SENIORS TAKE DISTRICT
4 YEARS IN A ROW!
CONGRATULATIONS COACH ALEX, ART, BEN, OSCAR AND TEAM!!!!!!!
State Tournaments starts July 15th at the Peoria Sports Complex
Watch the AZD2.com web site for schedule. Come suport our team!
JUNIORS ARE DISTRICT 2 RUNNERS UP!
Great Job Coaches Lee, Joel and Al and team! We are proud of you!
All the tournaments teams did AWESOME!
Great Job teams, 9-10, T.O.P.S., Little League Division, and the Presidents Cup!!!!!
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HOLIDAY PARK HOYAS MAKE HISTORY!!!!!!!
2008 AZ District 2 Champions!!
Congratulations Coaches Ben, Oscar and Ramon!
Last night HP Hoyas defeated RioVista Cubs 14-8. Giovanni hit 2 over the fence one being a Grand Slam for 7 RBIS. The team took the lead early on but then the Cubs came back with a grand slam of their own. But when RV had the score 7-4 the Hoyas said enough! Hoyas loaded up the bases and Gio went yard. After that it was all great ball playing and after 5 1/2 innings it became history. For the first time Holiday Parks name will be for ever engraved as the 2008 District Champions. Hopefully this will start a new tradition and many more years of Championships will be had.
Again Congratulaitons to each of the players who made this happen!
YOU ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!
JESUS, ANTONIO, RODULFO, VALENTIN, ZACHARY, ANDREW, ALFREDO, GIOVANNI, MIGUEL, ANDRES, AND ANGEL - YOU ROCK!
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**** MEMORIAL TO IRMA MONTIETH ****
Dear All Star Players, Coaches, and Parents,
Thank you so much for participating in our tournament season. Win or Lose I hope you have all enjoyed the experience. Game scores fade but memories of Coaches and Friends and being an All Star last a life time.
This year on our sleeves we put a memorial to a woman that has been part of our program for many years, Irma Montieth. Irma passed away recently and we wanted to let her know that we have not forgotten her. I have been asked by many players who she is and why this is on the shirts. I want to share this story with all of you so you too will know about this great lady.
About seven years ago we had two players join our family. Danielle and Steven Montieth. Danielle played for me with my big girls on the juniors and seniors and our club team for many years. She was a great player and loved the game. She blended in well and it was like she had always been part of our team. Her brother Steven played for Alex. He and his dad were like permanent fixtures at the field. Irma was either at the field or taking Danielle to our games or her folk lorico dancing she participated in a big way. They traveled all over the county to do this. So needless to say they were a busy busy family.
There is a saying; if you need a job done give it to a busy person. You can be sure it will get done and Irma proved that saying right. She quickly stepped up and became Alex’s team mom. She gave birth to 2 kids but she had 14 kids from that moment on.
With much hard work and hours of practice Alex’s Team won the junior District Championship and went to state. They took 3rd that year but it was a stepping stone. Irma was at every game helping organize and supporting her boys. The next year they moved up to seniors and again they dominated and won the district 2 championship. They went to Flagstaff for the state tournament. Art arranged for the team to stay at Sinagua High School near the field. Alex, Art and Irma took the boys and stayed in a school gym for about two weeks. A team full of 14-16 year old boys for two weeks….. Wow they had their hands full feeding, organizing and keeping them out of mischief. They did it and our boys from Holiday Park rose up and won the state tournament. We went to the game and it was so surreal. Holiday Park STATE CHAMPIONS! Not the boys from up north or Chandler with money for hitting and pitching coaches. Not the teams with all the money to stay in hotels and eat out. Our boys that slept on the floor of a gym for 10 nights with the help and leadership of Alex and his coaching staff and Irma the team mom.
After we won state we were in new territory. We had about 48 hours to raise money and get our team to Beaverton Oregon. We all scrambled, air lines don’t care you have a team of champions that need to move fast. Holiday Park doesn’t have a travel fund the district didn’t either. So we all did what we could and raised money. Alex refinanced his truck and Irma called in every favor she had coming. Lynn Ortega arranged for transportation from Laid Law when the boys were in Oregon. Somehow they did it and there went our boys, Alex, Art, Art’s dad, Irma and Danielle, flying off to Oregon for almost three weeks.
Irma worked for an attorney who made it possible for her to take the time off and take care of our boys. They needed their team mom. She took them up there and checked them into an Extended Stay Hotel. She went to Costco and bought food and everything the team needed. She cooked for all these people 3 times a day for 3 weeks. I get tired thinking about it. She did it on a budget to save money and she NEVER complained once. Alex wanted to make sure that the boys had the time of their lives so on the days they didn’t play games they took them on day trips to various places like state parks and the beach. Irma helped organize and keep the boys in line. The entire trip was documented by Irma and her camera. She took pictures every step they took.
During the trip I would call her during each game and she would stay on the phone with me giving me the pitch by pitch action. Not just me either she was always clicking over telling others who called the status of the game. Her phone bill must have been horrible but she never would tell me what it was or ever complained about the minutes she spent on the phone because she knew how much it meant to me to hear the game as it was going on since there was no way I could be there.
They took third that year at Western Region and made history for our league. Our boys did fantastic and had the time of their lives that summer. They became a family Alex their leader and Irma will be forever their mom away from mom. Team Mom.
When they returned we had a party for them and everyone was to bring this or that. All organized by Irma of course. We listened to stories of the time they spent and laughed and laughed. Then Irma presented her next gift…. As if she hadn’t given enough…. She gave each boy a DVD with pictures of the trip. This wasn’t one DVD copied for each of them they were individual DVDS with pictures that were special to the individual players set to music. We watched one at the party. It seemed like an hour and when I was watching tears were running down my face. I was so proud of them and so happy they all got to enjoy that experience. Irma was such a big part of the trip; it would not have been the same without her.
Irma was always there for Alex, me, for any of the coaches, for her kids and everyone else kids. She never had and ill work about anyone. This is easy to say but not easy to do. Irma worked so hard to make Holiday Park a better place for her kids and every ones kids.
She is an example of what we all as volunteers should strive to be like. Irma Montieth was selfless and hard working and her whole motivation was the players and not her own.
Just about a year ago Irma was diagnosed with cancer and she battled to the end. She passed away a few months ago. I went to her funeral and I arrived early. I sat to the side by myself. As time went by a few people at a time started to fill the church. Before I knew it I was surrounded by “her boys” and their families. St. Jerome’s was filled to standing room only. You could tell as people spoke that this woman took the same dedication she had to our boys and league and applied it to every part of her life. She was taken so young and I couldn’t help but cry and think about all the people she cared for and the difference in their lives she made.
When her family came to watch one of the All Star games they saw the memorial on the sleeve. They were move to tears and told us that it meant so much to them. I know Irma was there looking over our boys and cheering for them. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
So now you know the story behind the sleeve. I hope it inspires you players to work hard, and never forget you can achieve greatness. I hope it inspires you coaches to remember this is the players time not yours. You are there to make great things happen for them. I hope it inspires more parents to step up and be there for your players and coaches and appreciate all the hard work the board, coaches and yes even the umpires do for your kids.
One person can make a huge difference in these boys and girls lives, even just a team mom. I hope you never take the job description of TEAM MOM for granted again.
We miss you Irma and we hope you are at peace and your pain is gone and you enjoy the games.
Sincerely,
Lisa Sanchez
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