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Coquitlam Little Leaguers learning from their success

Coquitlam’s Little Leaguers will not measure the success of their season by how they fare at the Little League World Series. They’ve already exceeded expectations — on the field and off — said one of the team’s coaches, Robert Piasentin.
Little League
Coquitlam's Little Leaguers, shown here celebrating a home run at the provincial championships in Vancouver in July, are a tight-knit group on and off the field, says one of their coaches.

Coquitlam’s Little Leaguers will not measure the success of their season by how they fare at the Little League World Series.

They’ve already exceeded expectations — on the field and off — said one of the team’s coaches, Robert Piasentin.

Many of the team’s players have been together in school and on teams for years — not only baseball, but soccer and hockey as well, and they’ve become close friends.

“They just want to hang out,” said Piasentin, whose own son, Timothy, is on the team. “They are also a very committed group who will defend each other to the ends of the earth.”

Piasentin said the experience of going through the provincial tournament, then on to the national championship in Ancaster, Ont. and now the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Penn., has brought the group even closer together. 

It’s also maturing them.

“The kids are learning a great deal about self-discipline and understanding how things like sleep, diet, etc. all can materially impact their ability to perform,” he said, adding the kids have had to learn most of those things on their own as they lived in a dorm, away from parents, in Ancaster and they’re doing so again in Williamsport.

Piasentin said the team’s success on the diamond has been fuelled by their ability to rise to all of those challenges. At provincials, the team had to come from behind in several games, and at the national final, they had to overcome a powerful team from Quebec that was expected to win the tournament.

“They have shown an immense amount of maturity and discipline to continue to play well in all sorts of adverse conditions,” Piasentin said.

More importantly, he added, the players have proven to themselves they can be intense competitors and still be kids having fun watching goofy videos on YouTube. As long as they walk away from the field feeling like they did their best.

“We want to make sure we have given it our all,” Piasentin said. “The kids have recognized that.”

• Coquitlam's opening game against Mexico at the Little League World Series is now scheduled for 2 p.m. PT at Volunteer Stadium in Williamsport, after several games were postponed Thursday due to storms in Pennsylvania.