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Miami Palmetto High School senior Adriel Pereira is a starting pitcher on the Palmetto varsity, and he is sometimes a closer.
Pereira started playing baseball when he was four, so he’s been playing for roughly 14 years. His goal is to play through high school and go to college on a baseball scholarship, so he has been talking to coaches and scouts, following recruiting rules.
He also plays on a summer travel team, which is a great way to get noticed. His travel team coach has been helping him in his quest to play for a college.
“If I’m not recruited, I do play to walk on,” he says.
Baseball is so much a part of his life, a considerable amount of his community service is tied to the sport. For example, while in high school, he coached a team at his former middle school, Herbert A. Ammons Middle. He ran the practices for his former art teacher who was also the athletic director and the official head coach.
“I’ve had other opportunities to do coaching,” he says. “The past three summers, I would coach my little brother’s baseball team. My junior year we found another coach, a family friend that used to be on my coaches for pitching.”
They coached two teams, a six and under and then an eight and under.
“This year we did another team for the six and under and the eight and under,” he says. “I was the head coach for the six and under and the assistant coach for the eight and under.”
The teams played in the summer and fall seasons at McMillan Park.
He says he enjoys coaching.
“Baseball is my passion, he says. “Every time I have this opportunity to coach, I take it, no questions asked.”
He also volunteers at i9 Sports, an organization that sponsors sports leagues and clinics in baseball, flag football, basketball and soccer. He goes every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
There are three to four sessions during those hours.
“We coach from two-year-olds to 12-13 year olds,” Pereira says. “For the two-year-olds, we will give them the basics and fundamentals of baseball. They learn how to hit and throw a ball.”
He says the second group is more mature and they know how to play, but they need to be quicker.
“We teach them how to hit outside the tee,” he says. “They need to learn how to hit a moving ball.”
The coaches teach the kids the word of the day. For example, the word might be teamwork.
The coaches will explain what teamwork is and why it is important.
“At the end, we give them a medal for illustrating teamwork,” he says.
Pereira has applied to 23 schools. His list includes Lynn University, Nova Southeastern, the University of North Florida and Florida International University, all of which have already accepted him.
He plans to major in exercise science and then going on and getting a graduate degree in physical therapy.
Pereira spent time as an athletic trainer at Palmetto. He’s attend all practices and games at school, handed out water bottles and helped athletes with after care treatments. Being a trainer made for some very long days, so he had to step aside when his baseball commitment starting taking more time.
Pereira will be the first one in his family to go to college. He’s working hard seeking scholarships and financial aid so he can help his siblings go to college as well.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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