Westhampton's Tom Otis Honored As Little League Coach Of The Year

WESTHAMPTON, NY — A beloved local Westhampton coach will be honored this weekend for his dedication to his young athletes.

Westhampton's Coach Tom Otis will be awarded this year’s Little League Coach of the Year Award, by on Saturday, August 19, in Williamsport, PA, by Lance, the official snack of Little League, as well as Positive Coaching Alliance and Little League, along with former Little Leaguer and MLB player Todd Frazier. He will also receive a $5,000 grant toward future programming for his league from Lance Sandwich Crackers, according to organizers of the event.

"With a record-breaking number of submissions this year, numerous members of the community shared heartfelt nominations, including recognizing Tom for “[making] the sport so fun for the kids — they have handshakes, nicknames, he even uses the go pro to take videos to send to parents so they can see their child playing, even when they can’t make it," a release said.

A lifelong East End resident, Coach Tom Otis grew up playing Little League, he said. "I’ve been playing sports my whole life, and often find myself in a leadership role on the teams I play on and in many other aspects of my life. From my son’s very early years, he showed interest in sports, starting with tee-ball, and I’ve had a blast sharing what I know with him and watching him improve. Carrying that over to a coaching role with Little League was a very natural progression," he said.

Otis, who lives in Quogue and has long been a backbone of his family business, Otis Ford, has dedicated years to his role as Little League coach, and also serves as league board member.

Otis also volunteers his time to teach fire education in local schools, and is involved with other charitable organizations, including East End Hospice and the Parent Teacher Association at his children’s school.

As a coach of young children, Tom’s philosophy has long been "to keep it fun while ensuring the players improve their skills. He balances training with games that incorporate technique to help kids learn the fundamentals of baseball and have a blast doing it," organizers said.