The 13U Arizona Nitro baseball team has begun its fifth season as one the West’s Premier Travel Baseball teams.  As noted by Mike Bregante, USSSA Baseball Tournament Director and formerly with Super Series baseball, “Nitro has been the most consistently outstanding baseball organization in Arizona for their age group over the last 5 years”.  This is quite a compliment from a man who has watched many teams compete over the years in Arizona.

Nitro originated as just a neighborhood team sprouting from the local little league.  After practicing and playing together for about a year the team became successful in both the travel ball arena and their Little League.  In fact many of the original Nitro players made up the majority of the 10 Year old Little League team that won the Arizona State Championship in 2006.
 
The Nitro currently have five players that have been with the team 3 years or longer.  Gerard Hernandez, Kobie Foppe, Nathanial Burrough, Ronnie Adair and Brian Gonzalez.  Anthony Zubia and Alex Larson have been with the team for a couple seasons.  With Eddie Marin, Alex Verdugo and Andrew Bryniarskis joining the team this past summer and recently John Seeley. 

The 2008-09 Nitro team has been outstanding so far this season, winning 5 Championships including the USSSA Winter National Championship in January.  This Championship included an “invite” to the prestigious Elite World Series in Florida.  The team has also qualified for the Triple Crown World Series by winning the Rod Rubino in February.  Although the kids have been extremely successful this year, it may actually have been a disappointing tournament that played the biggest role in the kids’ most recent successes.  Early in the season Nitro won back-to-back championships in the Labor Day Classic NIT and Fall Classic.  Success may have been too easy early as during the following two months the players although still playing well, did not appear to have the same determination and focus and failed to win a title in any of the next 4 tournaments they played.  This lack of determination/focus reached “rock bottom” in the USSSA Toys for Tots Tournament December 12th weekend, when Nitro failed to win a game in pool play.  Nitro were given a 9th place “consolation” game to play the next day.  This experience, only two weeks before the team was set to play for the national championship, was the key to the recent run of success for the team.  The focus and determination came back in all the players eyes as they realized they can never let down.  They went on to compete in a successful 14U Tournament the following weekend before shocking everyone by winning the 13U Majors Winter Nationals including upset victories over Team Rawlings Elite and then beating the highly favored Chandler Reds.

The Nitro coaching staff is lead by Manager, Jerry Foppe and Coaches, Junior Hernandez, Damian Larson and Anthony Zubia.  The Nitro has a core group of long-time players plus some outstanding new players.  The philosophy of the team though has never changed.  This philosophy revolves around three core components:  1) The Team Goals will always be the main focus and always ahead of individual preferences.  2) Create excellent competition internally by having to earn your position on the team, playing time, etc.  3) Compete against excellent outside competition to continuously improve skills and talents, both physically and emotionally.  This includes playing up an age level as necessary.

The team is often referred to as a scrappy, over-achieving team with a lot of “personality”.  Although the kids know when it is time to focus, the kids display some wonderful personality both on and off the field.  Manager, Jerry Foppe notes that dealing with all the personalities of the individual kids really is what has made him enjoy many of the weekends he has spent out at the ball park. 

The 13U Nitro baseball team has stayed true to their core philosophy of fundamental Team play and high level competition and this has lead to the Ultimate Goal- Player Development.  Players on the Nitro will certainly be prepared to make an impact once they reach the high school level and beyond. The Nitro looks forward to continuing their current baseball journey with several upcoming tournaments including the Elite World Series in August.  TravelBallSelect would like to wish the 13U Nitro much success in their 2009 season.    

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