1. sports
2. baseball

THE
NEWSLETTER
In Loving Memory
Dylan (Woogi) Wohlgemuth
March 18, 1999 – January 28, 2015
Donations are welcomed and appreciated
THE
NEWSLETTER
PAGE
www.woogi.org
1
MAY 2015
Dylan (Woogi) Wohlgemuth
March 18, 1999 – January 28, 2015
FOREVER Missed AND Never Forgotten
“Woogi started at the beginning with me at ELEV|8 almost four years ago. This year we were the last two left from that
“During the time we shared here at Elev/8, Dylan, I want to say that you were truly a great friend. You always
original first year. He is the only one who understood some of our jokes from the first year. We shared many laughs
had a smile in your face that was contagious to everyone. You were both an amazing student and a great
together. He is the only person I knew that was always positive and had a smile on his face. He let everything just roll
baseball player. Thank you for the memories. Woogy you will truly be missed. You touched my heart. You
off his back and took everything in stride. He is going to be missed by all of us. Every time we play a game, we know
touched a lot of hearts! You are in a better place now. It’s not a goodbye, it’s a farewell. Hasta luego amigo!!”
that he will always be right with us and cheering us on.” Dominic Paolo
Antonio Ralat
“Hello, my name is Steddy Amory and I had the pleasure of playing with Dylan for 2 years at ELEV|8 Sports Institute. If I had three words to describe Dylan, it would be loving, happy, and passionate.
Loving: Dylan was always there as a friend no matter what. I knew that I could go to him for help no matter what it was, because I knew that he was going to be there for me when I needed him. Like this one time when I was in school
and I needed help, out of the corner of my eye I saw him get up and walk over to me, and with his big smile he looked at me and said “Do you need help man?” I was so grateful for that, because that really showed me that Dylan was
really loving, and that he was always there for help no matter what.
Happy: There was never a time where I saw Woogi mad. Everywhere he went he always had this big smile on his face, and he was always making people laugh, by telling his funny jokes, or doing funny things. He would always be there
to pick a teammate up. Every time I would get mad or sad against with something, I’d always see Dylan laughing or telling his jokes and it would immediately cheer me up. I would see this big smile start to light up on his face, and
immediately I would start to feel better..
Passionate: I’ve never seen someone have so much passion. Dylan was such a great ball player, he was so dedicated to what he did. Every day after practice I’d see him go back into the cages and he would start hitting, or he would take
ground balls on the turf. He was always the first person to early work and always the last to finish, I would always look up to Dylan, because he was a leader, he was always trying to make his game better on and off the field, always
asking questions and making sure that he was doing the right thing. Right when we would finish our school work he would come to me and ask me to hit, and I was always so impressed in how determined he was.
Dylan was like a giving tree, always there with love and he would always be there for us when we needed it the most. He always was there to help and to vlend a hand. The giving tree was one of my favorite stories when I was a child,
and until now I never really understood the message, The boy never thanked his giving tree for all the giving that the tree gave. To me, Dylan was a giving tree, and I never thanked him enough. I will carry his spirit with me always, and
I know that he will be by my side. I thank you internally for all of the things you have given to me, and I will carry it with me forever. I love you Dylan, rest easy big guy.” Steddy Amory
“ M I N D M AT T E R S ”
“The last couple of weeks have been a terrible time for us all, living a
nightmare that we have all struggled to come to terms with. The one
“I did not know Woogi very long, but the time I did have I will not forget. His nickname was unique just like he was. I remember the first time we met, we were
shagging in the outfield and I realized that he was a great baseball player. I remember the conversations we use to have, such as who are our favorite baseball
players, what we hope our futures to be like and our favorite things about baseball. Woogi would like to joke around and he made me laugh often. I miss that
infectious smile of his that would literally light up a room. I have so many great memories of Woogi in such a short amount of time and these memories will have a
special place in my heart. The world lost a great person and I can’t imagine what his family is going through during this time, but I will continue to keep them in my
thing that I can say is Dylan was a good teammate and an even
prayers.” God Bless You Woogi, I miss you brother!
