NATCHEZ — Coaches Osmon Perkins and Jeremy Thompson want to take the focus off of winning and put it on fundamentals and sportsmanship this season with the 9- and 10-year-olds on their T.M. Jennings Little League team.

Perkins and Thompson coach the Supervisor Grennell team, and the team has won about half of its games so far this season, but that doesn’t really matter to the coaches.

“We want to teach fundamentals and teach them sportsmanship,” Thompson, 24, said. “(We teach them) you can’t always win, but you can have good sportsmanship, and that’s what will carry you the furthest.”

Perkins said that although the focus is not on winning, he is glad to see that his players do have the hunger to win.

“Sportsmanship (has improved), and the kids are getting along better,” Perkins said. “And (we’re) seeing the desire to win, and they get frustrated when we don’t.”

Perkins, 29, said he played in the T.M. Jennings league when he was growing up, and it is nice to give back to the league.

“I remember playing right here, it’s kind of weird,” Perkins said.

Thompson said it is just nice to give the players someone to look up to.

“It’s nice to help the youth, because they are our future, and (it is nice) to spend time with them,” he said. “It feels good when they call (me) coach, and I believe they listen to (me), and I can provide a male influence to them on the field.”

The 9- and 10-year-old league only has two teams this season. Supervisor Grennell faces off against Pyron’s Furniture every game. The familiarity provides advantages and disadvantages Perkins said.

“As a coach we get familiar with all the kids, and familiar with what (the players) have to offer from both teams,” Perkins said.

But, the lack of teams does not give the children a chance to get a look at different players, with different skills, Perkins said.

League director Eric Fry said one advantage is that having fewer players allows the coaches to spend more time with each player.

Fry and Perkins said the talent level of the 9- and 10-year-olds is still solid despite low numbers.

Perkins said the league had six or seven teams when he was playing.

Fry said although the league is down in numbers, it is good that many of the children playing are new to the league this season.

“We always want new faces, and want to get more (children) involved,” he said. “The main purpose is to get (the league) to grow.”

The Supervisor Grennell team features two of those new faces on the left side of its infield with third baseman Devonta Stancel and shortstop Jacquan Johnson.

Stancel said he enjoys his position at the hot corner because he sees a lot of action.

“(I like) third base, because if they hit it, that is where it’s going and I can catch it,” he said.

Johnson is also a pitcher, and he said he prefers pitching to his primary role as shortstop.

“I like striking people out,” he said.

Fry said the 9- and 10-year-old league is designed to prepare players for a future in baseball.

“They are at the age where they should understand the game more, and we can make sure they are ready to go to the larger field (with the 11- and 12-year-olds), where they throw the ball harder, and things can happen,” Fry said. “We want to get them ready with the fundamentals, so when the go to school they will know the basics.”

Fry also said the 9- and 10-year-olds, along with the 11- and 12-year-olds, will get a break from facing each other June 14 when two teams from Fayette will come to Natchez to play.