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Sports

Falls Little League President Eliot Chertack Stepping Down

After 12 years overseeing the Menomonee Falls Little League in several capacities, including president for eight years, Eliot Chertack will leave the position in October.

KLINK!

On a glorious summer evening, the sound of metal bats striking baseballs fills the air.  

Youngsters, decked out in their colorful uniforms, warm up by taking batting and fielding practice, and prepare for their evening games at the Menomonee Falls Little League Complex on Mill Road. Parents, many toting lawn chairs and refreshments, file from their cars in the parking lot to take their preferred seats along the fence or in the bleachers.

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It’s a scene that Eliot Chertack has been part of, in one way or another, for the past 12 years.  But next year will be a bit different.

Chertack has decided that it’s time to step away from his duties as president of the Menomonee Falls Little League. He will be succeeded on October 1 by Mark McLean, the current president-elect.

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Chertack’s reasons for stepping down are pretty straightforward and, at the same time, he made it clear that he’s not walking away entirely.

“The reason that I’m moving on is that my daughter’s last year in the program was last year and my son’s last year is this year,” Chertack said. “Without having two kids in the program I didn’t feel that I could put in the time and effort that was required. But I’ve appointed myself to be in charge of the umpire’s program next year.”

Chertack has served as a board member and league president for eight years, as a coach for 12 seasons and another four as a Triple-A agent, working with coaches and serving as a liaison with the league.

“The thing that I’m probably most proud of is the fact that I was involved with the field expansion,” Chertack said. “We went from having six fields here at the Little League Complex to nine and I was very involved in the whole process of gaining approval because we lease this land from the Menomonee Falls school district.”

Chertack said the re-worked the contract with the district and pay them a dollar a year to lease the fields. Chertack worked with a company to develop the land and then with a company to actually develop the diamonds. Now, most kids can play all of their games at one facility.

Obviously, Chertack loves baseball.  Most of all, he loves being around the kids.

“The thing that I enjoy the most is the kids,” Chertack said. “I enjoy talking with the kids and seeing the kids progress in the program. When you come down Mill Road and you see all these kids playing, it gives you a great feeling knowing that you are a part of what led to them all playing here.”

Chertack got involved with Little League mainly because his own children were involved in the program. It meant a lot of volunteer hours, too many to count. However, since he was working on his own as a commodities trader, the volunteer time wasn’t an issue. He wanted to contribute from his own life experiences and his organizational skills which he numbered among his personal strengths. 

“I’ve also been a manager for 12 years in this league so I’ve had first-hand experience coaching these kids,” Chertack said. “I think the kids get camaraderie and a closeness with other kids playing the game. They get a good understanding of what it is playing as a team. They learn how to take defeat and they learn what it feels like to win.”

Chertack’s work has certainly not gone unnoticed by the parents of the Little Leaguers.  Several cited “well-organized” when they were asked what they like about the program.

“The league is very well organized with nice facilities and nice equipment,” said Steve Flanagan whose 13 year-old son, Collin, has been in the league for six years. “He really enjoys it. He gets to rotate with a different group of kids every year and makes a lot of new friends every year. For the most part, I’m happy. At the end of the season the scheduling gets a little bit disruptive every now and then but that’s the only thing that could be smoothed out a little bit.”

Kelly Texeira has been watching her 13 year-old son, Jacob, play for the past two seasons.

“It’s very exciting and you always want him to win. But as long as they play their hardest and do their best, it’s always fun. He learns sportsmanship, too,” Texeira said. “But the league is very organized, well-informed. They tell us exactly what we need to do. Everybody has to volunteer. It’s very nice.”

Clearly, Chertack understands what has made the Falls Little League program so popular and successful.

“Our program is one that appeals to kids of all skill levels,” Chertack emphasized. “Kids here want to win but our main focus is not on winning, but rather on the development of boys and girls and for them to have fun. That’s the key to this program. If a kid walks away from this program and says that they had fun this season – and it’s equally important that their family had fun – if they all had fun, we’ve been a success.”

As he looks ahead, Chertack is grateful and very excited about the future of Little League play in the Falls.

“It’s been very rewarding,” Chertack said. “As much as I’ve gotten from this program, I’ve gotten ten-fold back. I would like to see the organization continue to provide a good quality, wholesome program with good fields, good concessions and good facilities overall. I’d like to see good scheduling and good umpiring to continue.”

 

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