I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank a very special group of young men.

The Natchez Dixie Youth 7- and 8-year-old coach pitch all-star team is a group of hard working, sincere, polite and talented athletes who are about to represent Natchez in the Mississippi Dixie Youth North Sub-District 6 Tournament.

We have the honor of hosting the tournament and will start play this Thursday at Carroll-Jones Field in Duncan Park. We will play the Lincoln County American All-Stars at 8 p.m. that night.

The winner of this five-team tournament will earn the right to advance to the Mississippi State Dixie Youth Tournament held in Magee, starting July 7.

This is a team of which Natchez should be very proud. These young men and their families have devoted themselves to baseball over the last two weeks preparing for this event and have put themselves in the position to be named all-stars by working hard and excelling during the Natchez Dixie Youth coach pitch 2012 season.

We are truly blessed to have 12 fine athletes who are quite versatile enough to play any position on the baseball field. The Natchez 2012 coach pitch all-stars are No. 1 Tyler Upton, No. 5 Ronnie McMillin, No. 7 Mason Wells, No. 8 Joseph Garrity, No. 9 Mason Waggoner, No. 10 Tommy VanWinkle, No. 11 Braden Goldman, No. 12 Paxton Junkin, No. 19 Zeke Flattmann, No. 22 Samuel Merriett, No. 23 Zehlin Cornett and No. 33 Corey Pugh.

They are coached by me, along with John Ward Junkin, Mike Upton, and Lane Merriett.

We have been fortunate enough to enjoy the expert assistance of former professional baseball player Chris Rayborn, who has been an essential part of our team.

We are also blessed to enjoy the assistance of multiple parents who have also made sacrifices to make this team a reality.

The players have all subscribed to a code of conduct which includes demonstrating respect for parents, teammates, umpires, spectators, coaches and opposing players.

Along the way, we have stressed improvement of individual skills and growth as a team, all in an environment of positive reinforcement, dedication, and fun. As coaches, we have vowed to be positive role models both on and off the field, and have tried to instill in our team the principles of good sportsmanship, team play and mutual respect.

We believe that this philosophy will not only lead to a positive baseball experience for our young athletes and mold them into better players, but also mold them into better people.

Please support our cause and enjoy this journey with us by coming to Duncan Park at 8 Thursday night.

You will not only witness the growth and development of the young men representing Natchez, you will also witness some pretty good baseball!

And by the way, wear Natchez green!

Best of luck to the 2012 Natchez Dixie Youth 7- and 8-year-old coach pitch all-stars!

 

Dr. Geoffrey J. Flattmann is a coach for the 7- and 8-year-old all-star team.