Summerlin South coaching staff key to team’s LLWS success
It has been said that a team is only as good as its weakest player.
The same can be said about the coaching staff.
Summerlin South’s magical run to and through the Little League World Series would not have happened without 12 of the country’s top players, but it also required three top-notch coaches.
TJ Fechser, whose son Brooks Fechser played center field, was named the team’s manager in May. He immediately chose longtime friend Tony D’Ambrosio and opposing league coach Americo Miranda to serve as his assistants.
The combination worked, resulting in a run that ended with a U.S. championship and an appearance in the tournament’s title game in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
“It’s not just what goes on on the field,” said Fechser, a standout alumnus of The Meadows’ baseball program. “I’m the manager, and I have to manage expectations. There’s parents, traveling and managing the whole experience. That’s a challenge.”
‘Always figure it out’
Each coach had a role, and over time the three meshed to near perfection.
“We work so well together, and we all know our roles,” Fechser said. “There’s always a little disagreement, but I listen at the end of the day. If you’re not listening, you don’t have a team. But I make the final decisions.”
D’Ambrosio, whose son Luke D’Ambrosio pitched and played middle infield, coached third base. As a former collegiate pitcher, he threw fastballs in batting practice that resembled those the players would see in games. He also handled fundamentals, particularly in the area of base running.
“We have such a good mixture,” he said. “We’ll disagree, and it can get passionate, but ultimately we always figure it out. It couldn’t have been a better coaching arsenal.”
The staff was mild-mannered with the players, choosing to emphasize the positives over the negatives.
“The 80/20 rule usually prevails,” Fechser said. “I like to be 80 percent positive, but 20 percent has to be constructive criticism. You have to own your failures and make things better from them.”
D’Ambrosio agreed.
“I’m not a dad who screams and yells,” he said.
Miranda, whose son Grayson played first base, coached first base with a low-key style and was known to the players as a personable “good-cop” type.
“His role was to do whatever we needed him to do,” D’Ambrosio said. “He was always reassuring and trusted.”
Understanding employers
Baseball wasn’t the only stress. Though Fechser and Miranda were able to get some work done from the road, D’Ambrosio needed time off from work. Fortunately, he and several other parents had understanding employers.
“I work for Caesars, and they had my back,” D’Ambrosio said. “To support me while being away for six weeks, I couldn’t be more blessed.”
That allowed the coaches to focus on baseball, and they always seemed to have the right things to say to the players at the right time.
In the end, the coaching staff had no second thoughts despite losing 7-0 to Chinese Taipei in the championship game.
“I have no regrets,” said Fechser, whose team went 16-2 in the postseason, including 5-2 in the LLWS. “Our guys competed, and everyone accepted their roles. We won the U.S. championship, and I’m very proud of that.”
Nevada might see the same coaching staff in next year’s LLWS, as Miranda’s son has another year of eligibility and Fechser has another son coming up.
New problems would surely arise, but the prospect of a return to South Williamsport would not be a bad problem to have.
Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.