Baseball means something different to everyone who plays it: a love formed in childhood, a bond with family, a way to challenge limits, or simply the joy of the game itself.
It’s the memories, the moments, and the meaning behind them that shape the stories of those who return to the field day after day.
For the 16U players competing at this year’s National Team Championships in Arizona, that meaning takes center stage. This week is a chance to chase dreams and write history, all while playing the game that has defined so many of their young lives.
Whether they’re here for redemption, fun, or the simple passion of putting on a glove, every player has their own “because, baseball” story. And now, they get to live it.
Everyone’s reasoning differs from player to coach, to parent, and beyond.
"I knew I loved baseball and wanted to play every day, " said Deacon Britton, a 16U player soaking in the experience. “The game is supposed to be fun! Every day that I get to step on the field, I’m always having fun.”
Coaches feel it too. “It’s more fun than anything. I feel really privileged to be out here,” said Peter Haluska, coach of OC Premier Baseball. “It’s probably just as fun for me as it is for these guys.”
That love, and sometimes even heartbreak, is what roots the passion deep.
“I remember when we lost in the championships in Little League, and I was bawling my eyes out,” said Canon Schilling, teammate of Deacon. “But I realized, right then and there, that this is what I want to do.”
Behind every player is also a support system that feels the love of the game just as strongly.
“We don't have to tell him to practice, work out, or hit,” said Megan Pettit, mother of 16U player Holt Pettit. “He is just driven by it. Seeing him truly enjoy baseball is what makes us support his passion as much as we can.”
It’s the connection that brings players, families, and coaches together with one shared purpose. For these athletes in Arizona, what better place to showcase that intensity and fuel for the game than at Champs Arizona?
“It’s a dogfight. Every run that you get, you have to fight for it,” coach Haluska would add. “But, it’s really fulfilling to coach them up and see them succeed.”
No matter the outcome, every player leaves the field with more than just a score; they leave with a story. Because at the heart of it all, that’s what baseball is all about.
