Coming off a wave of recent facility upgrades and already planning for more, the P3 Baseball program at Pier 40, “wants to be known as premier baseball and softball facility in Manhattan and beyond,” says Bob Score, a onetime board member (and now the facility manager) with the organization, who spearheaded the campaign to improve the space. “This is the go-to place for kids who are serious about the game, whether for summer camp, during school breaks, or throughout the school year,” he notes.
P3 (which stands for Pier, Park and Playground Association, but, Mr. Score, jokes, “should have a fourth P for ‘parents,’ because they are so central to what we do), began in mid-1990s. That’s when Francisco Perez, a former college and pro-baseball player (he was recruited by the Seattle Mariners’ farm team) turned coach, and helped to start up an organization, “to give kids in this community a baseball program of their own.”
Mr. Perez, who also runs baseball programs for the highly regarded New York Gothams and New York’s ASA College, says P3, “is more about helping the kids enjoy playing, rather than helping them become pros.”
What Mr. Perez and a group of like-minded parents created at Pier 40, with the help of the Hudson River Park Trust, “is a home base for a broad range of groups, teams, and leagues,” says Mr. Score, “such as Downtown Little League, Greenwich Village Little League, the Gothams, Stuyvesant High School, and players from LAB-Museum High School.”
“In terms of physical space,” Mr. Score reflects, “we began as the only real indoor sports facility for baseball Downtown. But with our newly remodeled facility and upgraded equipment, we are now the best in the area.”
Among the recent enhancements to the capacious facility are two dedicated batting rooms, with a total of four cages. Two of these are new, retractable batting cages, which allows the same room to be repurposed for other kinds of coaching and practice. The remaining two have also been upgraded with new netting. There is additionally a room dedicated to fielding and throwing practice, as well as calisthenics and warming up, plus another space set aside for meals, breaks, and team meetings. One of the batting rooms also recently got new artificial turf. These enhancements were funded, in part, by a grant from New York State Assembly member Deborah Glick, whose district includes Pier 40.
But while the facility is impressive, “our real drawing card is the quality of the coaching staff, all of whom are professionals with more than ten years of experience” says Mr. Score. In addition to Mr. Perez, these include a “core four” of Jason Rodriguez (who has played in the All Boro Men’s League), Gabe Diaz (who played in the College World Series), Felix Roche (who was named Most Valuable Player by two separate leagues in high school), and Vito Altamura (who was scouted by the Tampa Bay Rays).
Each of these coaches, supplemented by other professional instructors and talented high school athletes who volunteer as a community service, “puts the emphasis on sportsmanship, teamwork, and respect, as well as the fundamentals of playing the game,” says Mr. Score.
All of these resources will be benefit participants in P3’s summer baseball camp, which is now accepting applications. The Baseball Camp (for boys and girls, aged five through 14) is offering seven weekly sessions, starting July 5 – 7 (the first week is three days only, because of the Independence Day holiday), with the final session running August 14 – 18. Each week is priced at $450, except the first, which costs $270. (One-day sessions are also available at $125.) Any camper registering for two weeks will receive a discounted price of $800, while those attending for four weeks will be charged only $1,500. The program includes use of indoor equipment for training in pitching and batting; skills coaching for specific positions, and daily games.
The Girls Softball Camp (for campers aged seven through 14) offers five weekly sessions, starting July 5 – 7 and concluding July 31 – August 4, priced at $450 each. Coaching in this program will include a special focus on the skills and tactics of softball.
Prices for both the Baseball and Softball Camps include daily lunch, plus a shirt and a baseball cap. To register, or for more information, browse Pier40.org, email baseball@pier40.org, or call 212-989-3764.
But while Mr. Score is understandably proud of all that P3 can offer summer campers, he is already focused on the program’s future. “We’re raising money now to install more artificial turf, and new lighting,” he says. “And we’re going replace the flooring with kind of flexible surface found in gymnasiums.”
As P3 continues to raise the bar in terms of physical plant, Mr. Score notes, “our real wish is to make this community aware of everything that we can offer. This is the only facility Downtown that can provide these kind of programs to local kids.”