The massive storm system that moved through the area Friday night and early Saturday morning put a small damper on Little League’s Opening Day festivities.

Despite the puddles of water on the field, opening ceremonies were held and the famous “first pitch” was thrown to symbolize the beginning of the season for the youngsters.

The opening day ceremonies started with a parade through Albany, showcasing each team in the back of pickup trucks and on wagons.

After the parade circled the square, each team made it back to the park and gathered as each player and coach were introduced.

Another tradition of Little League’s Opening Day was the reading of the Little League pledge as shown in a photo at left. Several players were hand picked from each age group to participate in kicking off the 2011 season.

The Little League pledge was followed by the playing of the National Anthem and then the first pitches were thrown.

This year, J.R. Craig was honored to throw this year’s pitches, one to represent the softball league and the other to represent t-ball, coach pitch and the minor leagues.

Craig was recognized as playing a key role in Little League, working on several levels of the organizastion including coaching, umpiring and serving on the board for several years.

Before the rain set in Friday night, each team was scheduled to play its first game on Saturday, but those games were cancelled due to standing water on the fields.

Those games will be made up at a later date.

T