Chance Derosier of Jaffrey skipped playing basketball for Conant High School last winter in order to train for the baseball season, and it paid off, as he has helped anchor the pitching staff behind Franklin Pierce University-bound Lane LeClair and plays right field when he’s not on the mound.

But it isn’t his efforts for the playoff-bound Orioles that led Jake Creamer to nominate the 16-year-old sophomore as the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript’s Hometown Hero for May. Instead, it’s because of the coaching he does for Mt. Monadnock Little League, including weekend clinics at the Little League field in Jaffrey.

“I admire watching somebody such as Chance taking on things such as this,” given his busy schedule, he said. 

Creamer first met Chance when he signed up to be an assistant coach for his stepson Kayden Obara’s team, which Chance was helping his aunt Liza Sprague coach. He’s in his first year as a head coach this year, and said he learned a lot from Chance.

“I remember being at a ballpark in Rindge and admiring what he was doing with the kids,” he said, so much so that he asked Chance to work individually with Kayden and his son Mason Creamer. “I can’t tell you the strides both of my children have made.”

Chance started coaching since he was 14, and said he was inspired by his father Joe Derosier, a former umpire coordinator; his uncle Nick Hill, the league’s president; and Sprague, who is now the league treasurer,

“I love it,” he said. “I’m down there every Saturday at the clinics. My buddies (Kaden Kirby, Hunter Schultz and DreySeppala) help me with the clinics. They love them. I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to be a coach.”

This year is particularly special, because Sprague’s son Curtis, Chance’s cousin, is in the 12-year-old group,and Mt. Monadnock Little League is hosting the District 1 semifinals and finals in the 10U, 11U and 12U divisions, along with the state finals from the winners from Districts 1 and 2.

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“He’s like a brother to me,” Chance said of Curtis. “I want him to do the best, especially in baseball.” 

Along with Curtis and Creamer’s sons, Chance has worked with Hill’s son Spencer, who is his cousin.

“Every single one of them, you can not only see their progress, but also how they’re turning into humble baseball players,” he said.

Along with baseball, Creamer said Chance teaches all the youths he works with about discipline and respecting umpires.

“It’s not just the fundamentals of baseball,” he said. “He teaches them about sportsmanship.”

At the clinics, Chance said he leads two 90-minute sessions for a total of about 30 to 40 players, teaching fundamentals before an instructional scrimmage. The Conant baseball team recently took part in a clinic, and about 15 Little Leaguers came to the next game.

“We make it fun,” he said.

According to Creamer, Chance is at the field every night he can, after Conant practices or home games.

“Even if it’s not his team playing, he’s there helping out,” he said. “Chance is the first guy to offer, ‘How can I help?’”

Each month, the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript will recognize one of our region’s many Hometown Heroes. Nominate a Hometown Hero at tinyurl.com/3ctykcnv.