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Joe Saiz' Field Helps Build Dreams for Young and Old

March 1, 2001 – Senior Softball-USA

It was 14 years ago that Joe Saiz labored to level and plant a ballfield in his backyard in Orangevale, California. It took two years of work, but the pristine infield, batting and pitching cages have provided several hundred kids and scores of senior players with a place to perfect their dreams.

"I built the field a year before I started playing senior softball, said Saiz, 63, who plays in the 60+ division of the Golden Seniors Softball Club in Sacramento. "This is an instructional field ˆ there wasn't enough room for a full outfield ˆ but the infield is very flat and the kids and seniors love it," he said.

Saiz worked for the Sacramento City Unified School district for 37 years as a warehouse supervisor and textbook coordinator before retiring 5 years ago.

But the native Sacramentan played ball since he was a kid and has coached kids aged 9 to 12 in Pony Baseball for the better part of 20 years.

"When I was growing up, many of the older ball players took the time to play catch with us or hit us fly balls," said Saiz. "I was the bat boy for some of the (older) players in senior ball today when I was a kid.

"In this day and age, no one has the time," said Saiz.

As many as 4 teams of youngsters come out to his Coaches Corner, as Saiz calls it, every week for drills. He also runs a Fantasy Camp over the winter for about 20 boys and girls, who work on whatever ball skill they choose one-on-one with Saiz and other coaches.

"I have coaches who are from the (Sacramento) Golden Seniors," said Saiz. "We teach the kids to play and give them a positive attitude. It works well because the Golden Seniors are good players and they are 'grandpas', so the kids feel comfortable with them."

Saiz said the most critical age for the boys and girls he works with is 12.

"That is the turning point in their lives; it is the age when they have to learn control ˆ and sports help them channel their energy and learn control. We can't necessarily make them all great ballplayers, but we can help them realize that they are great kids," he said.

The seniors come out to practice on Sunday afternoons for 2 to 3 hours. The senior players, mostly in their 60s and 70s, come out before the season starts to warm up and during the season to work on their skills.

That's when Saiz, who plays third base, gets a chance to practice as well.

"I lost part of one finger and the use of another finger two years ago and that has slowed me down a little," said Saiz.

Other players disagree.

"He's still got one of the strongest throwing arms I've seen," said Bob Mitchell, who is SSWC president and has played with Saiz for several years on the Golden Seniors.

The best part of coaching these boys and girls, said Saiz, is the bond that builds.

"The kids get the feeling that somebody cares. They remember," Saiz said. "I even have the kids of a couple of boys I coached years ago."

Saiz's field may be small, but the work he and other senior coaches do ripples through the lives of generations of young ballplayers.