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08/22/2022 03:14 PMTwelve young athletes had an opportunity to develop their fundamentals and knowledge of the game while competing for the Branford 11-U All-Stars baseball team this summer. Head Coach John Limone said that the players on the squad were always willing to be coached and worked together to grow both individually and as a group.
This year’s team featured 10- and 11-year-old players that were selected from the Branford Little League AAA and Majors divisions. The roster for the Branford 11-U All-Stars baseball team featured Camden Bray, Joey Delucia, Gavin Dunn, Braedon Freiss, Grady Johnson, Chase Konesky, Fisher Lougal, Mason Lougal, Jaxson Marshall, Max Raccaro, Cameron Wagner, and Austin Warner.
Once the team was put together, Limone and his coaching staff, which included Steve Bray and DJ Caron, formulated Branford’s gameplan during its pre-tournament practices. Throughout the team’s four days of practice, Coach Limone emphasized the importance of Branford’s athletes learning about fundamentals and competition.
“We had four straight days of practice. The kids were out there hustling and learning. We were constantly trying to establish fundamentals. That’s a big thing with kids in this age group, putting an emphasis on fundamentals and playing the game the right way,” Limone said. “We tried to teach them how to compete when you step out of your own town and have to go against other towns and their best kids. Those were the two things—fundamentals and competition.”
Limone and his fellow coaches agreed that those four days of practice provided a great experience for Branford’s players. Limone said that he saw their potential on the ballfield and gained a sense of what each player could accomplish if they continued playing the game.
Following the practice sessions, Branford’s 11-U All-Stars team competed in the District 4 Tournament. Branford played games against Max Sinoway, Milford, North Branford, and Orange in the tournament, taking losses in all four contests.
Even with those defeats, Coach Limone felt that this year’s team showed moments of greatness on the baseball diamond. Limone said that the results of Branford’s games often came down to one difficult inning. However, as Branford’s players move on in their baseball careers, Limone knows that those games will be memorable for them and that the experience will help them be ready for the next step of their journey.
“We struggled score-wise, but it was a great experience of learning for the kids. There were several times where we did things extremely well. We communicated well, pitched well, swung the bats well,” said Limone. “We just had that one inning where the game got to us a bit. Those innings will serve the greatest purpose as they continue through trying to be baseball players.”
On mound, Branford relied on 11-year-old Chase Konesky and a trio of 10-year-olds in Camden Bray, Jaxson Marshall, and Gavin Dunn this year. Coach Limone said that Konesky was also one of the team’s leaders at the plate, along with Grady Johnson, Max Raccaro, and Joey Delucia.
During the Branford Little League regular season, Limone was coaching against many of the same players that he went on to work with as the coach of the 11-U All-Stars. He said that coaching the All-Stars squad allowed him to get to know every player better. Limone believes that experiences like these can help expand the sense of community in Branford and give the town’s athletes a great chance to build bonds long before they potentially compete at the high school level.
Limone loved coaching the Branford 11-U All-Stars baseball squad this year and, in turn, he felt that the players on this year’s team enjoyed being coached. No matter the outcome, Limone constantly saw his players show up ready to work and improve each day. While doing so, they meshed together and finished the season as a cohesive team. Beyond the box score, Coach Limone said that Branford’s All-Stars made great growth throughout the summer season and put themselves on a positive trajectory going forward.
“They were willing to be coached. They showed up every single day with great attitudes. They hustled. They were attentive,” Limone said. ‘We saw guys improve and pay attention to the details. We had a good team atmosphere and a good culture within the team. They were always supportive of each other and always cheered each other on. Everybody came together.”