56 NOVEMBER 2018 By Jennifer Marshall Arcadia High School Head Baseball Coach Troy Gerlach had quite an exciting summer. He was chosen to be an assistant coach for the 2018 USA Baseball 15U National Team. Gerlach helped to lead his team to victory against Panama in the Baseball World Cup Gold Medal Game held in Panama this past August. “Our team had 20 of the best kids in the country,” Gerlach said. “We went there, we competed and we won the gold medal. It’s basically an Olympic team for the 15-year-olds.” After a 12-year absence, baseball is returning to the Olympics as an official sport; it will be welcomed back during the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The 15U National Team is one of several teams, like the 18U National Team and the Collegiate National Team, that comprise the hierarchy that paves the way for baseball players to pursue their dreams of achieving Olympic glory. USA Baseball has directors all around the country. These directors organize local teams, run camps and interact with USA Baseball scouts. The best of these players are invited to play in summer baseball tournaments held in Florida and Arizona. According to Gerlach, as many as 96 teams participate in these tournaments. During these tournaments, USA Baseball scouts are ever present. Following the completion of tournament play, the scouts select approximately 70 kids to advance to the trials. The trials, which last about a week, are held in North Carolina, the home of USA Baseball. The 20 young baseball players chosen from the trials represent the best of the best in the country for their age bracket. After trials are over, the coaching staff has about a week to practice with its new team before i nter nat ional competition commences. As the players hail from all across the country, so, too, do the coaches who are handpicked by USA Baseball officials. “ W h e n s e l e c t i n g coaches,” Gerlach said, “USA Baseball has high expectations for coaching knowledge as well as character, morals and ethics.” While this was Gerlach’s inaugural year coaching, it wasn’t his first year working with USA Baseball. He’s been involved with them for many years and has served as both a scorekeeper and a scout. In the last few years, he’s assisted the organization with the development program and trials. Growing up in Kansas, Gerlach has been playing baseball since he was five. He eventually settled here in Phoenix where he’s advanced his career to his present position as head coach at Arcadia High. He’s also proud to report that he’s had kids from Arcadia High School advance to trials. “We’ve had some outstanding players come through Arcadia,” Gerlach said. “Twenty alumni have gone on to play college baseball and one plays professional ball.” As for the quality and strength of the USA Baseball program, Gerlach said: “Some of the kids I worked with this summer will make a lot of money one day playing professional baseball.” AHS Coach Troy Gerlach helps kids achieve athletic dreams AHS head baseball coach Troy Gerlach (13) helped coach the 2018 USA 15U team to a gold medal victory. Some of the kids I worked with this summer will make a lot of money one day playing professional baseball.” PLAY LOCAL. PLAY BALL. REGISTER online for the 2019 Spring BASEBALL and SOFTBALL Season – Boys & Girls Ages 4-14 PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER TODAY www.ArcadiaLittleLeague.com Tryouts for upper divisions will be held Saturday, January 19 and Saturday, January 26 at Ingleside Middle School Practices Begin February 4 – Spring Season Runs Early March through End of May Take advantage of EARLY BIRD PRICING through December 31, 2018 Re gister at www. ArcadiaLittleLeague.com

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