The best way to finish a long season is with a championship, and that’s exactly what the Homewood Hawks 9U team did by taking the title at the JP Sports Midwest Championships July 7 in Bettendorf, Iowa.
The Hawks may get together for a little fun, like a home run derby, but will play no more games this season. The final team picture will be the one they took with wearing championship rings in Iowa, Manager Juan Calzonzi said. Calzonzi co-manages the team with Paul Nieckula.
The Hawks are 8- to 10-year-olds from Homewood and Flossmoor. Jimmy Calderone and Serjio Alverio are assistant coaches.
Homewood averaged 10.25 runs over the four-game tournament. Andy Nieckula, Henry Twitty and Keller Janke were big contributors with the bat, Calzonzi said.
They beat GTS 10-7 in the round robin opener and then met Welles Park Gray.
Nobody noticed the Welles Park pitcher was throwing from a distance of 40 feet. The mound hadn’t been moved back after an 8U game was played on the field. Coaches noticed after the first half inning but tournament officials just said “play on,” Calzonzi said.
“That first inning just gave them three outs, just a really crazy advantage,” Calzonzi said. “It was a little disappointing that they didn’t restart the inning for us because I think it would’ve been a greater disparity in the score.”
Welles Park scored five runs in the bottom half of the first, with the Homewood pitcher throwing from the proper 46-foot distance. The Hawks then put up 14 in the next frame and held that lead to earn the top seed and a bye in the bracket.
Homewood beat GTS again, this time 8-3, to set up the final with Midwest Future Prospects.
“It was a really tough day on Sunday. Normally a bye would be good, but we’re talking about families and kids who had to wait around until about five o’clock to start that first game (of the bracket),” Calzonzi said. “The kids are restless. The parents are restless. The kids were kind of dead and mentally out of it. They were tired.”
Midwest Future Prospects jumped out to a 5-0 lead.
“They’re nine years old. A strikeout, a bad call, it gets really emotional for them. There’s ups and downs,” Calzonzi said. “If they don’t see that you believe in them, they’re not going to believe in themselves. It’s very important for the coaches to let the kids know that it’s OK to strike out but you’ve got to control your emotions.”
The Hawks woke up in the second inning. Homewood scored nine runs in that frame, highlighted by a Jordan Alverio double that plated a pair.
Hunter Huisman did the rest from the mound to earn the title.
Hawks coaches considered adding one more game this July, but decided they wanted to finish on top. They wanted to give families some time to have a vacation before school starts and the kids a break from sports before fall ball begins in a couple months. Indoor practices started in January.
“They need a break,” Calzonzi said. “Our main focus, No. 1, is how are we developing these young boys to be men and future leaders. It’s about being a role model to younger players and younger kids.”
