A few weeks ago, I heard an unmistakable sound on the sidewalk. A young man was approaching his house in full uniform, his baseball cleats clicking in tempo with his walk. Summer baseball.

Grant Fosberg, it turned out, was returning from an All-Stars game with the La Grange Park Little League, 13- to 14-year-old division. This All-Star team ended up winning the sectionals this year — a first in the league — and went on to be one of the five best teams in the state.

The All-Star team was coached by Dave Stachowicz, a resident of La Grange Park. Growing up in Brighton Park and playing baseball all of his life, he always loved the game. He played baseball for a few years after graduating from high school but found that it just wasn’t the same.

Stachowicz and his wife moved to La Grange Park in 1996, and he took his interest in baseball a few steps further. After making a few phone calls and meeting some people who were affiliated with the league in La Grange Park, he began coaching in 2002. Because he has no children, he was an anomaly among the coaching staff.

“I started coaching kids when I was 29 years old and in the last six years, my philosophy has changed a bit,” Stachowicz said.

He feels that it is his responsibility to impart his knowledge of the game to the youth in our community.

“If one of the kids wants additional practice, I can meet him and help him out. I can practice as much as they want.”

The teams that the La Grange Park All-Stars played were “phenomenal” and the La Grange Park program definitely has improved through the years.

“We are definitely in a position to compete with the other teams in the area,” Stachowicz said.
Currently, there are three regular seasons for the 13- to 14-year-old teams and they play at Memorial Park. In addition to Stachowicz, Bill Lorentz and Tom Mitchell also coach teams.

“We all coached the All-Stars together — we each bring a different style to the team and the kids respond differently to each of us,” Stachowicz said. “We coaches worked as a team, too.”

Stachowicz also coaches the boys to get ready for high school ball. He has seen his players go on to play at St. Joseph High School, Nazareth Academy, Riverside-Brookfield High School and Lyons Township.

“I tell the boys ‘Let me know when your games are, and I’ll come and watch you.’”

Because half of this team is coming back next year, Stachowicz feels they have a real shot at going to state. This year’s 13 to 14 year old All-Stars are:  Blake Beck, Connor Bedford, Jesse Espitia, Grant Fosberg, Mike Lorenz, Jimmy Mitchell, Mike Parra, Alec Ramp, Jake Reynolds, Joe Rodden, Gus Sandoval, Anthony Simonelli, Jeremy Walleck and Dylan Westerhoff.

Coach Dave, as he likes the boys to call him, feels fortunate to be in La Grange Park.
“I think this is a fantastic neighborhood — I can’t think of anything I would rather do than leave my footprint here through baseball.”