By: Brett Greenberg
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – After a rough showing in the 15U WWBA National Championship, the Georgia Bombers 15U Coleman team has regrouped and has been playing great team ball of late. They are currently 2-0 in pool play with a final game tomorrow morning in the 15U Perfect Game Southeast World Series. This team might not have a list of D-1 commitments, but they are a team filled with players who are willing to learn about the game and how to play the right way, something the coaching staff preaches.
The Bombers are led by Aaron Alvarez, who is the founder of the Georgia Bombers organization and also the owner of Grand Slams Sports Center in Alpharetta, Georgia. Coach Alvarez has been around the game a long time and has seen it all from 10U up to 18U. He says coaching 15U is very rewarding and is where he sees players begin to mature into young men who are dedicated to the game of baseball.
“15U is a great year to watch guys separate themselves and have a defining year,” said Coach Alvarez. “It is easy to coach when I have players who are willing to learn and want to get better to prepare themselves for the next level.”
There can be some difficulties when coaching 15U as well. From a physical standpoint, 15-year-old kids are all different heights and weights, which causes some teams to miss out on players. Coach Alvarez says, “it’s tough because some kids might not hit their growth spurt, so we miss out on them and then 6 months later, they have grown a foot and gained muscle.” As far as the coaching side, he says the philosophy does not change. The teaching aspect never changes because players will eventually grow, and it is what they have previously learned that will help them be more successful once their bodies fill out.
“It ultimately does not matter what your height and weight is,” said Coach Alvarez. “If you know the game and can play it the right way, you will have a spot on the field somewhere.”
This team was affected greatly by the Coronavirus pandemic and quarantine which limited their practice time immensely. This Bombers squad was only able to practice one time on a field before competing in their first tournament. Coach Alvarez and the rest of the coaches in the Georgia Bombers organization adapted quickly to Georgia governor, Brian Kemp’s stay-at-home laws and were able to come up with a strength and conditioning program for their players as well as hold zoom meetings every Saturday to discuss the game. Pitchers were also able to work on their mechanics during the weekdays at Grand Slam Sports Center.
“It was extremely tough for us,” said Coach Alvarez. “We knew that as soon as we got the green light to play, we would be on the field the next day.”
Coach Alvarez also mentioned that there was some difficulty keeping pitchers’ arms in shape as well as getting the hitters quality at-bats. The players were not able to compete in a high school season or see live pitching for a couple months.
The Bombers are now in their fifth tournament of the year and their bats and arms are where they need to be. The coaches want to see each player improving upon an aspect of their game every day and also want to see the players improving upon situational hitting and actually being able to play the game. When asked what he meant by, “actually being able to play the game,” Coach Alvarez said most of the kids can throw the ball around the field but only few actually understand the game in its entirety. He says one of his goals is to get his players to understand each situation that presents itself in any particular game.
Learning about the game of baseball is very similar to learning about life and how to go about your business any given day. Coach Alvarez acknowledged that a lot of the lessons he is instilling in his players are applicable to the real world and it is not just about baseball.
“It’s crazy how much this game relates to life in all aspects,” said Coach Alvarez. “Just like you have to compete for a spot on the field, you will have to compete for a job.”
Coach Alvarez also said he is very big on being aware of what his players are putting on social media. He says social media can either help you or hurt you and he is trying to teach his players to be smart about it.
“Even just liking a tweet with the wrong context can hurt you and could turn a coach away from recruiting you,” said Coach Alvarez.
This team has two players who have been playing together since they were young. Luke McNeillie and Evan O’Neill have been playing together since their 7U Alpharetta Eagles days at Wills Park. They are both 2023 grads and two of the players named by Coach Alvarez when asked to name a few kids to look out for in the coming years. McNeillie currently attends Milton High School while O’Neill attends Blessed Trinity Catholic High. When asked to give their favorite memory on or off the field, both talked about their walk-off victory in Panama City back in 10U.
“The walk off was crazy because we were not supposed to beat that team.” – Evan O’Neill
“We celebrated at the pool that night and our coaches bought us fake champagne, which was a memorable moment.” – Luke McNeillie
Both also offered some insight about how they feel about being on the same team for so long. McNeillie said it is cool to be with the same guys for so long because they have built lifelong friendships and memories, while O’Neill enjoys looking back to where the two started to where they are now.
McNeillie and O’Neill were sure to thank Grand Slam Sports Center for their success because they have been going there for hitting and pitching lessons since they were seven years old. O’Neill has been getting hitting lessons from Coach Alvarez, while McNeillie thanked his pitching coach, Johnny Magliozzi, for his jump in velocity. McNeillie says he is focusing on the mental aspect of pitching and being able to make adjustments. He also says he has been working on using his legs to create more velocity as well as making sure that he gets the right spin on his breaking ball. As for O’Neill, he says the mental side is huge point of emphasis for him as well as perfecting his cutter, something he recently learned that has been working effectively so far.
Both offered some advice those younger:
McNeillie: “Have fun and be coachable, it is simple.”
O’Neill: “You play to have fun, but also try to get better every day.”
When asked to name a few guys who are going to break out, Coach Alvarez also named Alex Urias, Schley Gordy, Jackson Alford, and Kyle Henley.
Alex Urias: “He’s just a pure hitter who can really swing the bat and someone who really understands the game, who we can put anywhere in the field.
Schley Gordy: “He’s leading the team in hits and shows good patience at the plate and is always seeming to barrel up the ball perfectly.”
Jackson Alford/Kyle Henley: “These are two who are fast and athletic and have begun to understand the game. With their athleticism, they will be D-1 players.”
Coach Alvarez looks to lead his team to another victory in their final pool play game tomorrow morning before heading to bracket play for a chance to win a championship. The Georgia Bombers seem to be putting it all together in the final month of the summer season.
Comments