Youth sports abound in Berkshire County

By JEANNE FEDER12:00AM / Wednesday, February 02, 2005Print Story | Email Story

Berkshire County is teeming with opportunities for childrenâ€™s physical activities in every age group. Whether you live in North, Central or South County; whether you like baseball, basketball or swimming, there are lots of great choices for kids to participate in an area close to home. The Advocateâ€™s weekly Ski Blitz offers the latest updates on nearby skiing and snowboarding events and classes, but indoor sports are abundant and ongoing. Believe it or not, registrations for spring baseball and soccer leagues are already beginning in several Berkshire County towns, and there are a host of sports programs and great youth facilities to choose from. So pick up the phone, get on the Web or walk to your nearest youth center and get movinâ€™. The following list is not meant to be all-inclusive. Any youth organizations with events and activities are invited to send their news to news@advocateweekly.com, mail to The Advocate and The Family Beat, 100 Main St., North Adams MA 01247 or fax to 413-664-7900. Calendar items: e-mail jeannefeder@yahoo.com. Youth & Community Centers 4-H Youth and Family Development Program, 30 East Housatonic St., Pittsfield, 448-8285, ext.103, www.umass.edu/umext/programs/4h Provides educational services for clients of all ages throughout Berkshire County. Berkshire South Regional Community Center, 15 Crissey Road, Great Barrington, 528-2810, www.berkshiresouth.org Youth activities for early childhood through teen years include gymnastics, swimming, movement, yoga, jazz/hip-hop dance, ice skating lessons, vacation camps, winter sport trips to nearby areas, ballet, lifeguard training, water fun, basketball, dancercise and more. Membership is necessary; financial assistance is available. Berkshire West Athletic Club, Dan Fox Drive, Pittsfield, 499-4600, www.ultranet.com/~berk Youths can participate with family or get junior memberships. Activities include weight room, pools, hot tub, racquetball, tennis and cardiovascular center. Contact for membership details and youth participation guidelines. Youth Center Inc., 20 East St., Adams, 743-3550 Maintains guide to all youth sports activities in Adams, Cheshire and Savoy. Offers sports special events during the year. Church Outreach to Youth Project, Coty Center, 214 East Main St., North Adams, 663-3133 Offers high school basketball leagues, pool tables, Ping-Pong and more. Call for updated schedule. There is a nominal membership fee. Boy Scouts of America, Great Trails Council, 88 Old Windsor Road, Dalton, 684-3542, www.greattrailsbsa.org Provides experiences designed to help young people mature and become responsible and caring adults. Young men and women, ages 14 to 20, who have completed the eighth grade are eligible. Boys' and Girls' Club of Pittsfield, 16 Melville St. 448-8258 Offers many activities, including basketball, hockey, teen game room, pool, indoor ice rink. Vacation activities include pool tournaments, Ping-Pong, obstacle courses and basketball. Walk-ins are welcome. A nominal membership fee is required. Catholic Youth Center 26 Melville St., Pittsfield, 445-5496, e-mail mendos@berksire.rr.com Offers youth recreation, including basketball, football, cheerleading, lacrosse and after-school programs. Girl Scouts of Western Massachusetts, P.O. Box 588, Leeds, 584-2602, ext. 21, 800-462-9100, www.the-spa.com/wmgsc Offers Girl Scouting for children in grades K-12 through regular troop meetings, group participation or individually. Girls Incorporated of the Berkshires, 165 East St., Pittsfield, 442-5174, http://girlsinc-berkshires.org Offers an array of after-school programs for children and teens. Athletics include swimming program. Lee Youth Association, Inc., 13 Academy St., P.O. Box 115, 243-5535, e-mail leeyouth@bcn.net Recreational activities for children 7-18. Programs include athletics, leisure time events and day care. Lenox Community Center, 65 Walker St., 637-5530, 637-4757, e-mail garnking@yahoo.com Offers teen events such as movie night, dances and leaders club programs. Organizes all youth sports in Lenox and provides a teen lounge for after-school drop in. Included are Mommy & Me, swim and ice-skating classes. Spring travel-team soccer registration is Feb. 9 and 17, from 6 to 8 pm. North Adams Youth Football League, P.O. Box 634, North Adams MA 01247, 664-9685, 802-694-9101, www.nayouthfootball.com Northern Berkshire Community Action Program, 308 Henderson Road, Williamstown, 413-662-5437, fax 413-662-5357, e-mail dhouston@mcla.edu Under the auspices of the Women's Sports Foundation, dedicated to promoting opportunities for girls and women through sports. Host event Feb. 12 at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, â€œNational Girls and Women in Sports Day.