Learning from champions past
Former state champions offer helpful advice
I’m sure Cumberland is chomping at the bit to play someone other than themselves, but I think they’re going to have a great tournament.” – Lincoln’s Matt Netto
CUMBERLAND — If Cumberland American coach Tony Tarara was looking for advice on how to handle winning a state championship, preparing a team to go to Bristol, Conn. and navigating a week-long competition against the best teams in New England, he didn’t have to look very far.
Inside town lines, Tarara could turn to Dave Belisle, who led Cumberland American to the 2011 and 2014 New England titles, and John Brodeur, who coached Cumberland National to the 2010 New England final.
If he wanted advice from just outside of town, he could converse with Matt Netto, whose Lincoln squad lost a memorable 1-0 game to Westport, Conn. in the 2013 regional title game. And then there’s Mark Barter, who coached Coventry American to the 2012 state title and now resides in Smithfield.
“The big challenge is getting yourself tuned up and prepped to face the unknown competition,” Belisle said. “The second time around I knew it was a lot more difficult then I’d ever imagined the first time. The only time they’ll feel the pressure is just like now – when they’re hitting or pitching. I think the enthusiasm will overcome the pressure.”
“Focus on the things that got you there and don’t try to get fancy along the way, and do things that aren’t your bread and butter,” Netto said. “My advice is keep the kids’ minds and energy focused on baseball while you’re there and then everything else falls in place. I’m sure Cumberland is chomping at the bit to play someone other than themselves, but I think they’re going to have a great tournament.”
“I would tell him to don’t be afraid to pick everyone’s brain in Bristol about the schedule and what to do because they throw a lot at you,” said Barter, a Mount St. Charles grad. “I called Dave Belisle before I went down there to get the scoop. In order to alleviate the headaches, keep the parents as informed as possible because he’s going to have his hands full keeping the kids accounted for on the campus.”
The biggest challenge Tarara faced in the week leading up to the trip to Bristol is a challenge he didn’t face after winning the 11-year-old title last summer. Unlike 2016 when the state title was the crescendo of the summer, Saturday night’s 14-4 win over Cranston Western was simply a mile post on a long journey.
All the coaches interviewed for this story agreed the night of and the day after winning the title was the time to celebrate the victory. Tarara said the team went to coach Dan Ray’s house Saturday night to celebrate. The players had Sunday off – not the coaches – and practice resumed Monday.
“The way I’ve learned from the coaching staffs I’ve done this with, you get one day off to celebrate and you get back to work,” said Netto, who is currently coaching the Lincoln 11-year-olds at the New England Invitational. “Baseball is a game of repetition and rhythm. You don’t want to break the rhythm that you’ve built.”
Cumberland American returned to Garvin Field Monday night in preparation for tomorrow night’s opener against Goffstown, N.H. And while Tarara could control the message for the two hours his kids were at practice, he couldn’t stop all the positive comments his players were hearing from their friends.
Cumberland junior Nick Croteau, a member of CALL’s 2014 New England title team, and Mount graduate Joey Barter, a player on the 2012 Coventry American side, said it’s hard not to get sucked into all the talk.
“The support we were getting was great, but we knew we had to stick together with each other,” Croteau said after throwing batting practice to CALL. “You can’t get too confident and too cocky, you have to know you can go out there and play with your teammates. All the friend stuff can come later.”
“To be honest, you do get a little bit of a big head,” Barter said. “You know there’s more work to do and you have to get ready for the next game. I don’t even know how you do that at 12. I guess you just have to know when it’s game time and when it’s time to have fun.”
Mark Barter said in the week leading up to his trip to Bristol, he spent the preponderance of his time working on hitting because he felt his defense and his co-aces – Manny Bjorklund and Jarrad Grossguth – were ready to go.
Another aspect of the preparation is scouting. Because Rhode Island usually finishes its state tournament early, Belisle said he sent assistant Mark Wright to Connecticut to watch Fairfield American, who CALL happened to beat to reach Williamsport in 2014.
Cumberland American is headed down to Bristol Saturday morning to begin what they hope is a week stay at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Complex. The first few days of the event, according to Netto, were the toughest – and it had nothing to do with baseball.
“My biggest concern going down there wasn’t the baseball, it was making sure the kids slept at night,” Netto said. “We had to figure out a system about when to peak our head in to make sure they were actually sleeping. At the time, I didn’t have a kid of my own. So I went from not having a kid to having 13 because the parents aren’t allowed in the barracks. You just want to make sure they’re taking care of themselves.”
None of the coaches in the area can offer Tarara advice on how to manage his pitching staff next week because CALL is dealing with a double-elimination format that will see the tournament last just seven days. Little League scrapped the more forgiving pool play format after CALL’s 2014 journey. CALL played six games in nine days to win the 2014 title.
Belisle, Netto and Barter can speak to playing on a beautiful field in front of a national television audience. Belisle, who will be broadcasting the games for ESPN, said there’s something special about playing for a spot in the World Series.
“They make you feel special down there,” Belisle said. “The kids are going to be more relaxed than they think they’re going to be because the tournament helps you. They give you ample time to practice, ample time to have fun and the venue is something special. The grass is greener and you’re with your teammates 24/7. His team is going to be so much closer and so much more confident during this experience.”
It doesn’t matter if you achieve your dream of reaching Williamsport, lose in one of the best New England title games of recent memory or drop a pair of one-run games and fail to advance out of pool play, the journey to Bristol is worth it.
“Memories of a lifetime,” Netto said. “You never forget those little moments. The New England championship was one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of, losing 1-0. The kids form bonds together that they constantly talk about when they see each other. No matter where the kids end up in high school, it’s a special group when you go out there.”
“Rooming with the guys was the best part,” Joey Barter said. “You spent like 50 days with them and then you’ve got 10 days of living with your teammates. It was the best part.”
“It’s such a fun experience,” Croteau said. “Looking back on it now, not too many teams make it as far as regionals. It’s great to see yourself on TV having fun on a beautiful field in that atmosphere.”
The current group of CALL state champions will find out for themselves the magic of Bristol this morning. By 3 p.m. next Saturday, they hope the journey isn’t over.