Wednesday, July 20, 2022
The Observer | www.theobserver.com
Sports & Recreation
Belleville’s Cristian Matos heads to Taiwan was major worldwide tournament
Hill and her players put on basketball camp for 100+ youngsters basketball or want to start the sport,” Hill said. “I had a couple of kids there for If Jody Hill had any the first time, just touching concerns about the interest the ball for the first time level of girls’ basketball and wanting to start the in the Town of Kearny, sport. The parents are like, this past week eased ‘Can my daughter sign up if any possible worries the she’s never played before?’ veteran coach could have Those are the kids I love had. It turns out Hill’s the most, let’s introduce biggest worry was making them to basketball. I hope sure there were enough they walk away loving the basketballs and T-shirts to sport.” go around. In addition to all the Hill hosted her annual campers, this week more Kearny Girls’ Basketball than any other showed Camp at Kearny High the level of commitment School last week, providing Hill has within her instruction to 103 girls varsity program. For aged 5-15. With such a four consecutive days, large number, which her players served as included roughly 40 samecounselors in the morning, day registrations, this then a few hours later, year’s version was arguably were back in the gym for the biggest in the more summer league basketball than 15 years Hill has run either in the league Kearny the camp. hosts or in the nearby “I was hesitant to even Bayonne league, which have the camp last year features some of North because of Covid. I think Jersey’s top programs. we had 70, maybe 75 kids In total, the girls last year and this year, we played double-headers on had 103,” said Hill, who Tuesday and Thursday in will be entering her 25th Kearny and on Wednesday season as Kardinals head in Bayonne. Even with coach this winter. “It was those games later in the just really good to see a day, many of the players gym full of kids. It feels like stuck around after camp life’s kinda getting back to put up more shots on to normal. I missed being the shooting machine for there and it was great to an hour before Hill had to get everyone back into the kick them out of the gym gym. I even had to order so they could get lunch and more shirts and balls for some rest. everyone.” “I told them this was For four straight going to be the week where mornings, it was a full gym we play the most basketball of girls learning the game that we’ve ever played,” under the instruction of Hill said, noting she has Hill, who scored more at least 12 girls for every than 2,000 points during a summer league game. “And storied career at Harrison. I wanted everybody to do What makes the camp everything in their power unique among those in the to show up and commit to area — it’s for girls only. this week because this is “The goal is just to get the kids who love See CAMP, Page 11 By Jason Bernstein
jason@theobserver.com
Photo by Jason Bernstein
Cristian Matos
By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com
Heather and Rafael Matos first knew that their younger son, Cristian, was a special talent when in a coaches pitch game, the then-7-year-old launched a home run over the left field fence at Belleville Recreation Field, hitting an unsuspecting car some 175 feet away from home plate. Next week, Cristian will get to show the whole baseball world what his family, friends and his hometown have known for a very long time. Now 12, Matos is traveling
more than 8,000 miles to represent Team USA at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Taiwan, scheduled for July 29 to Aug. 7. Some 18 players from across the country were selected for Team USA July 1, with Matos, a lefty-hitting catcher, being the lone player selected from the Northeast. “It was unreal. I was so nervous and when I was one of the last to be called, I was shaking,” said Cristian, who has grown to 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds. “Once I got called, it was a huge sigh of
relief.” “It’s definitely been great to be a part of it. You think about Little League and Little League World Series, events like that,” Rafael Matos said. “But playing for Team USA with those letters across your chest is something that’s really phenomenal. We’re so proud of him.” Prior to the selection, Matos was one of 36 players who participated in the 12U National Team Trials over five days in Cary, North Carolina. “Being in there with a See MATOS, Page 10
9
