For Boilermakers, growth matters more than the scoreboard during 13U transition

Boilermakers Baseball - Philly Select League - Philadelphia Baseball Review

On a scorching Thursday night at Hatboro-Horsham High School, not much broke the Boilermakers’ way in a 6-0 loss to the CSA Bulldogs.

But even in defeat, head coach Jeff Rampulla, who also serves as an assistant coach at Upper Moreland High School, found no shortage of teaching moments.

“This level at 13U can be a frustrating age for players,” said Rampulla, now in his first season with the program. “Moving to the big field is a big jump. There’s some frustration. Tonight you saw a kid hit a line drive to right field but get thrown out by 10 feet at first base. Any other time, that’s a single and looks good on paper.”

It was that kind of night for the Boilermakers.

The offense was held to one hit despite putting together several quality at-bats, while a handful of hard-hit balls found gloves behind a strong defensive effort from the Bulldogs.

A few mental lapses also crept in, expected growing pains for a group still adjusting from Little League diamonds to a full-sized field.

“I’m treating everything as a teaching moment,” Rampulla said. “There will be mistakes, but that’s sports and that’s baseball. I want them to learn from those mistakes and make every moment a teaching opportunity, regardless of the score.”

That mindset aligns with the broader philosophy of Boilermaker Baseball, led by Pete Moore, the organization's Director of Baseball Programs in Ambler.

“There is an overarching philosophy on how we want to instruct players within the program,” Rampulla said. “Overall, we want to make sure we teach them how to play the game the right way — running on and off the field, hustling, doing the little things right. At the same time, the organization gives coaches the freedom to adjust to the players they have and assess the strengths and weaknesses of their roster.”

This year's 13U roster has been built largely through word of mouth and family connections, helping attract players such as Tucker Campbell.

“Many of my teammates’ brothers played here for the Boilermakers, and we heard it was a good program,” Campbell said. “So we came here first.”

Rampulla's own connection to the organization runs deep. His son previously played for the Boilermakers, and that relationship helped bring him back to the program alongside Moore, a longtime friend and coaching colleague.

“Once my son aged out of the program, I wanted to get back into coaching at this level,” Rampulla said.

For Rampulla, the scoreboard remains secondary to player development.

His focus is helping players navigate the challenges of their first true season on the big field.

“It’s a joy getting back into coaching at this age,” Rampulla said. “One of the engaging parts of 13U is that this is their first real season on the big field. It’s a whole new brand of baseball. There are new rules, new fundamentals they have to learn. I’m enjoying it because I’m kind of reteaching the game all over again.

“Helping them adjust to the bigger field and play big-boy baseball, you could say, is rewarding.”

Campbell has embraced the experience as well.

“I’m enjoying playing with my teammates from my travel team, the Glenside Ghosts,” Campbell said. “I also like how we’re not focused on one position right now. We’re not specializing. Everybody is moving around.”

A catcher by trade, Campbell has also seen time at shortstop, in the outfield and on the mound — the type of versatility the Boilermakers hope to develop throughout the roster.

“My goal is to see these kids progress,” Rampulla said. “This league is nice because it gives them an extra opportunity to play baseball outside of the tournament setting we have during the summer.

“I want to see a progression from mid-May to the end of July. I want to see a trend where they're playing the game the right way and growing fundamentally as baseball players.”

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For Boilermakers, growth matters more than the scoreboard during 13U transition

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