Tony "Snake" Sylvestri, a Senior Sports Administration major and Diamond Dons shortstop, scores on the baseball field and with the young children he works with. Tony loves sports almost as much as he loves working with children.
It all began when he was six years old. From his elementary school in San Bruno, CA. to Division I college baseball, Tony has played sports. All sports. At Capuchino High School, he played basketball and football in addition 10 baseball. In his thirteen years playing baseball, Tony has been on twelve championship teams. "Not including USF," he joked.
Tony doesn't take baseball as seriously as he used to, but he does take his job working with kids at the San Bruno Recreation Center to heart. "I love working with kids, and they really like me; we get along really well", he said. Five years ago, Sylvestri discovered his talent for working with young people. He taught, and still teaches, boys aged six to twelve years old how to play sports, but that is not all. He also teaches them important lessons about sportsmanship, working together, and patience. Tony believes that patience is the best skill you can have when working with kids. He also believes you have to have fun.
There was the time when he was helping the boys at the Recreation Center improve their batting skills by playing "T-Ball", which, not surprisingly consists of hitting a ball attached to a tee. Tony was overseeing the practice when one of the kids came up to bat. He swung. He swung hard and missed the ball at the end of the tee, but hit something else instead.
"He nailed me in the balls." recalled Tony. "But I wasn't mad." Instead of taking his pain out on the young boy who caused him such accidental agony, Tony laughed as he rolled around on the ground in pain. The boy said he was sorry. and all of the other kids ran up to mè saying Tony, Tony. are you O.K.?. I just kept laughing."
Fortunately for Tony and subsequent generations of Tony Sylvestri, he led the Diamond Don in hitting last year. Sylvestris, he was hit with a wiffle ball bat. "It didn't hurt that much," he declared. Working with children is easy for Tony, because, as he admits,he is very much a kid at heart. "I like to play, and the kids fascinate me with what they say and what they do."
Eventually, he would like to make working with children his career. If he doesn't play baseball professionally, he plans to teach and/or couch. Working with kids has helped Tony grow personally and professionally he said. The kids have helped him realize that winning isn't everything. Tony used to feel stress and pressure when playing baseball.
"I used to feel embarrassed if no major league teams showed an interest in drafting me, but don't anymore. Now I just enjoy the sport." He especially enjoys playing for USF. "I take it seriously, but I have a good time. I've realized that striking out isn't the end of the world." He admitted that he does get upset if he makes an error. "If I make an error, I've let my team down." stated Tony. He may feel he has let his team down, but errors or no errors, he has never let the kids at the Recreation Center down. He doesn't just teach the kids, he also acts as an umpire and a referee for their games. "I like working with these kids, and I look forward to working with them. I want to help them become better athletes and better all-around individuals."
Many individuals have influenced Tony, but a friend of his from San Brune had the greatest effect on him. Danny and Tony were friends growing up in San Brune. They talked, socialized, played sports together and shared many of the same hobbies. Danny. however, pursued one hobby that Tony did not. Danny's hobby was over-indulging in drugs and alcohol. "He blew it," said Tony," and because he blew it, he wanted to see one of his friends make it." Danny is "clean" now, and Tony helped him get there.
"Danny showed up at my house at about 5:30 a.m. he was totally wired, t yelled at him. He shaped up after that." In addition to Danny, Tony's family also influences him. Tony's father, an avid amateur golfer, gives him advice about what he should and shouldn't do on and off the baseball diamond. His mother and younger sister frequently attend his baseball games, Tony's fan-club doesn't just consist of his family, but also of the kids at the San Bruno Recreation Center. "The kids come out to watch me play, but they're not just watching me. They're watching our whole team, sometimes they come out to watch the other team as well... some of the kids are coming out to watch us play Pepperdine on Sunday."
Academically. Tony doesn't really like school, but he does like USF.Â
"I like it here because it's small, it's easy to get around and it's easier to get to know people. "Sports are his hobby. "I'm a gym rat. t like all sports." In fact, he plays basketball as much as he plays baseball: Basketball is his favorite sport. He admits ho plays it more than baseball. "My friends yell at me for playing it so much."
Despite his addiction to basketball. Tony manages to excel on the diamond. USF Dons head couch Ken Bowman called Tony. "One of the best, if not the best shortstop in the West Coast Conference." Last year, Tony led the ram and the league with a .361 batting average. and cared an All-WCC Honorable Mention. On and off the baseball field, Tony Sylvestri produces. He gives advice and gets home runs, and he loves kids as much as he loves sports. Tony lives by a certain philosophy, and he passes it on to the kids he works with. "You don't have to impress anyone. Go out and play your game (USFFoghorn).
