Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid threw out the first pitch to usher in a new season for the Optimist Club of Miami Lakes’ baseball and softball leagues.
Opening day on Feb. 13 at Miami Lakes
Optimist Park marked the 51st season for the club’s programs.
Kids were happy to be back in action after their seasons were canceled last year during the coronavirus pandemic.
“They feel great playing again, considering what came down last year,” said Javier Martin, the commissioner for the baseball and softball leagues. “This season started off great and will end great.”
Martin said his 19 baseball and softball teams for boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 16 will resume playing interleague games against other Optimist teams from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Miami Lakes Optimist Club’s 10U team are, front row left to right:
Traevon Eberhart; Zachary St. Onge; Michael Mogena; Samuel Velandria; Ethan Díaz; Angelo Lorenzo; Nicolas Acevedo; Robert Jiménez; Jayden Cudeiro; Fabian Di Maio and Naseem Ahmad.
Back row: Head coach Marcelino “Pepe” DeAr- mas; assistant coaches Americo Lorenzo and Enrique “Kiki” Matias; Karla Acosta from team sponsor Image Barber Studio; Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid and assistant coach Alejandro Velandria.
--David L. Snelling Photo by Enrique “Kiki” Matias.