About the team
The Stealth 12U Club Baseball Team is made up of 11 and 12 year old players from the Scottsdale/North Phoenix area. Started in 2011, the Stealth 9U team was formed primarily with Cal Ripken All-Star players. The manager, Taum Hemmingsen, had a vision of taking the players from 9U to 12U, culminating in a dream trip to Cooperstown. That day has arrived! Each year, the Stealth have averaged 60-70+ games and 20 tournaments per year. As with all teams, dedication and loyalty of players, families, and coaches are required – working through thick and thin, wins and losses, good times and bad, pinnacles and slumps, all of which provide teaching moments and life lessons – now about to culminate in a memory of a lifetime this summer, as they head to Cooperstown, NY.
The Stealth is a family affair - Parents, grandparents and siblings spend weeknights and weekends helping at practice and supporting the players. They reinforce the coaches’ teachings of learning what it means to be part of a team and understanding the strategy of the game. The time, energy, resources, finances and encouragement required from the parents is extraordinary and demonstrates an incredible commitment to their player’s growth and development through baseball.
The Stealth focus is on more than skill development. It is also on learning to compete at a higher level, which takes hours of practice and dedication. It’s learning to win humbly and lose graciously. It’s developing a sense of teamwork and teaching players the need to not only excel as individuals, but rely upon the capable assistance of others. It gives valuable life lessons in fair competition and it provides a forum and venue for parent-youth interaction on a regular basis. It rewards excellence yet does not criticize failure. It encourages participation in our national past-time that exemplifies sound life-skills.
As the Stealth comes into the final quarter of the season playing at the Majors level against teams that advance them to the next level, they never lose sight of why we play the game; to have fun, make friends, and teach our players how to grow physically and mentally and with responsibility, effort, and sportsmanship.