By Aiden Mathews
Coaching legend Vince Lombardi was quoted in saying that the best of athletes “Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived by unity” — the successful teams abide by these principles. Lucky for the Aptos Little league All Star coaches, they did not have to instill this philosophy into their players, it was already a part of them.
The concept of teamwork and oneness is evident among the boys of summer in Aptos baseball — they play for each other’s success looking for their own personal interests last. Peter Gaeckle, coach of the 8 to 9-year-old All Star age group was confident in the unity among his boys stating that “No one individual stood out from the rest. The entire team played with passion, focus and sportsmanship.” Although speaking on behalf of his team, Coach Gaeckle gave adequate insight into the commonality among the other tiers of Aptos’ All Stars. He spoke of the league’s philosophy and how the ideology emanates from the boys who play the game.
As in every sport, there is always a game plan when entering a competitive setting. Paul Johnson, coach of the 9 to 10-year-old squad captures this concept of preparation when discussing the importance of mindfulness on the baseball diamond. He talked about the essentials every Aptos Little Leaguer ought to possess when wearing the jersey of his hometown: “We talk a lot about the three most important things these players should bring to the field: Be Coachable … Be a Good Teammate … Play With Your Heart.” Coach Johnson emphasized the third quality saying: “What separates real ball players from the others is whether a kid plays the game with his heart.”
Aptos fans can feel pride in knowing that their boys play with the one quality that separates them from the pack — perhaps the one quality that determines true success. All of these boys of summer hold dear the game as well as their companions who join them along the ride. Coach Mathew King of the 11 to 12-year-old team remarked on this saying that he urges his players in “Giving gratitude to your teammates, coaches, and parents for the opportunity to be a part of something some kids can only dream about.”
Coupled with the sense of comradeship is optimism — an idea set forth by the Aptos Little Leaguers and made known by the words of Coach Johnson in saying that “Each player needs too have a plan for how they’ll shake things off and keep a positive attitude for that next play … What’s the most important play in baseball? The next play.”
There is an elegance in playing for the next play and eliminating the last strikeout or error while looking toward the future with positive eyes. The best players are the ones who understand that the game of baseball is about failure and the ones who succeed are those who learn to cope with that failure — momentous life lessons taught in length on the baseball diamond. None better to take on the task of “the next play” than that of the young 7 to 8-year-olds and their loyal coaches who have stuck together since T-ball.
Coach Rob Polk spoke of his young players’ future saying: “They did well for their first post season tournament. I would say we learned a lot as a team.” Perhaps most importantly, this fellowship among the players and their great coaches has allowed the team to have what Coach Polk calls “a blast doing it, it’s what it’s all about!”
This combination of oneness and optimism is the linking factor between a team of young boys and true success. If the right attitude is set then the true meaning of the game surfaces and becomes evident through the passion with which the Aptos All Stars compete. True champions play to win the game while accepting the inevitability of failure – a proper duality of self that these talented boys possess. Like Coach King said: “winning and losing are both beautiful things if you have the right attitude.” For these All Stars, that collective attitude is in place, providing them a perspective on themselves, their teammates, and the game: some games you win and some games you don’t; but friendships always remain.
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Aptos Little League Minors are 2013 Champions!
The Aptos Rays defeated the Santa Cruz American Rangers 7-4 on Tuesday to win the 2013 Little League Minor Tournament of Champions. The Aptos Rays ended their season undefeated. The team players include Ryan Abelar, Damian Felder, Tyler Franca, Gabe Gaeckle, Dominic Giuffre, Gavin Hall, Cooper Jaferian, Nolan Lukin, Max Mendoza, Nicco Riccabona and Eli Ruiz.
The Aptos Rays are managed by Manny Mendoza, Assisted by John Lukin and Paul Riccabona.
