By Doug La Rocque
Both schools have had some problems attracting enough students to participate in various sports teams, with news late last year, that New Lebanon might not be able to field a girls softball team this spring. Now comes word from Berlin Athletic Director (AD) Josh Weaver that the two school districts have agreed to merge their baseball, softball and track teams for the coming season.
The ADs at both schools are working to bring all the logistics together, but it appears as of now, baseball will play its home games at Berlin, and softball will be at New Lebanon. AD Weavers says the teams will be known are Berlin-New Lebanon, without the use of a nickname at this point. Berlin’s teams are known as the Mountaineers, and New Lebanon teams are called the Tigers.
The combined teams will compete in the Wasaren League, which Berlin joined two years ago when they left the Central Hudson Valley League (CHVL). New Lebanon has competed in the CHVL. The merger will also strengthen the combined teams ability to compete in the Wasaren. With a couple of exceptions, such as Boys Soccer and Cross Country, the Berlin teams, being one of the smallest schools in the league, have struggled to keep pace. The combining of the two teams should make the squads much more competitive.
“It’s a Wonderful Thing”
Those were the words of New Lebanon School Superintendent Leslie Whitcomb, speaking to The Eastwick Press about the merger. She sees many benefits, not only in making the respective teams more competitive, but also from a social point of view. She feels the combining of the teams opens up the contact pool for the student athletes, noting the increased exposure outside of the normal school circles.
As to any further mergers, Ms. Whitcomb says both schools have agreed to let that “grow organically,” meaning as the interest or necessity arises, it will be dealt with on a sport-by-sport basis.