Michael "Mikey" Valdez was once a young boy on a little league baseball team from Fort Worth, Texas, who debuted from the small field in their hometown to the US finals. This incredible event became a story he could tell to his children and the story he would tell to the whole world. With the luck they needed to be as successful as they were, a movie surrounding this experience would soon come out a little over two decades later.
"I am very grateful that they have brought our story to life on the big screen," Valdez said. "I knew it was a special time in our lives, but we never thought it would become this big."
Valdez was a member of a Little League World Series team from the Westside Little League team that inspired the production of "You Gotta Believe," a movie that tells the story of the team that made it to the US finals in 2002. Valdez was able to work closely with the movie writer to help perfect the performance portrayed by the actor who would be representing his character.
"We got a rough script about three years ago. I was able to talk to Lane Garrison, the writer, a good amount," Valdez said. "We had some very interesting conversations about my life and how he could portray that in the movie."
Valdez was all for how Jacob Mazeral took the role of a younger Valdez. Knowing how much he appreciated the portrayal of his character and the production team reaching out to Valdez for his input, the movie seemed to be an overall hit. However, as with every great success, there are also some downsides and differences.
"A big difference in the movie is in the beginning it showed that we were a pretty weak team," Valdez said. "In reality, that team was working since we were five years old every season getting better and better."
Despite this mistake being included, Valdez says he wouldn't change anything about the movie if given the opportunity. He believes the directors, writers and production crew did an amazing job at bringing the team's story to life. Adding to the exciting development of the movie, the lesson that was said to be conveyed was a great addition not only to the film but to any sports player's athletic life.
"A great lesson in the movie is to learn how to be a part of a team and play for something bigger than yourself," Valdez said.
Seeing how other coaches were teaching their players and noticing how they weren't receiving the improvement they were aiming to achieve, he followed the next big step in his baseball career. Valdez, still learning to grow as a baseball player, soon decided to teach younger baseball players and became a coach of about 10 years.
"I saw what other guys were doing and they weren’t helping these kids develop and get to the next level. I knew I had the skill set to help them," Valdez said, "I started to do research and worked hard to make the best select club I could that truly cared about the player and their future. We have grown into one of the top organizations in Dallas-Fort Worth with over 20 teams."
But to become the great coach he was, he had to be a great player. Once his time in the little league had come to an end, he continued to play as he grew older. He played on the Central Heights High School baseball team in 2016 which was just as successful as the Little League. They even made it to the UIL Texas State Finals.
"The hard work and dedication that it takes every day to become your best," Valdez said. "In baseball, there aren't many days off. There is always something you can do to better yourself, just like life."
After high school, he continued on his studies and baseball career at Texas Wesleyan University and Texas A&M in Corpus Christi. In later years, the movie crew for “You Gotta Believe” reached out to him and his former teammates which provided them with the perfect opportunity to catch up and be reminded of their favorite memories from all those years ago.
"This was a great time for all of us to get back together and catch up," Valdez said. "Just having fun with all my buddies. Playing as hard as we could, never knowing when our last game would be."
Baseball has been all that Valdez has known his whole life. From swinging the bat since he could remember, to his family being involved in the major leagues, it has become a part of his DNA. Baseball has always held a very important significance for his family and himself.
"Baseball is in my blood, my family loves baseball and I have an older cousin who played at TCU, professional for 10 years and in the Olympics. He was someone who I looked up to big time," Valdez said, "His name is Paul Gonzalez, he now lives in Brisbane, Australia, runs a professional baseball team and is on the Olympic committee for Australia."
Valdez's long and successful baseball career took him from a developing player to an experienced coach and has taught him things that he can now pass on to future athletes.
"Give 100% in whatever you were doing," Valdez said. "That work ethic will translate into the real world when you are older, whether it's work or family life."
Whether it’s on or off the field, doing your best within your passions will always lead to a successful and happy life. Valdez gave it 100%, and in the end, he got a successful career and endless wisdom. Life always throws curve balls at some of us, but it’s how you face it that changes the outcome of your life.