When Nick Mazza talks about sports, you can hear the fire in his voice.
“I’ve played sports my entire life—baseball, basketball, football, even a little hockey,” he says. “Sports made me who I am today.”

Nick grew up right here in Stephens City, playing at Sherando High School before heading off to college football. Now, years later, Nick works alongside his father at their family-run HVAC business, Air Solutions, serving the Winchester area. But when Nick looks back, some of his proudest memories don’t come from stadium lights or college fields. They come from the dirt and grass at Frederick County National Little League.

“I’ll never forget chasing the dream of making it to the World Series. Every season, that was the goal—build a team, push hard, and believe we could get there,” Nick recalls. “We set our eyes on the World Series before the first practice even started. Every rep, every inning, every game—we played with that goal in mind.”

That dream became real in 2015, when Nick and his teammates became U.S. Champions and played for the Junior League World Series title against Taiwan. “We came up just short, but to us, winning the United States championship was everything. We’d worked for years, fallen short, and finally broke through. In our hearts, we felt like champions.”

[Photo: #2 Nick Mazza, pictured here with his teammates in Michigan at the 2015 Junior League World Series]

But ask Nick what really mattered, and he doesn’t talk about trophies. He talks about people.
“The friendships, the bonds, the coaches who believed in me—that’s what stuck. I’ll never forget Coach Bill Hall, who guided me in baseball and later in football, or Coach Donnie Ashby, who gave me confidence when I needed it most. That kind of belief in a young player changes you forever.”

Nick says Little League shaped him not just as an athlete, but as a person.
“FCNLL taught me about teamwork, about being part of something bigger than yourself. It gave me a community that felt like family. And it gave me the confidence to grow into who I am today.”

Now, working for his family’s business and giving back as a community member, Nick sees why investing in today’s players matters.

“When I was coming up, we practiced outside in freezing weather, in the rain, on fields that weren’t always in the best shape. We made it work. But imagine what these kids could do if they had an indoor facility—somewhere to train year-round. Not every family can afford private travel programs or renting space. If the community came together to build that here, it would open so many doors.”

That’s exactly what Pitch In for the Future is about—improving the fields at Passage Road and, one day, building an indoor facility that gives every player in our community a place to chase their dreams, just like Nick did.

Nick knows the impact it could have.
“After our World Series run, the excitement in the community started to fade. But this campaign—it’s a chance to bring that energy back. It shows our kids that people care, that we believe in them, that we’re willing to invest in their future. Even the smallest contribution makes a difference. Together, we can build something amazing.”

And if he had one piece of advice for today’s FCNLL players?
“Embrace it. Have fun. Cherish every inning, every teammate, every memory. It goes by so fast, and you’ll look back one day and realize those were some of the best days of your life.”

Now it’s our turn to help the next generation make memories that last a lifetime.

👉 Join Nick and so many others in supporting Pitch In for the Future. Every gift, every volunteer, every act of support helps keep the dream alive.

Learn more about the Pitch In for the Future Capital Campaign.