Ear-to-ear smiles show the pride that the Madison Broncos developed during their first season as a travel team. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – The Madison Broncos travel baseball team has completed their inaugural season and kicked some dust in opponents’ faces.

The Broncos play in the six-and-under AA division of the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) — the first such team from Madison, Coach Jason Holder. Holder assembled coaches Jamie Jarrell, Chad Martin and Jeremy Lawson, who collaborated on instructing all aspects of the game.

The player roster included Braden Booth, Christopher Fitts, Tyler Holder, Noah Jarrell, Ryan Lawson, Ty Marsh, Camden Martin, Leyton Metcalf, Nic Persaud, Landon Pierce, Micah Rasnake, Kaden Rickard, Andrew Sellers, Jack Shaw, Jackson Smartt, Lamir Whitlow and Hunter Wiggins.

The coaches were motivated “to develop and grow skill levels of the six-year-olds in Madison and gain experience playing competitive teams from across the state,” Holder said.

“It was a great opportunity for our kids to continue to play baseball after the spring season,” Jeremy Lawson said. “Traveling gave them the chance to see some really good players and teams.”

The youngsters also experienced the tournament atmosphere. After late-spring practices, the boys started to grasp the game’s fundamental in only a few weeks and entered three tournaments.

“We taught them how to play big-boy baseball and, even though they were only six years old, they achieved a level of baseball far above their age,” Jason Holder said.

At their first competition in the Alabama State Tournament in Homewood, “the boys were excited and played extremely well, earning a tie in pool play against a Millbrook team and placing third overall,” Holder said. In Alabaster at the Central Alabama Team Appreciation Tournament, the Broncos proved a formidable opponent for Phenix City, Montgomery, and Alabaster teams.

“The Broncos played the top-seeded Alabama Sox in the semi-finals and led for most of the game before losing in the sixth and final inning,” Holder said.

In a Limestone County tourney, the Broncos took second place. “Even though we lost by one run, our players took something away that coaches can’t teach: Pride, determination, self,” Chad Martin said.