better friend. I met Dylan back when I went to American Heritage, I
Romans 14:7-9: For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. For
knew him before but that’s when we started becoming friends. Then
this very reason, Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Xavier Carbia
the next year I joined ELEV|8 for school and so did he. I remember
“Woogi man, I remember Woogi as the kid that always had a smile on his face no matter what. It didn’t matter if we were losing 20 to 0 he always had smile & always
playing basketball with him and ping pong. We would always have
looked at the up side of things. There was never a dull moment with Woogi. I saw Woogi not as just my teammate or classmate or as a kid that I go to school with, he
fun and mess around. We would always compete and challenge
ourselves. I will dearly miss Dylan a lot and so will every that knew
him.” Diego Ramos
was like family to all of us. This is more than just school this is an elev8 family. We are brothers here & we look after each other. We play together, we eat together &
study together. All of us united & in a moment like this where we lose one of our brothers all I could of think of is that he is in a way better place than us. He is playing
for a better team & on a better roster. My friend Cesar said, “He’s already in the Big’s in our eyes. He will never be forgotten. He’s our brother, he’s our family, our ELEV8
family.” Axel Salgado
“Dylan you were not just a baseball player you were our friend and “Mr. and Mrs. Wohglemuth, on behalf of my family and I, please accept our sincere sympathy on the passing of Dylan. Back home, we are always comforted with the
words cannot describe the pain we feel for you, we will remember words in 2 Corinthians 5:8, ”to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord.” Dylan was a happy and infectious young man. He was never angry but always
your smile, the joy you gave to others, but most of all we will miss the
times we shared with you. I will always keep you in my prayers, and I
will never forget the kindness you shared with us.” Jude Lescaille
had worn a smile. Once you were in his presence, you caught his contagious smile and cheerful spirit. What is most memorable for me is the way Dylan always said
my name. He would always say it in a high tone of voice with his eyes squinted tightly. I will certainly miss Dylan but I know that wherever he is in heaven, he is
playing baseball and making jokes. As I close, I will leave with you the words of Jesus in Luke 23:43 Verily I say unto thee, today you will be with me in Paradise. Dylan,
May your soul rest in peace and rise in glory.” Ural Forbes
Donations are welcomed and appreciated at www.woogi.org
NEWSLETTER
2
PAGE
THE
UPCOMING EVENTS
5/27 – Senior Night
IN THIS ISSUE
Lisa Paolo gives us an
update on all things
academics and
updates around
ELEV|8 campus.
MAY 2015
Luis Alicea gives us an
insight on what to
expect during sping
baseball at ELEV|8.
PAGE 4
PAGE 5
Todd Moser updates us
on the baseball team
and all scholarship
award winners for
ELEV|8 student-athletes.
PAGE 6
Ganon Baker reminsices on the past year
and gives us an update
on the ELEV|8 Basketball program.
PAGE 7
Cody Toppert breaks down the seconds full season of the
basketball academy and what to expect in the near future
at ELEV|8.
THE
NEWSLETTER
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PAGE 8
3
MAY 2015
S
SPRING IS IN THE AIR!
Spring fever has sprung!! Leading up to Spring training, we had many visits and
memorable experiences at ELEV|8. We said a sad good-bye to 42 Post Graduate
group of young men who are moving on to pursue their dreams at the next level.
The next few months will be exciting as we hear from them about college acceptances and scholarships.
P
LO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ACADEMICS
scouts several times to check out several Cuban national players. Our academy baseball players also got the opportunity to turn double plays with Danny
Valencia. Danny came in a few weeks early to get ready for 2nd base this year
with the Toronto Blue Jays. It was amazing watching our young players on the
our students were also able to take some time to speak with other MLB players who were on site getting ready for season. There were invaluable
exchanges between MLB players like Jose Castillo and Yoenis Cespedes with
our young students. Before leaving, the MLB players gave our students
tokens of their time at ELEV|8 like equipment, gloves, bats and balls. At the
Palm Beach State baseball game, academy students were able to catch up
with former ELEV|8 Academy MLB players, Anfernee Seymour and Bryan
Delarosa. Finally, one of our parents is a coach with the NY Mets and several
students went to Roger Dean Stadium to watch a game and get a behind the
scenes tour including the locker room. There will be many more trips like this
to come in the next few months.