â€ Northern Berkshire YMCA, 22 Brickyard Court, North Adams, 663-6529 Offers year-round instruction in swimming, lifesaving and water safety, soccer, basketball, gymnastics, racquetball and baseball by age group. Fitness room with youth times reserved. Membership is required and financial assistance is available. Pittsfield Family YMCA, 292 North St., 499-7650, e-mail jgreg@berkshire.rr.com Areas of programming include youth aquatics, racquetball, soccer, strength training and baseball (registration in February). Membership is required and financial assistance is available. Venturingâ€” Boy Scouts of America Great Trails Council, 88 Old Windsor Road, Dalton, 684-3542, www.greattrailsbsa.org Curriculum often involves adventure opportunities such as rock climbing, whitewater rafting and mountain biking. For young men and women 14 to 20 who have completed the eighth grade. Williamstown Youth Center, 270 Cole Ave., 458-5925, e-mail willyc@bcn.net Social, recreational and educational programs for Williamstown youths and adolescents. Baseball Williamstown Cal Ripken League: Registration, Feb. 17, 5 to 7 pm, municipal building, 31 North St., www.williamstownbaseball.org Adams Babe Ruth League, call Gary Herzog, 743-7397 Adams Lassie League, (Girls Softball, grades 1-10), call Mark/Paul Piacenti, 743-4408. Little League by town (check www.eteamz.com or your local phone book for team listings not found here) Adams: Teresa Davis, 107 East Road, 743-5419 Bennington, Vt., 83 Little League Road, 802-447-0052 Cheshire, Call Bob Gale, 499-7015 North Bennington, Vt., Nor-Shaft Little League, Houghton, 802-442-6185 Dalton/Hinsdale, Ted Boraski, eteamz.active.com/dhlittleleague Lanesboro, eteamz.com Lee, eteamz.com Lenox, eteamz.com North Adams, eteamz.com Pittsfield West, Jamie McLaughlin, 215 West Housatonic St., Clapp Park, 442-7814 Pownal, Vt., eteamz.com Ice Hockey Northern Berkshire Hockey, 176 Bradley St., North Adams, 664-4163, mbloom59@verizon.net Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink, 662-5112 Berkshire Bruins, 884-4800, e-mail BruinsInfo@berkshirebruins.com Learn to Skate, Feb. 9 and 16, 4 p.m.; Feb. 22, 5 p.m. Pittsfield sports Baseball: Babe Ruth League, ages 13-15, call Mike Toner, 443-0951. Legion Baseball, High school students, call William Dassat, 445-5378. Legion Baseball (Post 68), High School students, Jim Mazzer, 499-2834. Basketball Berkshire Blazers AAU Girls Basketball Organization, 442-6802/445-8967, joehoops111@yahoo.com Softball Parks Department: Girls Softball League, ages 9-16, call Paul Cote, 841-1766. Berkshire Blaze, call Mike Ameen, 458-3305. Soccer Adams Youth Soccer, call Fred Meczywor, 743-1704 Pittsfield Parks Department Soccer League, ages 6-15, call Lance LaPointe, 447-8155. Berkshire Soccer Club, call Mark Wasnewsky, 442-0580. Berkshire Bullets Soccer Club, call Cathy Marchetto, 443-3778. Pittsfield Panthers Soccer Club, ages U-10 to U-14, Andy Waluszko, 442-2493 or Terri Alfonsi, 499-1335. Pittsfield Piranhas, ages U-10 to U-16, call Tom Duane, 442-1744. Berkshire Premier Soccer Club, Girls, U-15 to U-16, call Maureen Phillips, 499-0486. Figure Skating Pittsfield Figure Skating Club, 499-7979. Tennis Adams Tennis, call Vincent Zajac, 743-2050 Additional resources â€¢ Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, www.mass.gov/dcr/forparks.htm â€¢ Mass Parks and Recreation by town, www.massrecandpark.org/cities.html â€¢ Berkshire Youth.org, www.berkshireyouth.org/directory â€¢ Mass Youth Soccer Association, www.mayouthsoccer.org â€¢ eteamz, comprehensive sports team information online, http://eteamz.active.com â€¢ Babe Ruth Baseball, www.baberuthleague.org/ â€¢ Little League Online, www.littleleague.org/ â€¢ Special Olympics Massachusetts, 450 Maple St., Building 1, Danvers, www.specialolympicsma.org, 978-774-1501 â€¢ K.I.D.S. (Kids in Disability Sports), P.O. Box 8487, Lowell, 978-454-2716, www.kidsindisabilitysports.org.

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Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

02:13PM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."

The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School.

The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday.

The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season.

The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations.

"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.

"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."

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