Much To Be Thankful for in 2013

2013 has been a big year for Myers Park Trinity. We are truly blessed to have so many great people supporting our kids. A big "thank you" goes out...

To Tony and Boyd for always being there, morning, noon or night, working hard to make our park so nice; and to Paxton, Harrison, Kip, Hank, Preston and our entire volunteer grounds crew for their help that often goes unseen;

To Kaaren and Ashley for ensuring the continued service of our concession stand, whether or not their kids are playing games at the time; and to Barbara for doing it for so many years;

To Rich, Steve and Kris for guiding our ship with a steady hand;

To Tom and Kip for representing MPTLL behind the scenes to ensure that we have a firm footing in our community for years to come - we wouldn't have our park without these guys;

To Jake, Robert, Barry, Barbara and others for holding us true to the traditions that have made our league work for over 60 years;

To Rex and Kevin for being our tech guides and creating so much convenience for us all;

To Lauro for placing a priority on taking the MP experience to our closest neighbors and the kids who need it so much;

To Steve for keeping us financially secure today, and to Ed, Rich and Joe for leading us into the future;

To our loyal sponsors for believing in MPTLL and providing for our players;

To the coaches for, whether they know what they're getting into or not, becoming dedicated and passionate teachers of the game and positive role models for our children;

And to the parents, for entrusting their kids with us, cheering them on and supporting us all in so many ways;

It takes a village... so that moments like these are possible....

Keep Battling, Adam

We have a parent and coach in our league who has taken a turn for the worse. He has been fighting cancer valiantly for two years. He is a great guy and has a nice family, like we all do. But he has been battling for two years, although holding his head high with a smile on his face. I tell my players, "Keep your head up." Adam Schmitz has done that.

I've spent time with Adam and his son at the batting cages. Adam watches closely as his son hits ball after ball, making an adjustment here and there. Adam's eyes are bright and wide. He soaks it all in, loving every minute of it - just as he does any time he's at the park, either watching Zeke play or just talking to friends. He has the perspective on life that allows him to take in and appreciate his experiences. He wants more knowledge, more friends, more swings, more time.

Adam loves to talk and he is a good listener too. We discuss hitting and pitching, Majors and Minors, McGwire and Sosa, the Mets and Yankees, dogs and cats, whatever. We want to talk for longer, but I can't match his enthusiasm. And it's getting dark and the lights aren't coming on.

It's hard to know that someone like Adam with so much goodness in his heart and so much enthusiasm for life is struggling. It doesn't seem fair. But he is battling. That's another thing I tell my players: "Keep battling. Battle to the very end. No matter the outcome, you'll be proud that you did." Adam Schmitz has done that. He will continue to do it. And we are all proud.

Adam's family needs our help. Myers Park Trinity is a larger family of sorts. We support our own when they need us. If you would like to help the Schmitz family, please go to the following link and show your support. Show them how much we all appreciate Adam. Please visit:

The Adam Schmitz Cancer Fund