SCHOOL: I go to a private school called Redeemer Lutheran. It’s for babies through 8th grade.
CAREER DREAMS: What do you want to be when you grow up? A major league baseball player. I would want to play outfield or 2nd base. Probably left field.
TEAMMATES: Who’s your best friend on the team? Gio. Gio and Braelyn. Braelyn is #9.
FAVORITE BASEBALL PLAYER:I have two. Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve. Aaron Judge plays right field for the Yankees and Altuve plays 2nd base for the Astros.
BEST ADVICE: What is something that you’ve learned from your dad? Hustle a lot in any sport. Coaches notice that. Like when you sprint to your position they notice that you’re working hard.
Parent: Jimmy Naumann
RBI KIDS:One son, Jamie, is 12 years old.
TIME with RBI:I’ve known Matt since before RBI started. I’ve always coached, and I’ve been on the board a little. This is my first season not coaching. He’s played since he was 7 so this is probably our 5th season with RBI.
PROGRAM VALUE: What do you think Jamie gains the most from being involved with RBI? He goes to a private school so it’s pretty small pool of people. It’s awesome for Jamie to get to meet all different kids and know them for years and play with them through different seasons. The baseball side is good but socially RBI is fantastic for him.
PROUD PARENT: When is a time when you were most proud of Jamie? To be completely honest, there was a time when he was getting picked on and I told him to solve it by beating the kid up. He kept saying no, and when I asked why he wouldn’t, he said ‘Jesus wouldn’t want that.’ It was really eye opening because he’s right and I got to learn from him in that situation. That was awesome for me because we read these bible stories every night and go to church but I got to see it in action right in front of me.
FAVORITE BASEBALL MEMORY: Do you have a favorite baseball memory? I never thought I would have a son because I was a little bit older when we had him so everything we’ve done together is so special to me. He’s an only child and since he was 2 years old we spend tons of time together just hitting in the cage or at home. I found a pendant that has bats shaped like a cross and it says I swing for him. That means a lot to me because that’s what we’ve done. We hit, we pray, and it’s been unbelievable for me. It’s something I never thought I’d have so I try to stop regularly and thank God. It’s great when he has a great game but just our time working out together is so special to me.
Coach: Ricky Gomez
TIME with RBI:This is actually my first season with RBI. So far it’s good. The kids are great, they have great attitudes, and they love baseball. I got involved with RBI because baseball was a big part of my life growing up and I really wanted to get involved in something like this.
BACKGROUND: So you played sports growing up? I did. My dad was my coach and I’m not as hard on them as he was on me, but it was a bond that I remember to this day. It taught me a lot of values and a lot about life and I wanted an opportunity to give back to the kids and have some fun with it too. My hidden talent is actually bowling. I was the captain of the bowling team and we won four city championships.
FAVORITE RBI MEMORY: Do you have a favorite RBI memory so far? I did today. Today, for the first time, I passed out a game ball to someone that I thought really demonstrated the RBI values, uplifted his teammates, and gave it his all. I gave it to Ty and when I gave it to him, he had the biggest smile on his face. It meant a lot to see that and see how much these kids care. With baseball, a lot of kids get down on themselves and he had a rough start but he kept his head in it and pulled it together.
LEARNING FROM THE PLAYERS: What’s something that you’ve learned from Jamie? Jamie is the nicest kid I’ve ever met. After each game and practice, he comes up to me and says “thank you.” With little things like that, you realize that everyone’s watching you. He reminds me to just be kind to people. Sometimes as a coach, it gets to be a little difficult, but watching Jamie is a reminder to be kind no matter what.
PROGRAM VALUE: What do you think you gain from being involved with RBI? Definitely getting better with kids. You also cherish things and appreciate things a little more. After my first game, I called my parents to thank them. As a kid you don’t realize everything your parents do for you and although I’m not a parent, it’s given me the value of being appreciative and supportive. You never know whose life you can impact. In just 3 weeks, RBI has already given me something that will stay with me forever.
TEAM: 12U Baseball Nationals
