Lincroft Dad Motivated By High Cost Of Youth Sports To Start Team

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — In their first year of existence, the Middletown 7U Omni Build Hammers baseball team clinched a perfect season, winning all 18 of their games.

The Omni Build Hammers are a travel baseball team made up of 7- and 8-year-old boys from Middletown, Lincroft and Hazlet. The team competes against such fierce and well-established rivals as the Toms River Black Sox, RiverBank Baseball (from Manhattan/the Bronx), the Sayen Park Warriors (Hamilton Township), Lincroft Lightning, Marlboro Mustangs Blue and Ocean Twp. Big Red.

They wrapped up their perfect, 18-0 season on Sunday night, November 3 under the lights in Tinton Falls with a championship win over the Bayshore Sharks, 9-6.

The Omni Build Hammers is a non-profit organization that was started by a local dad, John Mingione, who lives in Lincroft. He said he was inspired to start an affordable travel league after seeing how expensive youth travel sports has become.

"I was talking to some of the local dads who've been coaching for a while now, and we're all frustrated because we've seen travel baseball become a big business in the United States," Mingione told Patch. "It can be $2,500 a year for one sport and what if you're a family that has three kids? The costs get astronomical."

"We have people that live in our area and they are underwater on their homes and are financially struggling," he continued. "Some kids can't even afford to buy new gear or equipment."

Mingione said he and the other dads wanted to start a youth athletic league that "functioned similar to the PBA leagues, where you don't need a lot of money to join."

They had tryouts and assembled a team together this past June.

It's just that nobody ever thought they'd win their entire first season, especially against very well-established Monmouth County teams.

"It was astonishing to see us go 18 and 0 in our first year," said Mingione.

Costs are no more than $600 per player per year and much of the money is raised through fundraising. That $600 covers the uniforms, practice jerseys, personalized helmets and baseball bags, as well as league fees, tournament fees, field permits, insurance equipment and indoor winter workouts.

That fee covers the whole fall season and the whole spring season including tournaments.

"Even teams that charge $1,500 don’t offer all of that for the price," said Mingione. "Plus if all the fundraising goes according to plan, the fees will shrink dramatically as we go."

Mingione says when he brings coaches aboard, he warns them they have to be interested in not just coaching, but also fundraising. Mingione is looking to expand his Omni Build Youth Athletic League and is currently looking for coaches. He is interested in adding a 9 and Under baseball team in the fall of 2020, plus a soccer team and girls' softball, as well.

"We want kids to join our league whether their families have one dollar or a million dollars," said Mingione.

Anyone interested in volunteering as a coach or signing their child up, can email him at jmingione1969@gmail.com They are also looking for field space and will invest money to rehabilitate and care for the fields.

"We are looking for Omni Build Hammers' home turf," said Migione.

Omni Build Hammers team roster:

1 Liam Judge- Middletown, NJ

2 Antonio Ciccone IV, Middletown, NJ

4 Michael Annucci, Middletown, NJ

7 Joe LoPresti, Middletown, NJ

8 Johnny Mingione, Lincroft, NJ

14 Christian Higgins, Middletown, NJ

17 Jake Karpell, Holmdel, NJ

20 Brian Cabreja, Keyport, NJ

24 Nicholas Heugle, Middletown, NJ

25 Logan Travis, Middletown, NJ

26 Logan Bonici, Hazlet, NJ

48 Colton Ogorzat, Middletown, NJ

99 Tyler Galante, Middletown, NJ

Coaches

Michael Annucci, Head Coach

Tony Ciccone, Coach

Jeff Karpell, Coach

Joe LoPresti, Coach

John Mingione, General Manager

Luca Ciccone, Bat Boy

Tyler Heugle, Book Keeper

The Hammers had a regular season 9-0 record, and then won their East Division Championship game (3-0). Hammer 2019 season highlights:

- Least runs allowed (RA). Only 26 runs allowed in 12 games (regular season and post season). First place of 31 teams. Hammer's RA per game average was 2.16 compared to an overall league RA per game average of 8.88.

-Defeated well-established travel baseball teams such as the Toms River Black Sox, RiverBank Baseball (Manhattan/Bronx) and the Sayen Park Warriors (Hamilton Township)

- The only team out of 31 teams in 7U Fall league season to go undefeated in both tournament, regular and postseason games.