By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-09 20:05:56 | Updated at 2026-08-09 23:45:32
3 hours ago
Screen time is outta here!
A Long Island baseball team is having its best season ever – now just a pair of wins away from the Little League World Series – as a self-imposed cell phone ban on game days has been an absolute hit with the 11- and 12-year-old boys.
“It makes me focused on the game and not thinking about other stuff,” Port Washington Legends third baseman Jack Gomez told The Post.
“Whenever we go on our phones, it makes you stimulated, and you’re just not focused for the day.”
The team tradition to go distraction-free began with an idea from the coaches when Port Wash was playing in the New York state championship tournament in West Nyack in late July.
They started taking a bucket five hours before first pitch to collect and keep the boys’ devices until after the last out.
“I think it’s like an on button for us,” said assistant coach Anthony Theoharis, whose sons Drew and Luca pitch and play the infield.
“Once they do that, they get locked in, and they beat a team,” Theoharis added
Naturally, the Gen Alpha boys were reluctant at first — especially after going an entire school year under a similar, state-mandated ban.
“At first, it was like, ‘What!? Five hours!'” the coach said.
But the ball club soon saw the results of matching their minds to the hard work they’ve put in all summer long.
“I don’t think we’ve lost yet, so it’s worked out,” Theoharis said.
The end result was Port Washington winning the Little League’s first-ever New York State title in its 63-year history. The team advanced, for the first time, to the regional round of the LLWS, which is being televised on ESPN this week.
“It’s a good luck charm,” Jack said of the phone ban.
His dad, Neal Gomez, joked that he should get “a few buckets” for home.
“Anytime you could put those phones down and let kids be kids and just play ball and have fun — that’s really what it’s all about,” the proud dad said.
The tweens realized that the five hours passed by quickly as they spent it bonding and playing fun games like a homemade version of “Family Feud.”
Although a winning answer was broccoli on pizza, it’s the effort that counts, parents said.
“They just go back to basics and love talking to each other, having fun, being creative, hanging out in each other’s [hotel] rooms,” said Rikki Kien, the mom of shortstop Brandon.
“Talking constantly about the game, talking about what’s happened so far this summer, and for sure, more natural face-to-face time with one another,” she added, praising the coaches’ “wonderful” idea.
It’s not like the team is being tech-shunned either. They routinely played left fielder Carlo Cafferata’s PlayStation 5 together at appropriate times in their Rockland County hotel during the state championship.
They’re also dedicating spare time to Wiffle Ball and other activities rather than texting the day away.
Sure, the guys may have gotten kicked out of a pool for all going down a water slide together, but who wouldn’t celebrate a state title run accordingly?
“They look forward to it these days. They’re like, ‘we’ll give you our phones,'” Theoharis said. “I’m like, ‘we’ve still got a little time. Enjoy it before we take it away.'”
Port Washington was up in Bristol, Conn. Sunday to play the best teams from the area — Bayonne Central, NJ; Darien, Conn,; and Lincoln, RI — trying to represent the Metro region at the big show in Williamsport, Pa. later this month.
The Legends came out scorching hot with a 10-3 opening round win over Lincoln Saturday evening.
Confidence, not phones, is buzzing among both the players and their parents as Port readies to play Bayonne in the winners bracket on Monday afternoon.
“They’re locked in. Their minds aren’t on what they might have seen from schooling,” added Kien, whose son drove in a pair of runs against Lincoln.
“They have more clarity.”
