By Joe Kelly
As the frigid winter begins its slow, sluggish crawl into spring, Cape Cod is gearing up for high school baseball season. Upper Cape Tech, a small vocational high school in Bourne, just completed their tryouts. They are looking to fill a massive void left by nine seniors that graduated last year. The program fields three teams- varsity, jv, and a freshman squad. They compete in the Mayflower Athletic Conference. Last year, they had the league MVP Nolan Roach. Most impressively, the Rams are back-to-back Vocational Small School Champions. They have established themselves as a solid program who competes at a high level. With Head Coach Gabe Coutinho at the helm, Upper Cape Tech’s philosophy goes far beyond winning and losing. Many of the young men who take the field for the Rams are learning skills in the trades and working tirelessly to set themselves up for the future.
Hard Work and Maturity
Many UCT students are part of co-op programs, or as Coutinho says, “adult situations." He makes sure his players know the difference between real-life work and baseball. In his eyes, the players’ dedication and commitment to their career path gives them the right to enjoy the game of baseball. Because that’s what it is- a game.
“We don't work baseball, we play baseball, because we know what work is. We work. We go out there and work. But when we get to play baseball, it's playtime.”
As I spoke with the coach on the phone, I could hear the passion in his voice as he raved about the character of his players. He repeatedly remarked on their maturity.
“A lot of them I see, they're in co-op, they're starting out their careers, and they leave work and come here to practice and play. So we got a lot of respect for the kids playing baseball.”
I asked Coach Coutinho about some of the specific players leading the team. One of these players is senior Devyn Schulze, a right-handed pitcher who will be the team’s “horse” on the mound this year. Another is Mitchell Kirkland, an all-star catcher who can do it all on the diamond.
While Coach Coutinho is impressed with the on-field play of these two players, he seemed to be much more impressed with their work ethic off the field. Schulze is part of a horticulture program and Kirland is an electrician.
“Leadership wise, these are the hardest working kids, very mature. Our kids reach maturity pretty quick, because we've got them in adult situations working, like physically working.”
Coutinho explained that Schulze and Kirkland work with all adults all day and know what real responsibilities are as they spend the day trying to earn a paycheck. The game of baseball probably doesn’t qualify as one of these real responsibilities, but it does provide an environment for players to showcase their work ethic. Shulze, for example, uses his skills in horticulture to take care of the field at Doran Park, the home of the Rams.
“Maturity, man, I'm telling you. And if a kid's showing a little immaturity, well, we're going to teach him about what it is to be a man. A man is being 100% responsible for your actions.”
Making Mistakes
Anyone who's ever played the game of baseball knows the gut wrenching feeling that occurs when you make an error. It’s that numbing feeling that freezes your body in shame as a ball trickles through your legs. It’s that exact moment you swing the bat and feel nothing but air and you think, I just screwed this up for everyone. At UCT, Coach Coutinho does everything he can to make sure his players avoid the mental torture that baseball can inflict.
“I tell kids all the time, we do not put our self-worth on your performance on the baseball field. If you make an error, you're not a bum, right?. You made a mistake, right? It's baseball. Baseball’s tough. It is not for the faint of heart. It'll crush your soul if you allow it to.”
There is a feeling of liberation when players do not judge their self-worth by how they play the game. One of the biggest hindrances to success is fear. When fear ceases to exist, good things can happen. Baseball is a microcosm for this.
“Baseball teaches life…They'll play better than they've ever played in their life because the chains are off, they're not afraid to strike out, they're not afraid to play.”
Winning and Losing
We all know that high school sports are extremely competitive. The intense desire to win can be a great motivator, and many coaches want to win just as much as the players do. One thing that can fly under the radar, however, is that there is just as much value in losing as there is in winning. Coutinho keeps this in mind when his team takes the field.
“You win every time, every experience is a winning experience, because you learn from the failure, and when you go out there and it all goes your way, be humble, because that doesn't happen all the time.”
For a small Upper Cape Tech school, winning is not the primary goal. Gabe Coutinho, at least based on our conversation, seems to be immune to the competitive hypnosis that turns coaches and parents into crazy people hellbent on their kid’s playing time and winning. Instead, he is focused on playing the game the right way.
“We want to put all the emphasis on playing good baseball,” explained Coutinho. As for the final result of the game, he is content to let the chips fall where they may.
“At the end of the game, we add them up. If we won, we won, if we lose, we lose. If you watch us, we'll win, we'll lose- it’s like you don't even really really know. Did they win? Did they lose? We had fun.”
Coming Together as a Team
We see another insightful microcosm in how UCT blends students from different backgrounds to form one unified team. The team consists of players from several different towns such as Falmouth, Sandwich, Bourne, and even Marion. It’s the coach’s job to blend them all together in a way that produces the best results. While bigger Cape Cod public schools like Bourne or Barnstable will have a better idea of what their team will look like prior to the season, Upper Cape Tech has to do some extra work in assembling their squad in the right way.
“Upper Cape’s like America. We’ve got to blend all of our kids together from the different sending towns.”
Because UCT is picking from several different towns, there is a lot of untapped potential that is waiting to be discovered. Regardless of where each of the players resides, there is a good chance that they have a unique strength that could help the team. Coutinho wants to find those strengths . But he needs help doing so.
“I always tell the kids, part of your job at tryouts is to teach me. I want to discover what you're capable of…We blend them together and away we go.”
Building a Career
When I began speaking with the coach about the Rams’upcoming season, I did not anticipate that the discussion would delve into the complicated job market and the role of artificial intelligence. But here we are. With UCT being a vocational school, many of the students are seeking a career in the trades. Coutinho is confident that the skills students are developing will be necessary for the foreseeable future.
“The trades- they're not going away, man. AI is not taking away a plumber,” he explained.
Coutinho, who teaches collision repair at the school, said his industry is “out of their minds” trying to find enough kids to work in the field. Perhaps the brutal New England winter that we all just suffered through reminded us that ChatGPT isn’t able to pull our cars out of the snow or fix a broken windshield.
Given the demand for work in the trades, some high school students are opting to skip college and jump right into the workforce. One example? The former MVP Nolan Roche. According to Coutinho, Roche told him he was making “way too much money” to go to college. He is working as a plumber and is saving up to buy a house. Coutinho expounded on the mindset that many of his players have.
“If you saw some of the money these kids are making, like why would I go to college and have to pay when I’m making this much money with the opportunity to advance and go there?”
The Bottom Line
In a world where we are constantly inundated with bad news, it can often seem like the big picture of humanity is doomed. But when you really break it down, it may surprise you just how many positive developments are taking place across our communities. Just over the Sagamore Bridge, we are seeing a prime example of this. Gabe Coutinho is building up a culture of hard work and respect that is preparing young men for the rest of their lives.
“I tell the kids all the time, your parents need you. They need you. Our community needs you. The school needs you. Not just to what- to go play good baseball? To win? No. To grow into maturity and become leaders in the community. That's the bottom line.”
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