Young Chiefs Seek Winning Formula

Robert Ooley always wanted to coach baseball, though the circumstances under which he assumed the reins at Chamberlain High School this season weren’t optimum.

Ooley took over a month ago when Damon Ramirez was let go. Ramirez left teaching to return to Price Waterhouse and Coopers’ marketing staff, but he asked Principal Richard Scionti to remain as coach through what would have been his third season. However, Scionti preferred having someone on campus that could have a regular practice schedule, so he asked Ooley to step in.

Ooley, 29, is from the area, having graduated from Brandon High. He played college baseball at Florida College in Temple Terrace and Division II Limestone College in South Carolina.

He was teaching and coaching girls’ soccer in Georgia and moved back with his wife and child to Tampa prior to the school year to be closer to family.

The transition has been rough on the field, with the Chiefs starting the season 0-5. But it’s also been difficult off the diamond, with Ooley and his staff still getting to know his players and their ability level.

“It takes time,” said Ooley, who teaches biology and physical science. “We’re trying to build chemistry. We’re looking for guys who will settle into starting positions. It’s only been a month, so we’re still trying to figure that out ourselves.”

Chamberlain graduated 15 seniors from last year’s 7-17 team, leaving this year’s group comprised mainly of inexperienced freshmen and sophomores. Predictably, that has led to mistakes late in games costing the Chiefs.

“In each of the games the final score hasn’t been indicative of how we’ve played,” he said. “We’ve lost them late. We’ve fallen apart at the end.

“We’re young; scoring runs, putting the ball in play, that’s been a problem. We don’t have power, so we play small ball; get’em on, get’em over, get’ em in.”

Ooley said he’s seen glimpses of talent, but he preferred to not single out any players while he learns his team’s strengths.  

“We’re hanging in and battling with all these great teams. It’s the breakdowns late in games that are costing us,” he said. “That will come around. As we learn the players and what they are capable of doing we’ll make the decisions that will affect the game better late.”  

It may also help rebuild what was once a solid baseball tradition at Chamberlain.

“I’m here for the seniors, and I want to help them move on to the next level,” Ooley said. “But it’s good to see a good corps of kids coming in that we can hopefully build with.”