{"id":98,"date":"2018-08-09T10:00:02","date_gmt":"2018-08-09T17:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/?p=999913307"},"modified":"2018-08-09T10:00:02","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T17:00:02","slug":"long-beach-youth-teams-college-team-dominated-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/long-beach-youth-teams-college-team-dominated-summer","title":{"rendered":"These 5 Long Beach youth sports clubs have dominated this summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: This story kicks off a new partnership between The562.org and the Post. Read more about it here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Long Beach has the most eclectic sports community in the United States. No American city has produced more professional football players, baseball players or aquatic Olympians, and the recent youth sports success is more evidence of local athletic diversity.<\/p>\n

Five Long Beach youth sports organizations offering five different sports are competing in multiple national tournaments this summer. Two of them have already won national championships, and they\u2019ve all followed blueprints of success laid out by championship Long Beach teams of the past.<\/p>\n

PONY Baseball<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Long Beach PONY\u2019s 14-Under All-Stars.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Long Beach PONY\u2019s 14-Under All-Stars had their backs against the wall for two straight days at the West Zone tournament last weekend in West Hills, but the local boys fought off four straight elimination games to qualify for their fifth PONY League World Series in the last 12 years.<\/p>\n

Long Beach starts the 10-team international tournament on Sunday<\/span> in Washington, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such an honor to be able to lead these young men back to the World Series,\u201d said Ken Jakemar, All-Star manager and Long Beach PONY president. \u201cThey don\u2019t know what excitement awaits them next week. But I do, and I\u2019m very excited for each and every one of them. These will be lifelong memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jakemer managed Long Beach to PONY World Series championships in 2008 and 2012. He said he was confident this All-Star team had the pitching depth and power hitting to win the three summer tournaments necessary to reach the World Series.<\/p>\n

After dominating the District and Super-Region tournaments, Long Beach dropped its first game of the summer to Maui, Hawaii in the West Zone tournament. Jakemer said his team took the loss hard, knowing that one more defeat would spell elimination.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were pretty down,\u201d Jakemer said. \u201cBut after a good night\u2019s sleep, the boys came out confident and ready to get back on the field. I knew then, that day was going to be special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long Beach proceeded to win twice and Saturday<\/span>, and twice on Sunday<\/span> to take the tournament. Brendan Wilkinson, Myles Patton and Ryan Skjonsby all had four RBIs each on Sunday<\/span>. Pitcher Jack Dhein only gave up one run in six innings in the championship game. The 14U All-Stars have a 13-1 record this summer, and have outscored their opponents 174-41.<\/p>\n

“Ken (Jakemer) is always very positive,\u201d Ryan Skjonsby\u2019s father, Mike, said. \u201cHe allows an environment where everybody is included and important. I think that\u2019s been a big part of their success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shore Aquatics<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Shore 10-under girls\u2019 water polo team won a Junior Olympics national championship.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Klaus Barth, Ricardo Azevedo and Rich Foster revolutionized American water polo when they established Shore Aquatics in 1993 as the country\u2019s first year-round youth water polo club that still emphasized swimming.<\/p>\n

“When we grew up we were swimmers first, then water polo players second,\u201d said current Shore water polo Director Chi Kredell. The Wilson High and Long Beach State alum is one of Shore\u2019s 27 Olympians produced since 1996.<\/p>\n

“My wife, Kristin, runs the swimming side, and not a lot of clubs offer that,\u201d Kredell said. \u201cWhen you pay to play water polo with Shore, you also get swimming.\u201d<\/p>\n

That dedication to being stronger swimmers has helped shape the way Long Beach plays water polo. The city is known for its defense-first mentality that leads to devastating counter attacks with faster swimmers in the open water.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, the Shore 10-under girls\u2019 water polo team used that strategy to win a Junior Olympics national championship. Coach Brendan Patterson, who played water polo at Wilson and with Shore, realized before the season started that his undersized squad was perfectly suited to play the Long Beach way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew we needed to win with counter attacking and movement,\u201d Patterson said. \u201cIt\u2019s a Long Beach tradition. Shore swimming is not just conditioning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Shore 10U girls won all nine of their JO games in Palo Alto, and defeated Vanguard 5-0 in the final thanks to an MVP performance from defender Katherine O\u2019Dea. Patterson put her one-on-one with the biggest player from Vanguard, but O\u2019Dea wasn\u2019t intimidated.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe isn\u2019t the biggest, and she was getting dunked the whole game by this girl, but she didn\u2019t complain,\u201d Patterson said. \u201cShe gave us all we could ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n

