August 16, 2007
Aussie team visits Placentia
Youth group gets a close look at the American pastime and Southern California.
By LOU PONSI STAFF WRITER
PLACENTIA Disneyland, Universal Studios, Sea World and even Hooters.
The attractions are requisites on the itinerary of a youth baseball team from Australia, visiting Placentia for the California Competitive Youth Baseball World Series that offered various age divisions and involved nearly 100 teams.
Games were played at six sites last week in Placentia, Yorba Linda and Villa Park.
Six Placentia families are hosting the 13 Aussie Aces players, ages 12 to 15. The Australian team will stick around and hang out this week.
John Couch – an assistant coach for the Aces, from Adelaide, South Australia – said the group has been awed by the “overall hustle and bustle” of Southern California.
“Most people have been having a look around,” Couch said. “The women have been out shopping, of course.”
The team and their families attended the Red Sox-Angels game Wednesday and were guests of the Orange County Flyers professional baseball team at Cal State Fullerton’s Goodwin Field on Thursday. They plan to attend a Dodgers’ game.
“It was heaps good,” said Aces player Cameron Bobridge, 13, of the Angels game.
Couch said his players, getting their first taste of American baseball, have been impressed by the talent of their U.S. counterparts.
“Hopefully, some of these boys will take some of the inspiration back with them,” said Couch, who hopes to bring teams to the U.S. again.
Said 14-year-old Aces player Jay Sanderson: “They look disciplined and trained real well. They play …more often than we do.”
The Mayfield family hosted three Aces players.
“It’s amazing how children all around the world are the same,” said Christine Mayfield, a mother of three.
“I’m yelling at them the same, and praising and loving them the same.”
California Competitive Youth Baseball World Series
The travel ball tournament took place Aug. 4-1 1 on six fields in Yorba Linda, Placentia and Villa Park. Nearly 1 00 teams in seven age divisions participated. Teams came from throughout California,
Washington, Oregon and New York.
More Online
To see the Australians playing baseball and learning about America, see www.ocregister.com/placentia.