Something Special is Happening for Manalapan 7U Travel Baseball

Despite three separate covid-related shutdowns, the Manalapan Braves 7U Travel baseball team has just won their second straight undefeated USABL championship in 2021.

In January 2021, eleven 6 & 7 year old boys were set to begin their winter workouts for the newly formed Manalapan 7U Travel baseball team. Going into their first travel year, these kids and families had high hopes of meeting new friends, learning the sport of baseball, and making memories that would last a lifetime. Instead, after their first weekend of winter workouts, a positive covid case threatened to derail their entire season. With emotions high and in the uncertainty of how to handle the pandemic with kid's sports, neither coaches nor parents knew what was the "right" way to proceed. Should practices be cancelled? Should team events be postponed? Should the season even happen?

After several meetings and emotional zoom calls, the team was able to come together and get back on track. The boys worked hard practicing for months to develop their skills, form a bond, and prepare for their first Spring season of Travel Baseball. What was to come for this team however, could never have been predicted.

In the Spring season the team went 12-0, outscored opponents 148-57, and despite yet another covid shutdown, won the USABL Shore Division Championship. In the Summer, the team managed to somehow dominate even more, again going 12-0, again having another covid shutdown, this time outscoring opponents 156-34 and winning the Central Division Championship. To cap off one of the greatest stretches of baseball for any Manalapan team in history, the 7U Braves are set to be honored by Manalapan Township on Wednesday August 11th.

In a world where it can always feel like news is negative and people are being told what they cannot do, the story of this strong group of persevering 7 year old boys is just the kind of news we need. After one of their covid exposures, rather than forfeiting their next game and losing their perfect record, every member of the team agreed to travel over 30 minutes early on a Saturday morning to take a covid test, so that they could play after their negative results came back.

Through it all, these players have remained positive, have developed true friendships and bonds, and enjoyed every day of what has truly been an unprecedented Travel Baseball season. In the Fall, they will be playing up a level against older 8 & 9 year old Travel teams to continue their development. While this will certainly be another level of competition for the Braves and can result in new challenges for these boys, some things are certain. They will not listen to any doubters telling them what they cannot do, and they will meet each new challenge as they have every one so far this year, together, as a team, and with a smile on their faces.

Good luck Braves, and #SeeYouOnTheField!