Two months were all the Massapequa 12U International softball team needed to become New York state champions.
The Massapequa 12U roster gathers during their summer tournament run.Photo by Joe Sollitto
The team captured the New York Little League Majors Softball State Championship this summer, then advanced to the Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament in Bristol, Conn.
For manager Joe Sollitto, the accomplishment was years in the making.
“What makes this team very unique is this team has only been together since May 23,” Sollitto said. “These kids play against each other in rec and club softball, so this was the first time all 11 players were on one team.”
The players quickly developed the chemistry needed to make a championship run. Sollitto said he believed this group could compete for a state title long before the season because many of the girls had played together throughout their childhood.
For several members of the team, the title was their second New York state championship after also winning in 2024.
Sollitto said the players’ ability to learn and accept coaching was the biggest reason for the team’s success.
“They are so coachable, respectful and just a great group of girls,” he said. “They’re always eager to learn.”
Their coachability helped the team during the difficult moments in both the state and regional tournaments. Massapequa showed its toughness during the state tournament after facing elimination. The team won three straight games to keep its championship hopes alive and eventually captured the state title. One of Sollitto’s favorite memories came during the state championship game, when Massapequa erased an early deficit and took the lead.
“Once we went up 2-1, the whole team knew right there that the state title was going to be ours,” he said.
Sollitto said the team’s relationships made the difference. Most of the players have attended school together for years, building friendships and trust long before the season started.
“They trust each other,” Sollitto said. “They’re comfortable with each other.”
He also credited the support surrounding the team, describing Massapequa’s softball community as a family. Former managers and players regularly return to cheer on the next generation.
Sollitto also recognized his assistant coaches for their commitment to the team, noting that they devoted their entire summer to the program despite not having daughters on the roster.
“My two assistant coaches do not have any daughters on the team,” Sollitto said. “They sacrifice their entire summer to help me out.” Eddie Cowan and Jimmy Hasselmann.
Sollitto hopes his players will remember a lesson long after they’ve finished playing softball.
“What I learned is that if you believe in something, it’s possible to manifest it,” he said. “This is something we’ve been manifesting since they were 8U.”
Asked to describe his team in three words, Sollitto chose “confident, resilient and coachable.”
After winning the state championship, Massapequa advanced to the Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament in Bristol. The team reached the semifinals before its season came to an end.
Although the season ended in Bristol after a run to the Mid-Atlantic Region semifinals, Sollitto said the team’s accomplishments were about more than wins and losses. A group that spent just two months together turned years of friendships, trust and determination into a successful season of Massapequa softball.