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09/02/2021 12:00 AMBaseball means everything to Jordan Oliveira. After playing the sport since childhood, Jordan had an opportunity to compete for the Max Sinoway 14-U Babe Ruth baseball team this summer and helped North Haven win a state championship.
Jordan, a 14 year-old who is entering his freshman year at North Haven High School, started playing tee-ball in Max Sinoway’s recreational league as a preschooler. At first, Jordan just liked swinging the bat. As he continued to play the sport, Jordan started to enjoy baseball more and more.
“I just liked the idea of swinging a bat at a ball. It grew on me as I played it,” Jordan says. “As I grew and got better at the sport, that was it. I knew I really liked it. I knew it was for me.”
Jordan continued playing at the rec level until moving up to the big field in 6th grade. Jordan says that baseball helped him get into a routine of going to the field as often as possible in order to improve his skills.
“I’ve always loved it. As I got better, I just became comfortable with it,” says Jordan. “It was a routine, waking up and wanting to play baseball, whether it was throwing in my backyard or whatever it was. As I got better, I enjoyed it more. I still love it.”
Jordan has played all over the diamond during his young career and feels that he can “get the job done” at any position. Recently, Jordan’s main position has become second base, and it’s a place that he’s happy to play.
“I’m a pretty quick guy. I can get to the ball and make that throw,” Jordan says. “It’s a position I always liked and, whenever I get to play there, I’m always happy.”
This summer, Jordan played for both the Max Sinoway Babe Ruth team and a 14-U team that competed in the East Shore Travel League. Jordan says that all of his coaches, including Angelo Romano and Rob Manzo with the Sinoway program, proved crucial in his development over the course of the season.
“I was basically playing for two teams. I was a call over on the East Shore team and played most of their games at the end of the season,” says Jordan. “The Babe Ruth team was great. I loved my coaches. They’re family to me at this point. They care about me and want me to get better.”
The Max Sinoway Babe Ruth team was short a few players heading into its State Tournament. Jordan was asked to join the squad and wound up serving as North Haven’s starting second baseman. Jordan felt honored to get the call and received a warm welcome from everyone on the club.
“I felt special. I was glad that they actually wanted me and I was looked at like that. I didn’t know that’s what it was like,” Jordan says. “The coaches really helped me get better. The whole tournament was such a great experience.”
Max Sinoway notched three wins to advance to the state championship game and then solidified the title with a 12-7 victory versus Trumbull. After that, North Haven played in the Babe Ruth New England Regional Tournament in New Hampshire and made it to the semifinal round.
Jordan says that contributing to both of those playoff runs made for one memorable summer.
“That was awesome. They called me over and said they wanted me to play in the tournament,” says Jordan. “We played every day and hadn’t lost. We went up to New Hampshire, and that was the highlight of my summer. That team has all my friends on it, and I got to play baseball every day with my friends. We were winning.”
Manzo, who is the president of Max Sinoway’s Babe Ruth program, also served as an assistant coach with the 14-U team this year. Manzo says that Jordan was North Haven’s most improved player and always willing to fill whatever role the team needed.
“Jordan was a standout player this past season. He went to both teams’ practices and games. He did whatever was asked of him and performed consistently well on both teams,” says Manzo. “Jordan is a great example of what will happen if a player works hard and listens to his coaches.”
Jordan barely had a day off from baseball while doing double duty this summer. However, there is no place that Jordan would rather be than out there on the field.
“I love it. That’s my personality. I like to be known as a baseball player. That’s mainly me,” Jordan says. “When I think about myself, I’m a baseball player. The sport is a big part of my life. That’s how I like to be seen.”