already signed to play college ball for the Fall. In the upcoming months, we will
ing Spring SAT and ACT exams. It is amazing the amount of English that our
Sophomores are learning. Those who were in the Academy last year are com-
THE
NEWSLETTER
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English language. We are looking to close the year strong with Senior night on
4
MAY 2015
L
SPRING TRAINING At ELEV|8 HAS BEGUN
The Spring semester is a very exciting time, we have now seen each players
potential in the Fall and now know what to start with in order to continue their
development. By now they have adjusted into the program and are aware of
their purpose at ELEV|8. Each player is different and has a different need but in
the end the goals are the same. A player must improve his overall body composition, his game play and game awareness. Our goal is to have a college commitment or a professional contract by the time he graduates from ELEV|8.
LUIS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BASEBALL
Entering the Spring, two things are evident. The amount of games will almost double from the Fall schedule. March,
April and May are curtail months, there will be around 20 games each month and schools are still recruiting. Pro
teams are getting their last few looks at the seniors to make their last adjustments for the June draft. Our conditioning training will shift to a type of workout that includes a more explosive response with agility and quickness.
Our focus with this type training is to get each player to improve their 60 yard time, show improved quickness,
better his arm and improve bat speed.
For the Senior that is still looking for a college commitment we, as staff, focus on making constant phone calls to
college programs and coaches in and out of the state, in efforts to get them placed. We also use the help of pro
scouts to help in the recommendation of players to different school programs. If a player has not sent a video by
this time, we will work on getting one out to as many schools as possible to increase his chances. Many times the
schools will call for a specific type of player and it is up to us to steer them in the right direction. It's very important
to know what the college needs according to positions, and of course let's not forget about their SAT scores and
GPA. This also has a GREAT impact on where the player is best suited to go to college.
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We will start making plans for the Summer Team and tournament schedule. The Summer Team focus is different
from the focus of the Academy Team during the school year. The summer our focus is on winning and getting
ELEV|8 recognition around the USA. For that reason we will pack the team with ELEV|8 top players and a selection
of top players from around the area that have been sought after by schools or pro scouts. In other words, the Academy is for development and our Summer Team is for winning, again, for the purpose of further exposure for recruitment.
5
MAY 2015
L
The spring is in full swing here at ELEV|8 with our boys playing more games in the
month of March than most high schools play the entire season. Spring Break will not
be the usual vacation for most, with 6 games in the Palm Beach Challenge hosted by
the Miami Marlins and games against Eastern College of Florida and Miami Dade
College. It will be a true test of our teams’ resiliency and training to be able to rise to
the occasion each and every day. As we continue this journey together, I want to take
some time to recognize some of our players that have been recently signed by
Colleges. I want to congratulate them on their achievements and being able to take
their talents to the next level. This is the reason we coach and I’m proud of each of
their accomplishments and watching them grow as men and players.
TODD MOSER
HEAD COACH OF BASEBALL
THE
Ariel Diaz
Palm Beach State
Cole Dubet
St Louis University
Ural Forbes
Palm Beach State
Steven McKown
Southwest Tennessee State
Luis Diaz Santa
Palm Beach State
Antonio Ralat
Palm Beach State
NEWSLETTER
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CONGRATS TO ALL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES!
6
MAY 2015
The year for Post Grads is coming to a close! We are all so proud of our players, and
what we have done as a program. A wise human being once said, "THERE ARE NO
FAILURES IN LIFE, ONLY PEOPLE WHO GIVE UP TOO SOON!" I respect the fact that
we have had only one young man quit this semester and two the first semester.
