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07/21/2016 12:00 AMKyle Anderson was a star athlete at Daniel Hand High School and now he’s making a big impact in his first go-around on the other side of the field as a coach.
Kyle, a lifelong Madison resident, played football, basketball, and baseball for the Tigers. He was an All-State athlete in football who captained the boys’ hoops squad before graduating in 2013. Kyle is now a member of the baseball team at Division I Central Connecticut State University, but this summer, he returned home for his first season as an assistant coach with the Madison Junior Legion baseball team, which qualified for the State Tournament.
“Our other assistant coach Adam Nuzzo reached out to tell me that the team needed another coach. I played with Adam at Hand and we’re best friends that work and coach together,” says Kyle. “It means a lot to come back to Madison and coach. I love this group of kids. The Legion program wasn’t as built up when I played in it compared to now. [Post 79 General Manager] Rob Corraro has done a great job with the program. It’s also great to give the kids things I didn’t have as a kid by being a coach.”
There isn’t a huge age gap between Kyle and Post 79’s players and that’s helped in terms of building the bond between them. Madison’s athletes look up to Kyle as someone to emulate and he enjoys helping the boys grasp the mechanics of the game.
“[Head Coach] Matt Sommo and Adam handle the strategy of the game with things like the lineups, but I like to help the kids with more physical stuff. They can kind of relate to us because we aren’t much older than them,” says Kyle. “We need to help prepare them for the next steps in their lives, so it’s important to be a role model and get them on the right path.”
Strong connections have been forming all throughout the Madison dugout this summer and that’s one of the reasons why Kyle believes American Legion baseball is so special. Kyle feels that the camaraderie on a Legion squad is something that just can’t be equaled on other young adult baseball teams.
“This year, we’ve developed pretty good bonds with all the players. We care a lot about them and, to see them succeed and win games, it’s a good feeling,” Kyle says. “Legion is a special group of kids that have been playing together for their whole lives. They stay together and really want to play for each other. It’s deeper than connections you get playing on an AAU team.”
Coach Sommo says the fact that Kyle is still playing baseball pays great dividends as far as Post 79’s ultimate goal of creating well-balanced ballplayers.
“He’s done a great job this year helping with mechanical fixes for our pitching staff, as well as talking with both catchers and pitchers about pitch sequences,” says Sommo. “He’s still playing college ball at Central Connecticut, so he’s always in the game mentally in trying to help the players succeed in all areas of the game.”
The 2016 edition of the Madison Junior Legion baseball team has proven a talented cast of characters who consistently display a desire to succeed. Kyle feels fortunate that he joined the program and has been part of the ride.
“They’ve definitely grown as the season has gone on. They came over from high school, where some of them had a good year with the freshman team, which can get to your head, but this is a talented group of kids and one of the best the town’s seen in a long time,” says Kyle. “They’ve been playing some older kids in the zone and, since that first series against Cheshire, they’ve been a different team with the talent, effort, and intensity they bring. They’ve also become very close as a team, which is fun to be around.”