The Central Florida Viper baseball teams — composed of student-athletes from Deltona, Orange City, DeBary and DeLand — are excelling through positive reinforcement and the focused development of skills, led by coach and manager Robert Solano.
“We are comprised of what started off as a rec-ball team that has transitioned over to travel ball,” Solano said. “The team was basically a group of kids who weren’t picked for travel ball teams and have shocked everyone in the baseball community.”
Now, the Central Florida Vipers are heading to Puerto Rico to participate in the Aguadilla Baseball Invitational, scheduled for June 6-9. “It is the first time for all of [the student-athletes to go to Puerto Rico]. None of them anticipated having a crazy trip like this happen … and they all are so excited about it. It’s a really big deal,” Solano told Beacon staff.
Solano described how the teams have evolved into a successful traveling program by focusing on “development over trophies.”
“We just completed our second season, and the program is all about giving the underdog an opportunity to show everyone that — when a kid has the right focus on him, he can be just as good as the guys who, sometimes, cause him to get overlooked,” Solano said.
Currently the Vipers have two teams — a “10 and under” and an “11 and under” — but will soon expand with a second “11 and under” and a “12 and under” when they begin their third season. Solano also mentioned the possibility of forming a “13 and under” team and is enthusiastic about the growth that he sees occurring at an “exceptional rate.”
Solano has close to 20 years of coaching and baseball management experience, and states that his mission has “always been geared to developing the little guy, and it’s proven to be successful.”
“For me, it’s always been about rooting for the little guy and the underdog … I’m against making it all about winning and focusing on the stronger guys, so I’ve always had a passion for developing the guy who is overlooked,” Solano reflected.
“It’s definitely bigger than baseball for us,” he said. “We consider ourselves the ‘Mom and Pop’ of baseball teams because we have a smaller family feel to it … we feel if a kid is rooted in a good, strong foundation, and he’s taught properly … the trophies will come later on, without a doubt.”
