The So Cal Athletics are known as one of the top Programs. Brian Pilon serves as an assistant coach in the organization. Pilon recently had a conversation with FPN’s Brandon Pannell.
Brandon Pannell: Describe the organization of a typical practice?
Brian Pilon: David Mercado has 10 teams within our organization. He coaches So Cal Athletics 2019. But all practices within the organization are set up to run the same. Anyone coach can help coach another team within this organization. Practices are set up to be quick and fast with pressure. Players are taught fundamentals and skills to make them the best athletes in the country.
Brandon Pannell: How has coaching affected your life?
Brian Pilon: David Mercado is a special coach. He has two daughters that play Division 1 softball. Danica Mercado at Oregon and Alexis Mercado at Arizona. He has trained some very special players including my daughter who is verballed to LSU. And one of the best middle infielders in the country for her age. Everyone on his teams that he coaches go to a top school to play softball.
Brandon Pannell: What are your best and worst memories in coaching?
Brian Pilon: For So Cal Athletics 2019, The most important is getting the call from each player who has verballed to college. It’s about the players and seeing their dreams come true. Then it would be winning the 12u and 14u National Championships- The worst is losing the 10u ASA National championship and taking second. luckily we won at 12u and 14u to help with the bad taste from that one.
Brandon Pannell: How would you assist and counsel your players that are being recruited to play in college?
Brian Pilon: I am the one who sends out the notices for the organization to schools. Plus having a daughter that just went through it. I get how nerve wracking it can be. But David Mercado does a very good job developing players. The practices are all scripted to make players stronger. We teach fundamentals to make players shine and stand out. And we have some of the best teams in the country. As we like to say “Iron sharpens Iron” and with the talent, we have that’s very true. But we just tell them to keep working hard. learn from the players who have been through it and trust the system. David Mercado has built a great program and it keeps getting stronger
Brandon Pannell: How do you organize your tournament scheduling?
Brian Pilon: That’s pretty simple. We play the best. We plan events that will make us stronger. With most our players verballed it’s all about getting them ready for college. We have 3-4 years with most to do that. Our younger teams play a lot of 18u so they can see the best of the best. We are all about the challenge at this point. David Mercado wants these players to be ready to start when they get to college. So we set our schedule for that at this point.
Brandon Pannell: How do you promote your program to get players involved in year organization?
Brian Pilon: That’s easy for me. I have been coaching with David Mercado and Brian Tidd the owners of this amazing organization since it started. I was the manager of So Cal Athletics 2019 in the beginning. When I relieved how special this team was after the first few years I asked David Mercado to take it over and I would help him. Myself and Mark Smith have been helping David Mercado ever since. Since we have been with David Mercado since the start basically, we understand what he wants and expects from his players and teams. So we help as many teams as we can all the coaches are pretty good at working with each other. We understand it’s about the players and making this organization into one of the powerhouse groups in the years to come. Older players also take on this role. My daughter Presleigh Pilon also works for David loves to help out the younger teams. So she will help coach the 10u and even the 12u teams. No one understands what is expected better than players that have been here for 6+ years. And we have a few that do a great job helping and promoting this up and coming organization.
