Vegas Stronger Champion: passing on his passion for baseball

David Soto has been coaching youth baseball for fifty years, nearly 30 in Las Vegas.

His steadfast service to our community earned him the honor of Vegas Stronger Champion.

Vegas Stronger Champion is sponsored by Findlay Automotive.

JACKIE KOSTEK SHOWS YOU....JACKIE KOSTEK SHOWS YOU....THE PASSION...HE HAS PASSED ALONG.....TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION......THAT'S HELPED MAKE HIM....A "VEGAS STRONGER CHAMPION".TAKE PKG 1969 WAS THE YEARDAVID SOTO FELL IN LOVE."I GOT SPOILED THAT YEARBECAUSE BASICALLY I THINK THREENEW YORK TEAMS WON THECHAMPIONSHIP THATYEAR,INCLUDING THE MIRACLE METSOF '69." SOTO WAS SO INSPIREDBY HIS HOMETOWN TEAM'S WORLDSERIES WIN, HE DECIDED TO GETIN THE GAME HIMSELF.ANDINVITE OTHERS TO JOIN TOO."I STARTED A TEAM AT PUBLICSCHOOL PS 32 AT THE AGE OF 11.BASEBALL 24/7 FOR FIFTY YEARS.FROM BROOKLYN TO PUERTORICO TO LAS VEGAS, SOTOESTIMATESHE'S COACHED THOUSANDSOF PLAYERS - OF ALL AGES ANDALL LEVELS."WE HAVE JOSE VEDRO, WHO WAS ANALL STAR FOR MANY YEARS WITHTHE MONTREAL EXPOS.WE HAVE JOE ARLASTKI ANDJUSTINLEONI, ANDEVEN THE DIAZ BROTHERS."ALTHOUGH SEVERAL OF SOTO'SPLAYERS HAVE REACHED THE MAJORLEAGUE, THE MASS MAJORITY HAVENOT.BUT SOTO SAYSACHIEVEMENT ON THEFIELD IS FAR FROM HIS ONLYPRIORITY AS A COACH."BASEBALL IS A MICROCOSM OFLIFE.THEY'RE GOING TO DEAL WITHFAILURE, THEY'RE GOING TO DEALWITH SUCCESS.THEY HAVE TO WORKAS A TEAM.THEY HAVE TO DO THINGSTOGETHER, THEY HAVE TO REACHCONCLUSIONS.THEY HAVE TO AGREE THEY HAVE TODISAGREE." IT'S A BASEBALLPHILOSOPHY HE SHARES WITHPLAYERS AND THEIR PARENTS."OUT OF ALL THE PLAYERS THAT ICOACH, A VERY, VERY SMALLPERCENTAGE WILL BECOME PROS.100 PERCENT WILL BECOMEADULTS.THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO WORKON." SOTO'S WORK AS A COACH HASPAID OFF - EARNING HIM COACHOF THE YEAR NODS SEVERAL TIMES.SOTO IS GRATEFULFOR THERECOGNITION BUT SAYS HECHERISHES THE SMALLER MOMENTSWITH FORMER PLAYERS THE MOST."WHEN THEY COME BACK AND SAY,'THANK YOU' AND "I APPRECIATEYOU,' 'YOU'RE THE BEST COACHI'VE EVER HAD INMY LIFE,' AND ISAY, 'THERE'S MORE THAN THAT,'MORE TO BASEBALL THAN COACHINGBASEBALL.THAT'S THE BIGGEST - THEMCOMING BACK AND SAYING THANKYOU." AND WE WANT TO SAY THANKYOU TO COACH SOTO TOO, FORNEARLY 30 YEARS OF STEADFASTSERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.WECAUGHT HIM ON THE FIELD DURINGHENDERSON LITTLE LEAGUETRYOUTS.SURPRISEEACH MONTH....SURPRISEEACH MONTH....WE WILL HONOR A LOCALPERSON.....WHO HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE....IN THE COMMUNITY."VEGAS STRONGER CHAMPION" ISSPONSORED....BY "FINDLAY AUTOMOTIVE".SAY GOODBYE TO YOURBLACKBERRY...ITS MAKERS PLAN TO STOP SELLINGTHE PHONES THIS YEAR!