Damien High athlete’s Wiffle ball tourney aims to hit homer for Thanksgiving food drive

Tyler Tancredi, an 18-year-old Damien High School student leads the way with a firm belief in being nice and doing something to benefit someone else.

Tyler Tancredi’s training as an athlete is helping him in the home stretch of planning a big event.

The 18-year-old student at Damien High School in La Verne is busy signing up participants in the inaugural Cory Lidle Foundation Wiffle Ball World Series Thanksgiving Food Drive.

It’s a mouthful signifying a simple sentiment: help others.

“I felt very compelled to serve,” Tancredi said. “I spent plenty of time learning about service and the true meaning of service. I wanted to find a way that I could bring together friends, family and even strangers from around my community to be a part of something great.”

First, he assembled his team, starting with Kevin Lidle, president of the Covina-based Cory Lidle Foundation. Tancredi played baseball for Cory Lidle Baseball, named in honor of the late Yankees pitcher who died in a plane crash in 2007.

Cory and his twin brother Kevin grew up in Covina and graduated from South Hills High School in West Covina.

“Through this tournament, I plan on upholding the values and traditions that the foundation honors,” Tancredi said.

The event is set for Nov. 22, at the baseball field of Barranca Elementary, 727 S. Barranca Ave., Covina. More teams are welcome. Admission is a donation of a medium-sized portion of canned goods or nonperishable food item.

Kevin Lidle said it was easy to support Tancredi’s project.

“Ty’s greatest strength is his work ethic and his dedication to whatever he sets his mind to,” Lidle said. “And whatever Ty needs, Ty gets from the foundation.”

Proceeds from the tournament will go to the Palo Alto Project, a foundation founded by Luis Hernandez, Tancredi’s Spanish teacher at Damien High School in La Verne.

“Mr. Hernandez taught me my junior year, and over my time in his class, I learned a lot about the work he has done in Mexico, and I was extremely inspired,” Tancredi said.

Palo Alto is a small town in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where children and families are not blessed with the same opportunities and privileges that we have in America. Mr. Hernandez is a native of Mexico and dedicates plenty of his own time down in Mexico, giving the people, especially children, many opportunities to play sports, learn and grow.”

Tancredi, who is on the school’s baseball team, said he chose to play Wiffle ball because it makes it easy for everyone to play, or at least feel like a pro.

“Wiffle ball is a game that turned me, my friends and a field of grass into a group of Major League players playing in Game 7 of the World Series under the lights at Dodger Stadium,” he said.

Every single baseball player was raised on Wiffle ball. But at the same time, it can be played by anybody and you don’t have to be the most polished, strongest athlete to compete.”

Tancredi, who attended Mesa Elementary in West Covina and Sonrise Christian School in Covina, said his baseball training and competitive drive to accept a challenge is coming in handy in executing all the details that comes with planning a tournament.

“I truly believe that being nice and doing something to benefit someone else is something that should be at the forefront of everyone’s hearts, and if I can make a small difference by influencing those around me to do the same, I’m beyond happy with that,” he said.

That’s the main purpose of this event, along with some great Wiffle ball games.”

For more information, follow @626wiffle on Instagram and Twitter. Sign-up form here: www.instagram.com/626wiffle. Details on Instagram page: tinyurl.com/5cwfyzh8

Anissa V. Rivera, columnist, “Mom’s the Word,” Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, Azusa Herald, Glendora Press and West Covina Highlander, San Dimas/La Verne Highlander. Southern California News Group, 181 W. Huntington Drive, Suite 209 Monrovia, CA 91016. 626-497-4869.