remain a cornerstone of the Greenwich community for decades to come.

With appreciation and pride,
Peter E. Carlson, Jr.
President
The Greenwich Old Timers Youth Sports Alliance

The Greenwich Old Timers Athletic Association proudly hosted its 64th Annual Awards Dinner on Friday, November 21, 2025, at the beautiful, brand-new Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, bringing together members, supporters, and community leaders for an evening dedicated to celebrating youth sports, service, and tradition.

The evening was expertly guided by Toastmaster Rob Adams, whose energy and longtime connection to Greenwich sports helped set the tone for a meaningful and memorable night. Scholarships and donations were presented by Marcus Zavattaro, highlighting the Old Timers’ ongoing commitment to supporting student-athletes and youth programs throughout the community.

Honorees & Awards

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of this year’s distinguished awards:

• The Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Pat Coleman, honoring decades of exceptional leadership, mentorship, and dedication to youth athletics.

• Local Honorees Mary Beth Fratello and John Loughran were recognized for their lasting contributions to Greenwich sports and their profound impact on generations of student-athletes.

• The National Honoree, John Sullivan, was celebrated for his outstanding athletic achievements and for exemplifying the values of discipline, perseverance, and sportsmanship that define the Old Timers’ mission.

Scholarship Program Highlights

A cornerstone of the Old Timers’ mission is its Scholarship Program, which began in 1966 with a single $500 four-year award. To date, the organization has awarded more than $1.238 million in scholarships to 164 deserving students. In 2025 alone, $36,000 in need-based scholarships were distributed, and the Old Timers proudly announced an increase in renewable scholarships from $2,000 per year to $4,000 per year, made possible by the generosity of the community.

This year’s scholarship recipients include:

• Dilailah Ruiz, University of Connecticut (Four-Year Scholarship)

• Chase Nizielski, Clemson University (Four-Year Scholarship, awarded in honor of board member Scott Harrington)

• Katherine Rosario, University of Connecticut (Michael Sandlock Baseball Scholarship)

• Drew Salcedo Aviles, Universal Technical Institute (Joseph Piro Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament Scholarship)

• Isabelle Martinez, Northeastern University (Joseph Piro Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament Scholarship)

• Ethan Pond, Iona University (Erf Porter Four-Year Community Service Scholarship)

Committees & Volunteers

The success of the Annual Dinner was made possible by the dedication of many volunteers. Special thanks to the Dinner Committee, led by James Loughran (Chairman), with members Jenny Allen, Nick Carriello, Marc Ducret, Allan Jay, Joe Kelly, Alison Farn-Leigh, Ralph Mayo, Rod Saggese, Rob Sisca, and Marcus Zavattaro, whose tireless efforts brought the evening together.

The Old Timers also extend their gratitude to the Annual Appeal Committee, chaired by Marcus Zavattaro, and supported by Ted Berenblum, Griff Harris, Joe Kelly, and Craig Warwick, for their leadership in advancing the organization’s fundraising efforts.

A Shared Mission

Our volunteer Board works year-round to ensure the success of events, scholarships, and the Annual Appeal, all in support of the Old Timers’ dual mission: championing youth sports and providing meaningful, need-based scholarships to graduating high school seniors.

Congratulations to our honorees and scholarship recipients, and sincere thanks to our sponsors, committee members, and supporters who continue to make this work possible.

In May we held our Charity Golf Tournament. Started in 1997, the Charity Golf Tournament is a major fundraising event for our organization. This year, more than 100 golfers joined us for a wonderful day at Fairview Country Club. Participants enjoyed lunch, golf, a raffle and a cocktail reception.

We hope you join us on May 19th, 2026!

The core of the Greenwich Old Timers Athletic Association’s mission statement is to support youth sports. This is achieved through annual donations to youth-based organizations that incorporate sports into their programs or are dedicated to athletic activities, as well as school sport activities that are not covered due to budget constraints. The Old Timers are on pace to make mission statement donations of over $84,000 this year!

This year the Old Timers donated funds to a number of groups, such as GHS Boys Ice Hockey, GHS Girls Lacrosse, GHS Boys & Girls Rugby, GHS Water Polo, the GHS Diamond Club, GHS Quarterback Club, Cal Ripken Baseball, the GYFL Mavericks & Generals, and the Greenwich Water Club. These mission donations are central to the Old Timers annual program of giving and are in addition to the Old Timers’ yearly commitment of $36,000 to its Scholarship Program and a $1,000 donation in conjunction with our Coach’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This year, the Coach’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Pat Coleman at the Annual Dinner.

Since its founding in 1960, the Old Timers have contributed to countless Greenwich sports organizations, individuals, programs and events that have included the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club, Greenwich YMCA, Greenwich High School sports programs, the annual Jim Fixx Memorial Day races, Greenwich youth football and baseball programs, the Connecticut Flames girls basketball program, Hamilton Avenue School basketball court, Greenwich Basketball Association, girls softball programs, the purchase of the Greenwich High School football scoreboard, Greenwich Cannons Baseball, Greenwich Youth Football League, the Midget, Cal Ripken, and Babe Ruth Junior and Senior baseball teams and leagues, and Kids in Crisis to name just a few.

Greenwich organizations, programs, events and individuals that serve, support or train young athletes are encouraged to request donations from the Old Timers. Further information about the Old Timers Donations Program and how to obtain the required request form may be obtained by contacting:

Donations Committee Chair
Alessandra Messineo Long
203-249-3601
aml@amlonglaw.com