Gig Harbor National Little League team comes up one win short

A mere 15 minutes after the Gig Harbor National Little League team had lost to Bainbridge Island, coach Justin Skogen heard something that brought him joy and eased the disappointment of falling just short of the state tournament.

He heard the boys on his team, mostly 12-year-olds, laughing, running, and playing baseball on a nearby vacant Gig Harbor Little League field.

“It made me feel better when I heard them chasing each other down, hollering and just having a good time,” Skogen said.

Call it a gentle reminder — albeit somewhat loud — that this was, after all, just a game.

“They lost and 15 minutes later, they’re out there playing a home run derby and they couldn’t care less,” Skogen said. “It’s just a game. The important thing is the friendships they build and the people involved.”

The Gig Harbor National team posted a 4-2 record in the district tournament, winning its opening game, 6-2,over North Kitsap American, its next game, 8-5 over South Kitsap Eastern and another game, 15-6 over North Kitsap National.

And then Gig Harbor pulled off the unlikely, beating perennial powerhouse Bainbridge Island, 2-0, on July 10.

“When we won that first one, we felt like we were in the driver’s seat,” Skogen said.

But Bainbridge Island bounced back, beating Gig Harbor, 3-0 on July 12 and then again the next day, 14-6, to advance to the state tournament and end Gig Harbor’s run.

“Bainbridge is an incredible group of kids and to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” Skogen said. “They’ve been the best since I’ve been in town.”

Skogen, 40, runs sales for a data and technology company based out of Georgia. He’s been coaching in Gig Harbor Little League for about five and a half years. His son, Andrew, is on the team. Skogen has been with the same team the past few years and has had a chance to watch the kids grow up before his eyes.

“I’ve been coaching nearly all of these boys for five years and it comes to a point where they’re kind of your boys, too,” Skogen said. “It isn’t just the baseball piece of it. When you’re doing these things year after year, you grow close to these kids.

“The most fun part is watching them grow as young human beings. They’re going through some life changes and if you can get them to focus and be passionate about something, it’s a heck of a lot of fun.”

For most of the boys on the team, Little League is over. They’ll start playing on different club teams, or just with their school teams.

For Skogen, it’s a bittersweet feeling.

“There’s no quit in any of those kids,” he said. “I’m not a real huge baseball guy. I was a football player and coach. I’m more of a motivator. For me to be out there with other dads who know more about the game than I do, the thing I take away is there’s no quit in those kids. They gave us 110 percent effort.

“I’m just really proud they left everything on the field. Bainbridge is just a better baseball team; you tip your cap and move on.”

Skogen had to promise his wife he would scale back his time commitment next season, so he’ll be stepping aside from coaching (at least for now). But he’ll still be around, helping take care of the Little League fields.