For the first time in over three decades, Coronado Little League is introducing a new annual award: the Teammate of the Year Award.
Since its founding in 1953, the league has prided itself on fostering sportsmanship, teamwork and community spirit, said the league’s president, Doug Barker.
Historically, the league has recognized contributions through four annual awards honoring umpires and players who exemplify sportsmanship at various levels.
Proposed by the Coronado Optimist Club, the Teammate of the Year Award will recognize one player from each of the league’s 36 teams, from T-ball to juniors.
Unlike the existing sportsmanship awards, which focus on interactions with opposing teams, this honor highlights players who demonstrate dedication, encouragement and selflessness within their own teams.
“It’s not about winning or self-glory,” Barker said. “It’s about being a great teammate and helping your team be successful by doing whatever is necessary to cause that to happen.”
Each team’s coaching staff will select the recipient based on their observations throughout the season, making the selection process inherently subjective but rooted in consistent, positive behavior.
The awards will be presented at the league’s end-of-season ceremony in late May.
Although the award is in its inaugural year, Barker said he believes its impact will grow over time as parents and players embrace the concept.
“It doesn’t take skills or abilities to be the teammate of the year,” he said. “It’s a behavioral thing, and I think it’s going to be much more in full bloom next year and beyond.”
The concept of the award came about serendipitously when members of the Optimist Club, including Paul Machin and Mark Blumenthal, ran into Barker outside of the Coronado Rec Center after a club meeting in February.
With 422 young athletes participating this season, Barker said he hopes that the award will instill a lifelong appreciation for teamwork and camaraderie — values that extend beyond the baseball field.
“If our players learn this lesson at ages 4 through 15, they will carry it forward in life — in business, in social settings, in every environment they encounter,” he said.