O’Dea said of defensive strategy: \u201cWhenever she grabbed me I\u2019d put my hands up, or stay back and keep my hips up. My dad taught me that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine\u2019s dad is Barry O\u2019Dea, who coaches girls with Shore and at Wilson. He helped the Bruins win their first CIF Southern Section championship this season in his first year as head coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cPatterson has done a phenomenal job with this group and getting them to buy into the team atmosphere,\u201d O\u2019Dea said. \u201cThey all just support each other so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also at the Junior Olympics, the Shore 14U boys finished fifth in the nation, and the 12U girls\u2019 team was 16th overall. The club will be hosting a free session Aug. 20-24<\/span> from 4:30-6:30 p.m.<\/span> at the Belmont Outdoor Pool.<\/p>\n

Beach FC<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Beach FC 15-Under Girls\u2019 Development Player League team won a 2018 US Youth Soccer National Championship.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Beach FC 15-Under Girls\u2019 Development Player League team won a 2018 US Youth Soccer National Championship late last month because of its playing style. Despite only having 10 players on the field after a red card, Beach FC wore down Cleveland FC in the championship game by keeping possession of the ball. When coach Robert DeMelo brought in fresh legs off of the bench in double overtime, Amanda Scott scored the game-winning goal with about five minutes left to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy letting the ball do the work it\u2019s less running and less physicality,\u201d DeMelo said. \u201cSo, when you get to that sixth game (of a tournament) you still have a little bit left. If you chase for five games, you get to a final and you\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barcelona FC has become one of the most successful professional soccer clubs in the world by playing that patient ball-control style, and that\u2019s what Beach FC wants to look like. By keeping the ball away from the opponent while building from the back, Beach FC can create offense all over the field against a tired, spread-out defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have urgency, but at the same time we\u2019re more calm, collected and together than other teams,\u201d said national champion Sophia Cole. \u201cOur movement is probably what makes us stand out the most. I think that\u2019s why we won. Sometimes other teams are just kicking it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The distinct style has helped Beach FC win five national championships since LBSU women\u2019s soccer coach Mauricio Ingrassia established it in 2008. Ingrassia coaches the same style at LBSU, but said it wasn\u2019t his plan to have it influence Beach FC.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt kind of evolved,\u201d Ingrassia said. \u201cThat style of play was built more by inspiration than command. Our coaches saw it be successful. Now, if the two teams playing weren\u2019t wearing jerseys, you\u2019d still know which team is Beach FC.\u201d<\/p>\n

In order to hoist the national championship trophy, Beach FC won five games in three days<\/span> in Frisco, Texas by a combined score of 10-2. Goalkeeper Zora Standifer delivered the shutout in the championship game, and Sydney Saypack was named tournament MVP with six goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t call it a team, I would call it a family,\u201d Cole said. \u201cThey\u2019re literally my sisters. Everyday I\u2019m like, \u2018wow, I\u2019m so lucky to be a part of this team\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Los Altos<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Last week, the 12U All-Star softball team reached the Babe Ruth Cal Ripken World Series in Florida after winning the Pacific South West title.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two Los Altos Youth Baseball & Softball teams reached uncharted territory this summer.<\/p>\n

In June, the 12-70 All-Star baseball team hosted and won the Cal Ripken Southern California Championships. It also hosted the Pacific South West Regional last month. Last week, the 12U All-Star softball team reached the Babe Ruth Cal Ripken World Series in Florida after winning the Pacific South West title.<\/p>\n

Some of the games in Florida were broadcast on ESPN.<\/p>\n

Belmont Shore Rugby<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Belmont Shore Rugby Club is sending two of its amateur college-aged teams to New York this weekend for the 2018 USA Rugby Club 7\u2019s Championship.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Belmont Shore Rugby Club is sending two of its amateur college-aged teams to New York this weekend for the 2018 USA Rugby Club 7\u2019s Championship.<\/p>\n

Belmont Shore Rugby is the only club in America to send\u00a0 multiple representatives more than once. Its 15\u2019s team won the Pacific Rugby Premiership in the spring, and lost a national championship game by one point.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Five Long Beach youth sports organizations\u2014baseball, softball, water polo, soccer and rugby\u2014are competing in multiple national tournaments this summer. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":16445,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[13],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-98","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-the562","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=98"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=98"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}