Warriors Mature as a Team...

From my viewpoint, today's performance was the most impressive by this Warriors' team over the past four seasons. The team prevailed in two hard fought, high pressure tournament games. More significantly, this group of players has matured as a team.

One of the things I enjoy most about managing youth baseball is the challenge of building a team. Team building was the thing I always enjoyed while working as a department head over the years. It's very rewarding to watch a team grow. And, every few years--whether it was at work or with a baseball team--a group of people work together to achieve something special. This team definitely falls into that category.

In recent weeks, I've seen this team make strides in many areas. As a coach, there's nothing more rewarding than watching players begin to positively coach themselves. For the first time, there was a lot of baseball "chatter" throughout these games--players continuously giving each other words of encouragement.

I've also noticed that our players have picked up on practically every piece of technical knowledge that's been taught. They immediately notice when something isn't executed properly--and know how to correct it.

For today's games, I tried something new. Besides managing the game plan and pitching changes--I just sat in the dugout and observed. I was very pleased with what I saw.

I saw players openly communicating and sharing ideas with me. Players were pointing out their opinions on pitch selections, pitch outs and delayed steal opportunities. I saw players who have matured so much that their knowledge is hitting the limits of what I can teach them in the technical aspects of the game. They have learned baseball not just from the coaches--but from sharing things with each other (e.g., pitching grips).

If I coach a younger group in future years, I would love to have some of our players return to help coach these baseball skills--and earn community service hours while doing so.

I saw players who clearly understand their roles on this team. I saw unselfish players who are willing to make sacrifices to help the team win a game.

I also saw players who show a lot of heart. Every single player made significant contributions during the series of five games to help win this tournament. But, I also saw some who really had to dig deep--and exhibited such strong character that it created lasting memories for them--and for me. It was actually a touching thing to witness.

What started four years ago with a group of mostly 11 year old boys has matured into a solid unit of young men. I am very proud of what this team has accomplished--and thankful that I've had an opportunity to be part of it.