Minors ready for a major-good time as 1st-time A.L.L All-Stars

It might take a second or two for the average 9-year-old Ahwatukee ballplayer to understand what it means to be picked as an "All-Star."

But once they put on the vaunted black and teal jersey representing Ahwatukee Little League, "They'll know," says 2009 minors head coach Mike Popeck.

"I'm sure there will be a more than a few that are like that," Popeck said last week, just a few hours before his players were to receive their uniforms. "I think you'll see some pretty happy faces when they slip that thing on for the first time."

For the 2009 All-Star campaign, Popeck is charged with guiding an entire team that might be in that boat - not knowing what to expect.

While the minors All-Star team can be made up of 9- and 10-year-olds - giving players two years to play on the same team, Popeck said his team is "a bit young this year," noting that every player is seeing his All-Star experience.

"I was used to last year in the majors where I saw the bigger kids and the better kids, but jumping down to 10 it's just a different look," admits Popeck, whose older son, Michael, was a member of last year's District 13-champion A.L.L. Majors team. Popeck's younger son, Evan, is one of 12 players on this year's minors roster.

The elder Popeck said that not only could the level of competition be a surprise to some of the youngsters on his team, but also the style of play too, with a few advanced rules being introduced to the players for the first time.

During the regular season, four outfielders play during Minor-division games, compared to three in All-Star competition. The A.L.L. Minors teams also play on traditional softball fields during the regular season, which sport primarily dirt infields, compared to grass during All-Star season.

"It's a huge step for these kids, going from that, to playing on grass fields, 210-foot fences, three outfielders instead of four ... you have to know how to steal too, and they've only been stealing bases for half of the season."

"There's a lot to teach these kids in two weeks," he notes of the time between the team's being picked and the start of District 13 play, which kicks off this weekend with Saturday's opening ceremonies, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Tempe Sports Complex.

Popeck said that all the preparation in the world won't change the fact that the players are going to have to work through some of the new aspects of the game on their own - something he and assistant coach Bill Weaver are just fine with, he said.

"I can't get out there and throw a ball for a kid, I can't get out there and swing a bat. That's what they have to do. All I can do is give them guidance, and try and give them the right attitude to go out and do what's best," Popeck said. "All I hope is that they come back in at the end of the day and say, ‘I gave it my all. If we won - great. If we lost - fine. But I gave it my all.'"