Joe began contacting nearby cities and started a little league for the beach towns.
By 1954, they formed the first team with 13 neighborhood boys and a bat boy. They played other city teams including Belleair, Seminole, Madeira Beach, St Pete Beach and Pass-A-Grill.
After a game in IRB, they would head to Joe’s store for refreshments. His fountain sodas were made the old- fashioned way, with an added squirt of cherry syrup or chocolate to any Coca- Cola. He had the usual hot dogs and hamburgers, and of course ice cream.
By 1957, the program had grown to four teams and with the help of our newly incorporated city, Kolb Park was redesigned.
As it remains today, home plate was situated in the southwest corner, a concrete block concession stand was built, two dugouts were created, and the fence was installed near home plate. In 1980, 26 years after Joe started coaching the neighborhood kids, IRB’s families and city officialsshowed their appreciation by naming the ball field Joe Campalong field. Joe died ten years later in February 1990.
Today, 70 years later, Indian Rocks Beach Little League continues to proudly call Campalong Field ‘home’.