A local softball program has built its foundation and is looking forward to the next step of its journey. The Max Sinoway 11-U All-Stars softball team recently completed an eventual 2022 campaign that featured a nearly perfect regular-season to go with an appearance in the Section 1 Tournament this summer. Head Coach Jimmy O’Brien is hoping that this year marks the first of many in which the program continues to grow.

After playing 15 regular-season games from April to June, Max Sinoway’s 11-U All-Stars softball squad participated in the Section 1 Tournament that was held at Gateway Field in North Haven in July 7. While the team didn’t do as well as it had hoped to in the tournament, Coach O’Brien was still happy about the overall results that his club posted over the past few months.

“It was an overall team effort,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, at the end of the year, we ran into some very tough competition.”

The Max Sinoway 11-U All-Stars took losses against Milford, Bristol, Fairfield, and Wilton in the Section 1 Tournament. North Haven’s program wasn’t exactly built to go toe-to-toe with powerhouses like Wilton and eventual state champion Milford, making it a challenging couple of days for the team. Still, Coach O’Brien believes that the experience was certainly a worthwhile one for Sinoway’s players.

“We wanted to go give it a try. We’re going to do it again next year and hope we improve,” said O’Brien. “The girls got to see what type of talent is out there. I think they’ll all be helped by it.”

The athletes on the Max Sinoway 11-U All-Stars softball team are Adriana Acevedo, Brooklyn Brandt, Adriana Calamita, Olivia Champagne, Brianna Conlan, Aydan Davis, Stella Judd, Liliana Landino, Violet O’Brien, Bella Senger, and Sophia Slais. Head Coach Jimmy O’Brien was assisted by Adrianna Champagne and Michele Slais.

Prior to playing in the Section 1 Tournament, North Haven’s 11-U team put together an impressive record of 14-1 in its regular-season games during the spring. Across three months, Sinoway competed against 11-U softball programs form Hamden, Woodbridge, North Branford, and West Haven, as well as the East Shore team. Sinoway scored more than 8 runs in each of its 14 victories. The team’s lone loss was a 7-6 defeat versus Amity White on April 28.

O’Brien and his fellow coaches felt pleased to see everyone’s hard work and dedication to the program pay dividends with the success that Sinoway 11-U All-Stars saw in their regular-season contests. In addition to praising his players, O’Brien also gave credit to both of his assistant coaches for their efforts throughout the season.

“Seeing the kids happy when they win a game or they make a good play, it makes myself, Adrianna, and Michele all happy,” O’Brien said. “It was great working with both of them. Without them, we couldn’t put it together.”

Coach O’Brien said that he got what exactly he wanted from his squad as the Sinoway 11-U All-Stars made their mark on the youth softball circuit this year. The team ran as one pack no matter the score, and O’Brien is hoping that they stick together and keep growing as a unit as they continue their Little League voyage.

“It’s a great group of girls and, hopefully, we’re able to keep them together. They all seem to jell a little bit and have fun,” said O’Brien. “The girls improved an incredible amount from the start of the season to the end of the season. Every game, every time they got on the field, they got better, which is what we were looking for.”

Looking ahead to the fall ball season, Coach O’Brien is aiming to bring more players into the Max Sinoway softball program. Encouraged by the result of the last few months, O’Brien wants to continue building the North Haven softball community by encouraging new people to join.

“We just need more girls involved in the program from younger ages. We have limited girls involved, so that’s why we’re doing the fall ball,” O’Brien said. “We’re trying to get the younger girls involved in the fall and the spring.”

The 2022 season was a fun one for Coach O’Brien’s club. The players on the Max Sinoway 11-U All-Stars team were committed to giving a 100-percent effort while having a good time on the diamond. When all was said and done, Coach O’Brien feels proud about how a small team accomplished some big things this summer.

“All in all, the girls had a great season. They had a lot of good teamwork and a lot of fun,” said O’Brien. “Nothing really stood out other than all of the girls showed up ready to play, and they had a good time.”