LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating the 2012 John A. Coleman Catholic
Statesmen Baseball Team upon the occasion of capturing the New York
State Class D Championship

WHEREAS, Excellence and success in competitive sports can be achieved
only through strenuous practice, team play and team spirit, nurtured by
dedicated coaching and strategic planning; athletic competition enhances
the moral and physical development of the young people of this State,
preparing them for the future by instilling in them the value of team-
work, encouraging a standard of healthy living, imparting a desire for
success and developing a sense of fair play and competition; and
WHEREAS, The 2012 Coleman Catholic Statesmen Baseball Team captured
the Class D State Championship title with a 2-0 victory over Oriskany on
Saturday, June 9, 20121 at the Class D State Championship, held at
Broome Community College; the team won their first state baseball title
since 1977, finishing the season with a 10-10 record; Mike Smithmyer was
the winning pitcher for Coleman Catholic, striking out 13 Oriskany
batters, and allowing only one hit; and
WHEREAS, The 2012 Coleman Catholic Statesmen Baseball team has seven
senior players this year; and
WHEREAS, Entering the tournament as the underdogs, the Coleman Cathol-
ic Statesmen Baseball team were not even given the chance to get out of
Section IX, let alone win a state title; the team entered the playoffs
with a 6-10 record, playing the defending Class D state champions to win
the Section IX title; in the state semifinals, the team defeated Fort
Ann 2-1, leading them on the road to a state title; and
WHEREAS, The athletic talent displayed by the 2012 John A. Coleman
Catholic Statesmen Baseball Team is due in great part to the efforts of
their coaching staff, a skilled and inspirational group of tutors,
respected for their ability to develop potential into excellence; the
team members were loyally and enthusiastically supported by family,
fans, friends and the community at large; and
WHEREAS, The hallmarks of the 2012 John A. Coleman Catholic Statesman
Baseball Team, from the opening game of the season to capturing the
Class D New York State Championship, were a brotherhood of athletic
ability, of good sportsmanship, of honor and of scholarship, demonstrat-
ing that these team players are second to none; and
WHEREAS, Athletically and academically, the 2012 John A. Coleman
Catholic Statesmen Baseball Team members have proven themselves to be an
unbeatable combination of talents, reflecting favorably on their school
and their community; the coaching staff have done a superb job in guid-
ing, molding and inspiring the 2012 Team members toward their goals; and
WHEREAS, Sports competition instills the values of teamwork, pride and
accomplishment, and the Statesmen Baseball Team's outstanding athletes
have clearly made a contribution to the spirit of excellence which is a
tradition of their school; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate the 2012 John A. Coleman Catholic Statesmen Baseball Team
upon the occasion of capturing the New York State Class D Championship;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the John A. Coleman Catholic Statesmen Baseball Team and its
coaches.