When you look at the final score of the Teener C 13-year-old championship game, Middletown 23 – Hershey 18. A person would guess that the score was from a football game and not a baseball championship. Dig a little deeper and you find out that the team’s success was not defined by the outcome of a championship game or finishing 2nd in the league.

On July 6, the resilient Hershey team rolled into the championship game after defeating the number one seed, Susquehanna Township, the night before thanks to the pitching efforts of ace, Joe Peca. Both teams came into the championship game with weary arms but lots of energy as the teams met for the third time this season (Hershey winning the previous two meetings). Hershey jumped out to an early lead and looked primed for a championship victory. However, Middletown took advantage of some Hershey defensive mistakes and clawed their way to victory.

The journey to the championship began in mid-March with 16 boys and 3 coaches tasked at trying to find a combination of competiveness and teamwork. Early in the season, the Hershey team struggled to find a sense of unity and team. However, that all changed after the team easily defeated a divisional team, 13 to 1. While the players celebrated the victory with smiles and high fives, the Hershey coaches took notice of something more important. At the post-game meeting, Coach Joe Nocera asked the team if they noticed something different between the two teams that day. While players focused on the aspects of playing ability and score, all of the coaches said no it was something more. The coaches pointed out that the other team “didn’t have proper shoes, baseball pants that fit, or a selection of quality bats…. yet our team had everything needed to successful and we took it for granted.”

The post-game meeting became a teaching moment as the discussed the circumstances of the opponent as well as the health of a fellow peer, Luke Szekeres who is battling a rare form of cancer. The teaching moment became the season defining moment as the players, coaches, and parents united to help out another community and one from their own community. Following the meeting, ideas were going around. Emails were being sent. Phone calls were made. The end result were two efforts led by the generosity of the entire Hershey Teener 13s family.

The first project gained momentum within a matter of days. Coach Ed Liesch reached out to the opposing coach to discuss donating equipment for their team and community. Prior to a team practice the Hershey family brought donations of baseball equipment and apparel. A dozen pairs of new baseball spikes donated by Mr. Peca and Mr. Paniagua were the biggest need met. Dozens of baseball pants were brought in, as well as half a dozen gently used quality baseball bats. Following the practice, Coach Liesch dropped off the donations to the opposing team and was greeted with an overwhelming sense of shock towards the outpouring of support from a neighboring community.

The second project took fold weeks later as Coach Liesch presented Hershey Little League with a fund raising proposal to help the Szekeres family’s medical needs. The proposal became a league initiative as a day was set aside to “Swing for the Fences” for Luke. During this event, dozens of players of various ages came out to hit home runs after collecting donations from friends and families. Thousands of dollars were raised to help Luke fight cancer and find his way back onto the playing field.

So in the final post-game meeting following the championship defeat, Coach Colby Hollinger reminded the team. “We weren’t even supposed to get here to the championship. But we did! But you know what? It wasn’t the end result of the game that mattered. Yes, it would have been nice to win. However, it was the journey we took all season that mattered the most and what we learned on the way.” All of the coaches summed it up best when they said, “We won’t remember this game weeks from now but the character you developed this season will stay with you forever.”