EMERSON, Ga. – With all of the hype that surrounds tournaments as big as this week’s 2015 16u WWBA National Championship, it is easy to forget that baseball is simply a game. Of course, a lot of importance is put on winning and building your brand as an individual player, but it is always necessary to remember that there are things that take place in life that eclipse the game of baseball. Hardships are experienced throughout this journey that we call life, and it helps us to remember that there is much more in this world that matters besides our immediate personal endeavors.

Every now and then, people are hit with the harshest reality of all; death. How one deals with losing a loved one varies from personality to personality, but something that is true for all is that it provides a different perspective that one can only gain from going through that kind of devastating loss. Whether it makes or breaks you is up to you, but with that being said, it is no easy task to recover from losing a loved one.

All one can do is try to is turn that loss into something positive, and that is what the Elite Squad Scrappers are doing this summer ever since the passing of their beloved coach, Sergio Ambros.

Ambros, who was the head coach for the Elite Squad Scrappers 16u team this year, was instrumental in starting up the Elite Squad Baseball program. The program started in 2006 with one team, and Ambros really pushed them to create more teams and build the organization into what they are today. Since 2006, Elite Squad has put over 300 kids in college, and they have also won some very big tournaments. In 2011, they won this event, the 16u WWBA National Championship, and the next year they won the inaugural 17u PG World Series as the South Florida Elite Squad. Since then, they have had multiple final four finishes.

Just by speaking to those close to him, one can tell that Ambros was the kind of man that was filled to the brim with passion. Being around the game of baseball and passing on knowledge that he had gained throughout years on the ball field to aspiring young players is something that Ambros may have been most passionate about, and during his years spent with Elite Squad Baseball, he was able to touch the hearts of hundreds of kids.

Not only was Coach Ambros able to make a difference in the lives of the players that went through his program, but he was also able to do the same with his fellow coaching comrades; most notably, Elite Squad Director and Coach Richie Palmer.

Coach Palmer had known Ambros throughout his younger playing days as just another coach, but on one fateful day whilst Palmer was sitting in the stands watching another team play, Ambros called Palmer over to sit with him and from there, a friendship was formed. Ambros was able to make a huge impact on Coach Palmer’s life, and in a sense, Palmer feels like Ambros was a father figure for him.

“For me personally, it’s losing the person who was closest to me in my life,” Palmer said of Ambros. “He was like another father figure to me, and a best friend. I talk to him more than I talk to my father. We would talk a couple of times a day, and he would call me for no other reason than to just check on me and see how I’m doing. He was there for me in the biggest moments of my life, and so for me personally it’s a huge loss, but all we can try to do is go out there and play with the same kind of passion that he had when coaching these kids.”

The nature of Ambros’ passing was grueling, as he collapsed with a massive heart attack on the baseball field while his players were warming up and getting ready for their next game. Those close to him say that his final breath being taken on the diamond is how he would have wanted to go out, considering the love and passion that he had for teaching the game of baseball. Although dealing with the loss of Coach Ambros has been extremely tough on those surrounding Elite Squad Baseball, it has brought everyone involved with the program together.

“Believe it or not, I think it has brought a lot of people closer than they were before,” Palmer added. “People who were barely involved with program have reached out to us because they knew how much he meant to this program. The biggest thing that we can do is have as much passion as he had for this organization, and implement that in our players.”

In situations like this, it is easy to mourn and dwell on the loss, but these players and coaches know that Coach Ambros is watching from above and they use that as inspiration to play harder each time that they step between the lines. Coach Ambros always wanted his teams to play with energy and focus, and that’s what the boys are trying to do this week at the 16u WWBA National Championship.

“Without a doubt these kids are playing more inspired,” Palmer said of the Scrappers, a team re-named in honor of their fallen leader. “Our 17u group played in a tournament just the other week that they finished very well in, and many of the players on that team were coached by Coach Ambros. You could tell that Coach was with that team on their playoff run, and a lot of games we came back from behind and ended up winning when we really weren’t supposed to.

“You could tell that Coach was with us every step of the way on that special run. These players have been battling their hearts out every single game, and win or lose, these guys have fought to the end. I’m proud of them and I know Coach Ambros is proud of them too.”

When the players of the Elite Squad Slugger’s third team started this summer under Coach Ambros, they fully bought into the philosophy that he was preaching. Ambros knew that his team didn’t have the talent, size or tools that other top teams in the country would have, but what he did know was that his team was going to play harder and with more passion than anyone else.

The players subscribed to that mentality, and were able to post a record of 13-4 to start the summer. They beat teams that were heavily favored to win because of the heart that they displayed on the field. Even though their official name was the Sluggers, Ambros always called them the 'scrappers' because of their scratch-and-claw attitude when they were down in a game. His team’s tenacity was unmatched.

Since the passing of Coach Ambros, Coach Palmer has taken over responsibilities as the head coach of this team, and the players have continued that same attitude. One player who is a prime example of the passion that Coach Ambros passed on to these kids before his death is outfielder Brandon Dudley. Even though Ambros was only able to spend two months with this team, Dudley feels like Ambros made a huge impact on them.

“Well I only knew Coach Ambros for two months, but his coaching style was unforgettable,” Dudley said. “The way he coached and the way he could change his team, he was the happiest man out there. He kept us up when we were down and we were able to make comebacks that we could never make before, and he was that type of coach that just gave you energy. Just him being on the field, his personality made you want play hard and win the game for him.”

At such a young age, dealing with death is quite foreign, but the players of this 16u Scrappers squad have shown maturity beyond their years and have handled it in a manner that Coach Ambros would have wanted them to.

“The first couple of days after he died, we were all in complete shock,” Dudley added. “It hurt a lot, but knowing that he passed doing what he loved, it has inspired us to play hard and prove that we are the team that he wanted us to be. We want to prove that we are the Scrappers, because we go out there and we work, practice, and play for him. So every day before the game, we pray, and Coach Ambros is on our mind.”

So far this tournament, the Scrappers are an even 3-3. They picked up a huge win against the Huntington Hounds on Tuesday afternoon in a game that featured some heavy offense, as the Scrappers put up 15 runs. They will more than likely not be advancing to the playoffs, but they look forward to their next tournament and will continue to play with Coach Ambros in their minds and hearts.

“We’ll never be able to really replace him; he was that special of a person and that special of a coach,” Coach Palmer said. “The only thing we can do is, like I’ve said before, do everything the way he would’ve wanted to; with passion, with dignity, and with integrity. We hope to continue his legacy through us.”