It was more than just a championship.
It was the celebration of many years working together.
The Fox Rok Donnelly-Clark team won the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation 17u League, beating their local friendly rival team, Fox Rok Schaible. The final score was 5-3 in the championship game, capping off a season that saw much of the team having played together for many years, four of them since 7u. The entire time, they were coached by Mike Donnelly and Steve Clark.
“Congratulations, boys,” Donnelly said. “The Fox Rok organization is proud of you, as they always make it ‘about the kids.’ We’ve been blessed to have several for many years, some for a few, and others, this was the first year with us but have been with the organization. All made this year special along with the other coaches, parents and their families.
“The way these boys always welcomed others like they were family made the difference. We are proud of how they all represented Fox Rok AA. It was a great championship game against a well-coached Fox Rok Schaible team, making it a fun exclamation point on the final season for many of these young men.”
His partner on the field feels the same way.
“Baseball is a great sport that is a microcosm of life in general,” Clark said. “You have to give your best to support and work with a team. You may not always be happy with the calls or the outcomes, but you have to handle it with grace and renewed determination. Furthermore, there’s a lack of people demonstrating leadership in society today.
“Coaching gives me the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and how to overcome adversity on the field. You can’t fall to pieces. You just have to keep things realistic, make adjustments, and overcome those obstacles with hard work, sportsmanship and that renewed dedication. It’s an honor to have been able to witness these boys change from great kids to great young men. Winners all, no doubt.”
The team consists of Coach Steve Clark (from left), Coach Mike Donnelly, Luke Rodebaugh, Dan O’Gorman, Bobby Clark, Louis Clegg, Chase Wolf, Liam Donnelly, Anthony Haldeman, Christian Matthews, Thomas Schaffer, Deven Demusz, Jeremy Penczak, Dan Brady, Jason (JP) Pujos-Mercado, Billy Catanzariti, Joe McGough, Assistant Coach Bill Catanzariti, Assistant Coach Dan Kalai. Not Pictured: Kyle Schulz, Eddie Collins.
