By Kyle LoJacono
When Chris Spillane started coaching the Land O’ Lakes Spartans last fall he did not know what to expect, but he was not anticipating a national tournament appearance.
“My son has played baseball since T-ball and I’ve seen that there are a lot of good players in the area,” Spillane, 35, said. “So we decided to put together this competitive team for the kids who wanted a more challenging season…Last fall was our first season and we just finished our second season and they’ve come a long way.”
The team plays an AAU schedule and participates in United States Specialty Sports Association, a national league with divisions for players ages 7 to 18.
The Spartans are a U9 team, which means all the players are at or under 9-years-old. The roster is made up of kids from Land O’ Lakes, Lutz and Wesley Chapel and travels to play teams around central Florida.
The team finished the spring season 23-15-2 including 3-2 in the state AAU tournament in Clearwater. The Spartans finished second in the state, which qualified them for the national tournament June 21 to 27 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
Spillane, who lives in Odessa, also coaches in the Land O’ Lakes Little League, so he knew many of the players before the Spartans were formed. One of the players he has coached for years is Drew Knutson, 9, who is a third grader at Oakstead Elementary and is a second baseman, outfielder and pitcher.
“I like that our coaches inspire us to play hard no matter what,” Drew said. “Even if we were down by a lot they made sure we kept trying…The coaches helped us with our batting and everything. They tell us to never give up on the ball on defense and always stay with the play.”
One of the kids who Spillane coached against in Little League is Michael Joyce, 9, who plays third base, first base and pitches.
“He was a rival team in Little League and I like playing for him with the Spartans,” said Joyce, who is a fourth grader at Denham Oaks Elementary. “…I’m really proud of how good we’ve been this year.”
When asked why he likes baseball, Drew said, “It’s just fun to play all the different teams. I really like the sport.”
Drew’s mother, Erin, said her son has played for Spillane every year for four years except for one when the family moved to Virginia. She said Drew did not play baseball that year because he only wanted Spillane as his coach.
Erin added Spillane gives the players confidence and sets a great example of sportsmanship.
Spillane played baseball from Little League until high school and was an infielder and pitcher. His son, Ryan, also plays on the team.
“I’ve always loved baseball,” Spillane said. “It’s a great game and I love passing that passion on to kids.”
Spillane said one of the reasons he wants to coach the more competitive team is he can teach more strategy.
“There is a lot more of the complete game in this league than Little League,” Spillane said. “Little League is about the basics. We teach them when to bunt, stealing, how to back up throws and all the little things that make baseball what it is.”
Both Drew and Joyce each remembered their favorite moments from the season and both were diving catches. Drew said his was going back on a ball while playing second to make the third out of an inning against the Orlando Tigers.
Joyce said his was playing third. He was running toward foul territory and had to lay out completely to make the play.
“There’s been a lot of good moments,” Joyce said. “I liked being with my teammates and traveling to play other teams.”
The Spartans are looking for sponsors to help them make the trip to Orlando for the national tournament. Those interested in helping the team should call Spillane at (813) 205-9424.
Next year the Spartans will be a U10 team with many of the players moving up in age class. However everyone will need to tryout and make the team again and Spillane encouraged interested players to come out next fall and show what they can do. Interested players should visit the team’s Web site, visit www.kidsdugout.com/SpartansBaseball/index.php.
