Author: Aidan Clark

Saratoga Springs Little League president, Derrick Legall, will be inducted into the class of 2026 New York State Baseball Hall of Fame in November. Naturally, one’s first question is: when did you start playing baseball?

“It’s funny you ask that question. Really, growing up, I did not play a lot of baseball, I played soccer,” said Legall. “But I got involved with baseball when my son started playing, so that’s where my passion for the game came in.”

Legall, as is the case of many fathers, stepped in to coach his son’s little league team in 2002. But when his son reached early adolescence, Legall put down the whistle and clip board.

“He needed somebody else to coach [him] because he doesn’t listen to me. It [was] time for somebody else to coach him,” Legall reflected. 

However, Legall saw the ability of the program to bring the community together, leading to him joining the board of directors and eventually be elected president.

“Back then it used to be the East side and the West side. We used to have what’s called the Mayor’s Cup at the end of every season. I got involved because it was a big community event and I wanted to keep that tradition.” 

During his more than two-decade tenure as president, Legall’s most overtly transformative project was the renovation of West Side Recreation Park—an effort accomplished entirely without taxpayer dollars. 

While installing the field lights alone reached the six-figure mark, the project was successfully funded through fundraising and donations from community institutions. Similarly, the concession stand required funding only for its materials, as a local builder donated the construction labor entirely.

Yet, for all the physical transformation of the park, Legall considers the Challenger Program to be his most enduring legacy

“There was not any program for these kids that are challenged, mentally and physically, to get involved in a sport. We started the Challenger program and that program is in its fourteenth year. To me, that was the proudest of our moments. We gave kids an opportunity to play sports, become team members, and have fun,” said Legall. 

Legall embodies a community champion, someone who is called to serve others. Alas, Legall does not cherish the spotlight; he even was hesitant about the focus of this article. Because, for Legall, nothing should divert our attention from what is paramount: our future.

“I believe that we have to invest in our future, and our future is our kids. If we are not investing in our kids, then who is going to do it? My goal in life has always been, if I can reach one child, then my mission has been accomplished,” said Legall.

When asked about what it means to be selected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame he said,

“First of all, I’m humble. It has been a passion of mine to invest in our youth of the city, and to make sure I leave a legacy where they are much stronger and know that this community means a lot to them. I truly believe this community cares about kids, we just don’t hear about it and see it enough.”

Legall, along with 15 other inductees in the class of 2026, will be commemorated on Sunday, November 22, in Troy. 

Girls’ soccer Suburban Council contender Ballston Spa bested rival Shenendehowa at home on Tuesday night. In head coach Tom Rogan’s second season with the Scotties, the goal is to win the Suburban council for the first time in program history. 

A 2-0 scoreline to Ballston Spa conceals the fact that Shenendehowa played a large part of the game in their opponent’s half, creating scoring opportunities that would find the back of the net on another day. 

The deadlock stood for over an hour into the game until captain Leah Szmarz struck a free kick 25 yards from goal under the jumping wall of Shen, finding Meave McLoughlin with only the goalkeeper to beat at the back post. 

Minutes later with Shen pushing for an equalizing goal, the ball was cleared to Szmarz, who found enough time and space at the top of the box to turn the last defender. Her dribble took her to the right of the goal, favoring the goalkeeper. However, a crisp knee-height shot caused the goalkeeper to parry the ball into the path of crashing Abby Werner. 

Ballston Spa was then able to manage the ever-running clock by congesting their defense and chasing long balls to the opposing corner flag until the final whistle from the referee. 

The Scotties currently have a perfect 2-0 record and are second in the Suburban Council. 

Still, Coach Rogan advised caution in his postgame team talk. 

“It’s a wonderful win, but the suburban council is an incredibly deep and difficult league,” Rogan said. “We have to play Shaker on Thursday and if you go down there and you’re enjoying the win too much, Shaker will beat you.”  

The team was apt to receive this message from their coach, who boasts nine section titles over 26 seasons with Bethlehem and was inducted into the New York State High School Girls’ Soccer Hall of Fame prior to the season.

For captain Abby Werner, this win is an indication of progress and possibility. “Shen is obviously a very good team, and we ourselves are also very good,” she said. “It feels really good to win since it’s been such a long time since we’ve been able to pull through with this win. It makes me really excited to see what our team can do during sectionals and hopefully move on towards a state championship.”

Three years ago, the Saratoga Central Catholic Ladies Soccer team was at risk of dissolving due to lack of coaching. Fortunately, Brian Venn, whose daughter plays for the team, volunteered to step into the head coach roll.

When Venn along with assistant coach Tony Nucrea took over in 2024, the team won eight games and were knocked out in the quarterfinals of sectionals. That was an improvement on the 1-15 record the team had the year before.

Last year the team won nine games and made it to the quarterfinals of sectionals, a qualifying improvement. 

“When we set out to do this three years ago, we thought to ourselves, first we have to build stability in the program. We have to get the younger athletes,” Nucera said. “So we have that stability now. We started with 11 or 12 and now we have 11 underclassmen, which is almost equal to what we had when we first started.” 

This year Coach Venn has challenged the team to play 20 games.

“If we play 20 games that means we are in the state tournament and we won a sectional title,” Venn said. 

Talking to the players who have played on the team for the past three years, it’s easy to see how the program has grown to have lofty ambitions.

“Being open and welcoming to everyone and treating them like how I was first brought onto the team. Being new, it was scary at first, so just being there for them and say, ‘if you ever need anything even outside of soccer in general, you’re going through something, I’m always there,’” said senior captain Addison Quail, who is one of the team’s only full-time soccer athletes. 

At a school with an average class size of 29, most of the athletes play other sports and were recruited by their friends.

That was the case for senior goalie Grace Schaefer, who brought her softball bag to last week’s soccer practice.

“Because I’m a catcher in softball, I’m constantly catching things, so I might as well try goalie and see how that goes. I was good at kicking the ball, I was good at blocking it and then it just stuck,” Schaefer reflected on her three years on the team.”

Basketball is senior midfielder, Sophia Ryan’s primary sport, who led the team to Spa Catholic’s first ever Section 2 basketball title last winter. 

“A couple of my friends were playing [soccer], and I had played when I was younger, so I was like I’ll try it out,” Ryan said. “I started playing softball too just to help the team out because they needed players.”

Since the team has seen a revitalization from fresh coaching and enthusiasm from players, the parents have reciprocated. Every year, Cooperstown Distillery hosts a parents-only fundraising event in support of team. This allowed the team to purchase new jerseys in 24’ and afford an independent schedule. 

This year, Skidmore College has invited the team to play three games Friday night games under the lights, highlighting how far the program has come. 

Over the summer the team has been practicing two times per day in preparation for the season, and because they want to spend all the time they can with their friends. 

The ladies kick off their season Labor Day weekend at a Bolton Landing tournament.

League games begin September 8 against Hadley Luzere, hopefully picking up their first of 20 wins this season!