Quietly and effectively, some local young baseball talent have been laying a foundation for years to come in Greenville.
Recently, head coach Corey Holmes Team Impact 8 and 9-year-old players demonstrated that they are among the elite in the state in their age group.
“We finished as the runner up in the All State 8-year-old tournament in Winona,” Holmes said. “We lost 11-9 in the finals to Starkville. The tournament was made up of the best 12 teams in the state.”
Along the path to this showdown in the finals, Team Impact played in three tournaments. Once they entered play in Winona, the youngsters had to brutal schedule, where they played ten games in two days. Early on, things did not look good for the team.
“We lost our first two games and then won 10 straight games,” Holmes said. “The competition was excellent, and the kids were disciplined and well-coached on every team.”
If a group of eight-year-olds can be described as veterans, Team Impact certainly fits the description. Holmes began coaching this group of kids when they were only four years old. Now, they are beginning to form tremendous diamond skills and form a solid foundation for Greenville’ baseball future.
“Parks and recreation baseball should always be a feeder system for our school’s athletic programs,” he said. “This is the very best time to help kids develop the skills and knowledge of the game.”
Team Impact is not just a group of kids who excel athletically.
Each one of the players successfully transitioned from third to fourth grade and exceled on a milestone state test.
“Each one of our children passed their Reading Gate test which is given to all of Mississippi’s third graders,” Holmes said.
“I’ve always heard that prisons are built based on the number of children who don’t pass this test. It feels good to have had a part in something that stops a negative trend.”
Through its travels and exposure to different baseball venues over the summer, Team Impact burned their share of gasoline, ate at different restaurants and possessed some of the best equipment. Team Impact finished as runner ups in the state, but the adults behind the scenes were the real champions and MVPs.
“We had a great group of parents and particularly some exceptional dads,” Holmes said.
“The sponsors, parents and coaches have me looking forward to working more with these kids when they start playing in fall tournaments and when they start in kid pitch leagues next year.”
