Hard Work Pays Off for Full Count U-10 Baseball Team

The spring season finished up this weekend for the Full Count 10U baseball team, capping a special nine-month run, compiling  an inpressive record of 43 wins with only 5 losses since September. 

"The idea of a group of 10-year-olds  practicing and competing in a organized and structured environment is exactly what I want (Full Count) to be about," said sponsor and promoter Matt Belford. "When the idea of a full-year-training-calendar of baseball came up,  and as long as it was under the supervision of outside coaches running the practices, I was all for it."  

Here are some of the highlights:

• 12 and 0 record and the Championship in the Fall Central Jersey Amateur League
• 7 and 1 record and 1^st place finish in the Jack Cust Winter League in Flemington.
• March Madness Tournament Champs in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
• 3^rd place finish and 5 and 1 record at the April Fools Tournament at Diamond Nation in Flemington. (20 teams, 6 states competed)
• Wooden Bat Tournament Champs in Chester, NY.
• Runner-ups at the Battle at the River IV in Toms River.
• 9 and 1 record and the Championship in the Spring Central Jersey Amateur League.

The squad will continue in June and July with the South Plainfield Father’s Day Weekend Tournament, the 4th of July Classic in Parsippany, the South Brunswick Classic in July, the Freedom Fest at Hershey, PA in July and the 5th annual “Last At Bat” Tournament in Pocono, Pa.

"It is great to see that success is a result of what happens when a group puts effort into something ...work at it, work at it more, the attempt to master it ," Belford continued. "We would joke with the players on a ten degree February morning this winter - at 7:30am – ‘Do you think other teams are doing this?’ It is the American dream...work hard good things will happen.  I am proud to sponsor and promote these kids as one of our programs."

"These boys work hard on and off field and absolutely deserve every ounce of success they achieve," added coach Dirk Armstrong. " They come from exceptional families, are model young boys in our community, and great students in the classroom (at school) and on the ball field. My coaching staff and I are very proud of them. To travel with them and compete with them is one of the joys of our lives. I also want to personally thank my amazing group of parents. It takes a real team off the field to compete at the highest level in baseball and soccer and none of this would be possible without each Mom and Dad.