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STAMFORD, Conn. Billy DeVito brings more than baseballs, bats and 20-plus years of managing knowledge to the players on the National Lione All-Stars. He also brings unbridled enthusiasm, a passion for sports that transfers to the 12 boys on his team.
"My background is football, and I try to bring that mentality,'' says DeVito, 53, who was an All-Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference player at Stamford (now Trinity) Catholic in 1976. "I have an aggressive approach. I try to make them accountable for what they do. I let them have it when they don't do something right. Sometimes I yell too much, and I apologize a lot. I tell the players I'm just trying to get the best of them. If I holler, it's because I care."
DeVito's methods work. For the second straight year, he has the Lione All-Stars in the hunt for a District 1 Little League championship. Last year, DeVito's team lost in the championship game. This year, DeVito's team, which includes his son, Jay, takes on Wilton in the semifinals Wednesday night at Springdale.
DeVito has been coaching in the Lione Little League for more than 20 years, having started with his sister's boys. He has been a fixture in the dugout ever since. More often than not, his teams have been in the running for house league crowns and district titles. "When I started I saw a couple of kids I knew, and I was an assistant,'' DeVito says. "I just stayed with it from there. I wake up now, and it's 20 something years later."
DeVito's passion rubs off on his players. His teams don't win every game. They are, however, fundamentally prepared and bring their manager's intensity to every game. "I learned from other coaches, my brother and their friends,'' he says. "I got my butt kicked when I didn't do something right. In this day and age, we're so accepting. Well, it's not OK all the time. You want to be accountable and own up. I try to sell them it's not just for you. You have to do it for the team, too."
DeVito's coaching background extends beyond the diamond. He coached football at Trinity Catholic, first as an assistant to Rich Albonizio before taking over as the head coach for three years. He now coaches football at Dolan Middle School. In 2008, DeVito won the Wellington Mara Award from the Mickey Lione Fund for his dedication to youth sports. The late Mickey Lione Jr., who coached several sports at Trinity Catholic, was one of the biggest influences on DeVito. He played football for Lione in the 1970s. He also coached with Lione and current Trinity Catholic baseball coach Tracy Nichols for ten years in the 1990s.
With his son in his final year of Little League, DeVito plans to step aside from coaching after this year. He'll coach the Dolan football team for one more year as well. "I'm kind of winding down on coaching a little bit,'' DeVito says. "Maybe I'll go play golf."
Golf sounds laughable for someone with DeVito's energy and passion. Before he takes his next sports path, DeVito hopes his Lione All-Stars have one more magical run. The team made it to the East Regional of the Little League Tournament in 1992. An extended run in his final year of coaching would be a tremendous sendoff.
"We made it to Bristol once and it was so much fun,'' DeVito says. "These kids would really enjoy it. They have the attitude that they want to play deep into summer, and we've got a lot of kids who are willing to do it."
Do you think DeVito can guide the Lione All-Stars to the District 1 title? Start the discussion below!
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