New Canaan’s Jeff Mellick with his own Beachmate, a product he conceived and developed with his wife, Beatrice. Credit: Michael Dinan
The son of 2005 New Canaan Old Timers honoree Ed Mellick, Jeff Mellick grew up in New Canaan playing every sport the town had to offer. Basketball was an early passion for Mellick, as he started playing at the age of nine in the Saturday morning league, eventually moving onto travel basketball in elementary and middle school. The 1993 New Canaan High School grad earned four varsity letters playing for legendary Rams coach Don Usher and was a captain in his senior year.
While attending Center School, Mellick played hockey at the Winter Club and also participated in Pop Warner football—a sport he continued to play at New Canaan Country School. Mellick was ultimately named captain of the freshman football team at New Canaan High School.
But coming from a family and bearing a name syonymous with New Canaan baseball, it seems Jeff Mellick was destined to become a star on the diamond.
Mellick Field at Mead Park. Credit: Michael Dinan
Mellick started playing baseball at the age of 5 and never stopped, playing at every level from tee-ball to the New Canaan High School varsity team. One of the highlights for local baseball fans in the mid-80’s was to see young Mellick playing on the Mead Park little league field that was named after his grandfather William H. Mellick, founder of New Canaan Youth Baseball.
Mellick went on to earn three letters for head coach Mark ‘2-5-0’ Rearick and the Rams, primarily as a pitcher and infielder from 1991 to 1993. In his junior year, New Canaan made it to the second round of states, the best showing for the Rams since 1989.
The 1993 New Canaan Rams Varsity team. Jeff Mellick is front and center. Credit: Contributed
In Mellick’s senior year New Canaan went even deeper into the state tourney. The Rams—who came into the tournament ranked 21st—upset 12th-seeded Brien McMahon in the first round behind their senior captain as Mellick blanked the Senators 1-0, surrending just an infield single. New Canaan then knocked off fifth-seeded Killingly 7-3 to make it to the Class L quarterfinals, where they fell to the eventual state champions, South Windsor. After the season, Mellick earned All-FCIAC East honors.
The Beachmate system includes pouches and pockets in the tote bag.
Mellick went on to play baseball at Lafayette College, where he graduated in the spring of 1998. After working on Wall Street for 17 years, Mellick started his own business with his wife, Beatrice called the Beachmate—a customizable, all-in-one cooler/tote bag/beach toy chest which launched this past March.
Mellick—who starred for The Firm in New Canaan’s Men’s Rec Softball League, winning titles in 2002 and 2007—also currently serves as President of the New Canaan Baseball Alumni Association, a group dedicated to the promotion and support of NCHS baseball.
A true New Canaanite, Mellick has lived in town—with the exception of his years at college—his entire life. Jeff and Beatrice are currently raising two daughters, Phoebe and Daisy, a son, Emmett, and this past Wednesday, September 14, they welcomed a second son—Dashell Peter Mellick—to the family.
The New Canaan Alumni Athletic Association/New Canaan Old Timers Association will hold its annual picnic on Sunday, September 18 at Waveny House.
This year’s event will feature eight honorees: Bill Brown, Kara Devlin Yonker, Paul Devlin, Cari Hills, Mario Lopez, Jeff Mellick, Bob Schott and Andy Towers.
The celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes a continental breakfast, beverages and lunch. The cost is $50 for adults, $20 for students. Children under 14 are admitted for free.
Checks may be made payable to New Canaan Old Timers and mailed to P.O. Box 1642, New Canaan, CT 06840. Tickets also available at the door.
Proceeds from the event go toward the Vin Iovino Scholarship, named for the former NCHS athletic director and presented to selected senior athletes at the annual sports picnic and award ceremony held at the end of every school year.