Pre & Post MLB RBI Tournament in Seattle for the All-Star Game
Up2Us Sports coach and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Field Champion DeAndre Dukes has seen success for his team on and off the field throughout 2023. He began his coaching journey as a volunteer coach for his son’s baseball team 11 years ago and never looked back, stating, “I always pour everything I have into everything that I do, that’s my personal philosophy and that’s what I apply to my coaching.” He first heard about the opportunity to be a Field Champion from a former coworker at his coaching site and jumped on the opportunity to work alongside a storied franchise.
Dukes was elected as a coach for this year’s Dodgers Dreamteam Nike RBI Junior Division regional team, spearheaded by the MLB Youth Academy. He worked to build the chemistry and bonds between the team in the weeks leading up to their regional tournament in Seattle during the 2023 MLB All-Star Week. Through preparation and hard work, the team successfully returned home with the Western Region Championship and punched their ticket to the Jr. Baseball World Series in Vero Beach, Florida. After the event, Dukes recalled players that impacted the tournament stating, “We had players like Leon Wang and Orion Bell making game-saving hits, bunts, catches, and pitches that saved our tournament life. I wish these games were televised because I want the world to see what these kids were capable of.”
“I always pour everything I have into everything that I do, that’s my personal philosophy and that’s what I apply to my coaching.”
Photo courtesy of Coach Dukes.
Jackie Robinson Tournament in Florida
Coach Dukes was challenged with having a team spread thin with differing schedules and tournaments leading up to the Jr. Baseball World Series but he approached the lead-up as he would with any other tournament. He ensured that the team was bonding throughout practice and made connections throughout the entire experience. The team was focused on having fun and winning games, “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy… We knew the end goal was to win and it helped shape us individually and collectively as a team, we meant business. On the coaching side, I wanted to make sure we had fun, that’s number one.” Keeping the team on the same page mentally was a big focus for Coach Dukes, he ensured the team had ample time together and had team rituals during practice and games to keep the team unified.
Once the tournament came, his team was ready for competition from around the World. Coach Dukes stated, “We could have lost a couple of those games, but we found a way to bear down, win games, and stay unified. It speaks to the bonding work we had before and during the tournament.” His highlight from the tournament was seeing the families come out to support their kids and seeing what the power of sports can do to uplift the lives of the kids playing. The Dodgers Dreamteam came just short, dropping the championship match but for Coach Dukes and his team, they came out victorious nonetheless, “We lost the championship game but so much happened throughout that journey, we won. We really won individually, collectively, and we all got each other’s back.” The team has built lifelong friendships throughout their tournament journey and can all share the love of sports.
“We lost the championship game but so much happened throughout that journey, we won. We really won individually, collectively, and we all got each other’s back.”
Photo courtesy of Coach Dukes.
Malakai Pruitt Recognized for Breaking Barriers Essay Award
In addition to his impact on the team on the field, Coach Dukes used his Up2Us Sports training to identify a trigger in one of his players named Malakai Pruitt. He pulled Pruitt aside for a heart-to-heart that inspired him to write about his life experiences in the Breaking Barriers essay competition. Pruitt would not only get recognized by MLB RBI but also was able to throw the first pitch at a Dodgers game against division rivals San Francisco Giants.
“On the coaching side, I wanted to make sure we had fun, that’s number one.””
Photo courtesy of Coach Dukes.
Life After Coaching
Coach Dukes has reached his fourth and final year as a Field Champion coach for Up2Us Sports and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation but he says his coaching plans are not coming to an end anytime soon. “The moment we landed on LA soil two things happened, I was a better person and I was a better coach. I’m working to get certified as a physical trainer to help these kids even more now.” He saw the level of fitness and competition from around the World when his team played at the tournaments and saw the disparity between accessibility to proper physical training and instruction stating, “I saw some of the kids out there are in shape and they have the training so I feel it’s my responsibility to go back to my community and get my kids in shape and get them well prepared to play at the highest level they can.” Coach Dukes’ mission is clear, he wants to make people fall in love with baseball and wants to give kids in his community opportunities to matter. Some might say he has already accomplished his mission this year, but for Coach Dukes, his journey is just getting started.
Coach Dukes wanted to thank Up2Us Sports for the training he has received throughout his coaching career and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation for the opportunity of a lifetime that led him to impact the lives of so many.
DeAndre served as Up2Us Sports Field Champion coach at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation in Los Angeles from February 2020 to August 2023 thanks to support from AmeriCorps.
