After COVID-19 altered the 2020 Little League Season, the Ashland Little League opened 2021 with a parade and opening ceremony.
The players were escorted from downtown Ashland to Eureka Park by the Ashland Police and Fire Department.
Once at the field, a ceremony was held honoring last year's champions and graduating players along with Aiden Olivieri, a graduating player who was honored with the Mark Troutman Jr. Award. The winner of the Troutman award is voted on by the Little League players.
Former Ashland Police Chief and Former Little League Coach, Adam Bernodin Jr. had the honor of throwing out the first pitch.
Bernodin, also known as "Chief" or "Adam-12" served over 39 years on the police force in Ashland and currently serves as a borough council member.
Bernodin volunteered a total of 12 years with the Ashland Little League and started out as a manager in the farm system in 1975 and managed the 1980 Astros for the league. He also spent 8 years as Player Agent for the league and coached the 1982 All Star Team and managed the 1986 All Star Team. He was also known to coach in his police uniform.
He is also honored by the league on their Wall of Fame.
During the ceremony, they also dedicated their new training center that was built in 2020 through fundraising. The new training center was officially named the "William Urbanowicz Training Center", for Urbanowicz's decades of dedication to the league.
