Aldrich Sports expands into full community hub with new leagues, events

Lifelong friends Joe Aiello and Francis Buonaiuto had a dream of using sports to create an organized, competitive and welcoming place for their fellow community members to learn, grow and have fun.

Three years later, their Laurel-based venture has grown into something bigger.

The Aldrich Sports League, launched in 2023, is expanding its reach across the North Fork — adding new sports, new events and even a new identity as it evolves from a league into a community sports hub.

“We’re just trying to hit every sport and help out all the kids. We can help them get into whatever sport they want to do,” said Mr. Aiello, who grew up in Mattituck with Mr. Buonaiuto. “The main idea is to do every sport we want to do, and inspire and unite the community.”

The group has already hosted tournaments, clinics and fundraisers across basketball, soccer, pickleball and more. This year, that lineup is growing even further.

They’ve even dropped the “league” from their name — a reflection of how the organization has expanded beyond a single competition format.

Aldrich Sports Sunday League

Aldrich Sports’ flagship 5-on-5 soccer league is also evolving.

Previously capped at nine or 10 teams in a single conference, the league often had to turn away late entries. This year, organizers are introducing two conferences to accommodate more teams while maintaining competitive balance.

“It’s hard to get teams into the league late; that’s a huge disadvantage to them,” said Mr. Buonaiuto. “So we decided just to have them hold off, but now we have the model to scale it. It’ll be neat that everyone has a fair chance to compete and still be together on that same Sunday.”

The season runs from May 31 through Aug. 2, with top teams from each conference competing for a championship. Lower-seeded teams will also face off for prizes and trophies.

The hub’s developer, Daniel Cirincione, also helped integrate a new website for this year. The Sunday League now has its own portal where players can create a team and invite players to join. Also — as in a video game — teams are going to be able to trade players and scour a free agent portal for new additions.

Aldrich Sports Fundraising

Community impact remains central to the organization’s mission.

Aldrich Sports hosts three main annual fundraisers: the Christmas Pickleball Tournament, the Community Kids Basketball Tournament and an amputee soccer event.

The basketball tournament — held in partnership with NoFo Kid Connect — is set for May 30 and is expected to grow in its second year.

“The Community Kids tournament is, by far, one of the most impactful events we do every year,” said Mr. Aiello. “It’s going to be bigger and better than last year; we’re bringing together more teams, and we’re incorporating a lot more kids into it.”

Proceeds raised from both the basketball tournament and the Christmas Pickleball Tournament go toward Aldrich Sports’ high school scholarships. Four students — two from Mattituck and two from Greenport — are chosen for one of the $400 awards.

Aldrich Sports Golf

The organization is also branching into new territory with its first Aldrich Cup Golf Tournament, scheduled for June 20 at Cedars Golf Club in Cutchogue.

Players will cycle through three formats — scramble, alternate shot and stroke play — while limited to just three clubs per person.

“This is going to be one of our favorite events,” said Mr. Aiello. “For our first one, we’re trying to go all out while keeping it very simple.”

The winners will get custom Aldrich Sports polos, custom golf gear between them and Cedars and some other prizes. There will also be a hole-in-one challenge at the last hole and a closest-to-the-pin challenge at the first hole for additional prizes. 

“With pickleball, it was cool to reach that corner of the community and that corner of sports. With golf, I think it opens that up even more,” said Mr. Buonaiuto. “There are so many more opportunities.”

Entry fees are $200 per team. Breakfast and lunch will be included. 

Aldrich Sports E-Sports

The expansion now includes a digital component as well.

Seeing an opportunity to connect younger players and stay relevant, the founders launched an e-sports initiative focused on Rocket League.

Video games have always been a way for them and their friends to stay connected, even when going away to different colleges. That sparked an idea.

“I’m not super good at any video game specifically, but I just love being competitive,” said Mr. Buonaiuto. “I figured it’d be easy enough for me to branch out into this. I’m kind of familiar with the space, and I have the right people behind me to help us out.”

Mr. Buonaiuto began reaching out to gamers who play Rocket League — a soccer, racecar mashup — on Discord. He found roughly 30 within the top 1% of all players and had them try out. He invited them to join the team.

He also found a coach who holds practices every day and enters the team into tournaments each week.

“The idea is to be a home for E-sports on Long Island,” said Mr. Buonaiuto. “Eventually, we would love to host our own tournaments for different skill levels. It’s going to be cool for me and Joe to sit back and watch our own team compete in tournaments.”

More additions

Additional offerings this year include a weekly running club starting May 20, a new pickleball league and a powderpuff flag football tournament featuring teams representing local charities.

For more information, visit their website.