St. Anthony Baseball Academy
On October 16th, 2018 George Rigakos signed an agreement with St. Anthony Italia Soccer Club President Joe Ierullo to bring competitive youth baseball to St. Anthony’s sports programming - the St. Anthony Baseball Academy in Ottawa.
Andre Robidoux was contracted to provide technical development.
Since 1952, St. Anthony’s has been delivering championship soccer to youth in the Ottawa area while at the same time maintaining accessibility to those in need of financial support who wish to participate.
Both the mission and high calibre of sports delivery of St. Anthony has been extended to competitive youth baseball in the nation’s capital.
Our Model
We focus on younger players (U13 and younger) because we believe this is when baseball fundamentals are best taught and ingrained. We provide competitive opportunities to players who are committed both to the game and the lessons the game can offer. At the heart of the St. Anthony model is the cultivation of dedication and a desire to excel in a supportive environment.
St. Anthony Soccer Club
St. Anthony has been a focal point for the Italian community since 1952, when Fathers Jerome Ferraro and Domenico Fiore formed the St. Anthony Senior Men soccer team which participated in the local league.
In 1959, the team was consolidated with another local team named “Italia” to form the Ottawa St. Anthony Italia senior men’s soccer team. During the 1960s, the senior men’s team won consistently in the Ottawa league until 1965, when it joined the Quebec National Soccer League where it won the league title five times. In 2006, the St. Anthony men’s team was Ontario champions and won the Open Canada Cup and the Canadian National Challenge Cup. In 2004, the team was runner up in the Open Canada Cup.
For many years, St. Anthony had a vibrant youth program under the leadership of Steno Rossanese. The youth program has undergone a recent resurgence by partnering with other community groups and, starting in the fall of 2016, with the Futuro Soccer Academy.