Out of sixty players that came through here this year, that's a really good testament to your sons! They are stand up young guys who see the MISSION THROUGH
in a world where life is tough. We see 45% to 50% of marriages end indivorce,
college dropout rate is an astounding 43%, unemployment rate is 12.6% and
suicide is the 9th leading cause of death in the US, OVER 45k people a year end
their life. My point is that quitting is an instinct in all human beings. We either turn
on or off, give IN TO it or GET AWAY FROM IT; YOUR boys have lasted this far is an
admirable value that should be celebrated! Our teams have done well. Currently
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL
they are 79-36 combined, with a winning percentage of 68%. March 1st we celebrated our season with an end of season banquet and graduation ceremony for our Post Grads
and some HS players. We had the ceremony on the campus of Lynn University. On March 8th, the Red team traveled to the National Prep Championship at Connecticut College. They lost a hard fought battle in TRIPLE Overtime. I am so proud of the guys! They did an excellent job representing whole program! I am so proud to be able
to coach all your sons and our staff to impact their lives.
DONT PANIC if your son does not have a Full Scholarship Offer yet. THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF TIME FOR THEM TO
GET ONE. They have played in 28 plus games. Had over at least another 20 practices with college coaches in attendance. The next step is to WAIT. BE PATIENT, PRAY AND THE PLAYER NEEDS TO STAY READY, STAY SHARP, STAY IN
SHAPE! THE
NEWSLETTER
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We will continue to send out film and highlights to our college coaching databases. We will have college coaches
swinging by in the next few weeks and months leading up to June. They can watch the kids’ workout. For some
players we will recommend some showcases. For some of the players, we will recommend they try out on college
campus’. HAVE SOME FAITH, “IT AINT OVER”. Last year 3 of our players signed full scholarships in late May-mid
June. One player signed with a Division 2 school in Nebraska in early July….. So stay RESILIENT!!
7
MAY 2015
As the second full season of the ELEV|8 Ganon Baker Basketball Academy comes to a
close it is important to take some time to reflect on where we started and how far we
have come. It has been an incredible team effort from the players, to the coaches, to
the teachers, administrators, food service staff and everyone in between. If someone
were to tell us 24 months ago that two full seasons in and we would stand where we
are now I know we all would have been satisfied. With 5 highly successful teams, a
winning percentage program wide of 70% (having played some of the best competition in the nation), a group of kids that have represented their countries (Oh Canada
we stand on guard…) cities (DMV to the 505), county's (Floyd represent), families and
ELEV|8 GBB with the utmost integrity we cannot be anything but content and excited
CODY TOPPERT
to see what the future holds.
HEAD HIGH SCHOOL COACH
Our Red team (25-4) took the court to represent ELEV|8 and each player that was not with us in Connecticut. ELEV|8 Ganon Baker Basketball had an opportunity to participate in the prestigious National Prep Championships fighting in the Elite 8 against St. Thomas Moore. The arena at Connecticut College was packed, the atmosphere was electric and the game was legendary. Ganon has talked repeatedly about leaving it all on the court
and about competing with a relentless spirit. Yesterday that was the case. There were times when a deficit
seemed insurmountable, there were times when the calls just didn't go our way, but each player stayed the
course and the while the end result did not fall our way (this time), we should all be proud of what was accomplished and what transpired in that game. The final score of 111-107 ended in a TRIPLE OVERTIME defeat to St. Thomas Moore, a highly respectable team
and program with 20 plus years of high level prep school tradition (and a campus 20 minutes from where we
played). Many of the onlookers who included some of the most respected scouts and countless college coaches
said it was perhaps the greatest Prep School game they had ever seen. While we don't believe in moral victories,
while our competitive nature says a loss is a failure, a retrospective analysis of just what has been accomplished
this year leads to no other conclusion but that this year was an astonishing success. When I went to Cornell University, they were coming off a 5-22 season, Coach Steve Donahue told us to "create
the future of the program" we did just that and laid the ground work and foundation for what was to come. For
those players moving on to college next year, you all have laid that ground work for all of the success that will
follow, you have truly CREATED THE FUTURE of ELEV|8 GBB and for those of you returning for another year the
torch has been passed and bar has been set high. Just remember the Grind never stops!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ganon@elev8si.com
THE
NEWSLETTER
Cody Toppert
cody@elev8si.com
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Ganon Baker
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