COMMENT: Observer team takes field for spring ball

It’s a phrase I’ve heard time and time again from coaches, parents and fellow teammates.

And for me, it’s one of the most important idioms in all of sports.

However, it’s not the obvious one: “There’s no ‘I’ in Team.”

Rather, it’s a phrase I’m reminded of every time a team runs out onto the field wearing its new uniforms for the first time.

“Play for the name on the front of your jersey — not the name on the back.”

It’s a simple phrase that speaks volumes. And this spring, I already know one team that’s doing just that.
As some of you may remember, The Observer sponsored a Miss Manatee Softball team last spring. During the season, we introduced you to a different member of the team every week and continually updated you on its progress.

This spring, we are sponsoring another team. Last week, I went out to meet with The Observer Little League baseball team at Lakewood Ranch Little League, and I already can tell it’s going to be an entertaining season for these boys.

Sporting their red T-shirts and ball caps, 12 boys, ranging in age from 10-12, eagerly waited to take the field for their third game of the season. And although team has gotten off to a slow start, the players are simply enjoying being out on the field with their teammates. Their pure, simple love of the game and the joy they have while playing it makes all of us at the East County Observer beam with pride.

And I guess being sponsored by the newspaper does have its perks. In this week’s edition, you’ll meet 12-year-old Josh Tomlin — the first player featured in our Observer Team Spotlight.

I hope you have as much fun getting to know him and the rest of The Observer team as I did. The team plays at 7 p.m., every Monday and Thursday at Lakewood Ranch Park, so make sure to swing by the ballpark and cheer on our Observer boys this spring.

I know I will be there.