The coach of a Long Island youth baseball team allegedly pocketed more than $12,000 that moms and dads had raised for a trip to play in Cooperstown, parents and a league official charged.
“He screwed our kids,” a dad said of Vincent Carrecca, 40, coach of the Merillon Sharks travel team for 12-year- olds. “Our kids were crying over this. My son was crying for days.”
Carrecca, of New Hyde Park, had promised the boys they were ready days before the tournament began in late August at Cooperstown Dreams Park, down the road from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Parents grew suspicious after one mother phoned tournament officials to ask about a special diet for her son — and was told the Sharks weren’t even registered.
“We were supposed to leave on Friday and on Monday morning he was still sending out details,” another dad said. “We had practice Monday night until 8 o’clock.”
The Merillon Little League made an initial payment of $1,000 last November to play in the tournament. Carrecca was supposed to pay the rest, the parents charged.
“[He] pretended he was shocked when the parents confronted him, and tried to blame the whole thing on the tournament people,” another dad said.
Finally, on the Friday they were set to leave, the coach broke the news to the players, a parent said.
“The kids were absolutely devastated, their innocence was completely shattered,” the dad said. “He was a father figure to them.”
A third father said of his son, “He went into shock. When I asked how he was feeling, he said, ‘My feelings have shut down.’ He’s 12!”
Carrecca has not been charged with a crime, but a rep for Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice said her office was investigating.
Paul Linzer, Carrecca’s lawyer, promised the parents in a Sept. 5 letter they would be repaid — although none has seen any money yet.
Additional reporting by Lorena Mongelli