SPOTLIGHT: 8U Coach Pitch Baseball Cardinals
Do we have any other parents or grandparents out there that leave your kiddo’s game hoarse?! We love hearing about parents + grandparents cheering on their children from the stands while coaches are seeing change + development + growth happening in the dugout, on the field, and beyond!
Meet Lucas, his coach David, and grandmother Julia from the 8U Coach Pitch Baseball Cardinals.
Lucas Rodriguez – 8U Coach Pitch Baseball
8 Years Old
2nd Year with RBI Austin
8U CP Cardinals
Q:Is this your first year with RBI Austin?
Lucas: No, it’s my fourth. I’ve been playing baseball for RBI for two years.
Q: How did you hear about RBI?
Lucas: My grandma.
Q: Why did you want to play baseball out of all sports?
Lucas: I’m not sure.
Q: But you like it though?
Lucas: Correct.
Q:What is something you hope to learn this season?
Lucas: I’m not sure yet…
Q: Is there a position you want to get better at though?
Lucas: Catcher. I played it once and I liked it! I would want to get better at second and pitcher though.
Q: Why do you think it’s important to play on a team sport?
Lucas: Because you have a team and it doesn’t feel super good to not be on a team.
Q: Why do you like having your teammates?
Lucas: They help me get better!
Q: What is something you always look forward to when playing baseball?
Lucas: Games. You can play different positions and you can get points, but at practice you don’t get points.
Q:What’s your favorite baseball team?
Lucas: The Astros.
Coach David Brahmall
8U CP Cardinals
2nd Year RBI Austin coach
Q: How did you hear about RBI?
David: So I moved to Austin about five years ago, and I played baseball growing up. I had always been interested in volunteering and coaching baseball. I had some good friends at work that had coached for RBI and I had always wanted to do it and it sounded interesting but it never worked out until last year.
Q: What brought you back this year to coach again?
David: My co-coach Alex and I coached last year and we had a really good time with the kids — teaching them, helping them to engage, develop, and transform. Last year, over half our team had never seen a baseball before. We had to teach them how to throw, how to run, how to get excited, and how to love the game. It was amazing to see our team, who at the beginning of the season was getting crushed, end the season winning a game in the playoffs. It was just amazing to see their skills develop and their attitude and determination change, not just in the game but beyond the field. Hopefully that translates to life, seeing that made me want to come back. We had four or five kids from last year, like Lucas, come back so we want to continue to serve them. Just to be able to do that again with more kids and be able to mentor them during the baseball season.
Q: Who is one of the biggest influences on your life?
David: I would say my dad. As far as baseball goes. He loved baseball, played baseball growing up, taught me baseball. While my wife and I don’t have kids yet, I hope to teach them baseball at some point. Right now, I’m just hoping to teach other kids. But yeah, my dad for sports and life in general. I feel like he always taught me to have to power to succeed and to drive and to also encourage and help other people. He’s been a big influence on me in a lot of ways.
Julia Castillo
Grandmother of Lucas Rodriguez
2nd Year with RBI Austin
8U CP Cardinals
Q: What is one reason why you feel that a team sport is important?
Julia: I think its because of friendship and learning it’s not just about you. And working well with others. Learning that it’s “We did it, we did it together”, I think is awesome. Coaches like Coach David bring a lot to helping these kids promote each other and cheer each other on and be good sports to the other team. I like it when I see one of the teammates or Lucas high-five another kid coming off of the plate whether they hit the ball or didn’t.
Q: How do you think baseball or sports in general help #BeyondTheField?
Julia: Everywhere you go and everywhere you work you’re going to be working with a group to achieve something. Watching kids learn to do that and to respect each other and look past faults and difficulties and still be good sports about everything is really a life skill. It’s a skill you need when you go to work and for the rest of your life.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about having Lucas play baseball?
Julia: I come from Oklahoma and we only do baseball. Coming and watching these kids every game is amazing, watching them in the field is amazing, watching them achieve something and grow in self-confidence is [just amazing]. I leave here hoarse every game, I have no voice after every game.