April 2026 Athletes of the Month

Colt Joyce

The only time success comes before work ethic is in the dictionary. Work is the key to success and with hard work you can accomplish anything. -Vince Lombardi

It is tough to win athlete of the month when you are related to the owner. Colt has been nominated a few times and each time I said no to his nomination, not because he didn’t earn it but because he was my son and we have so many deserving athletes. This time coaches overruled me. In all honesty, Colt is at the baseball club more than anyone, and most of the time it is before any of us are even out of bed. He has an incomparable motor and has become over years a great teammate, leader and role model for his siblings pushing them to work hard in pursuit of their own success. Congrats Colt on being named April Athlete of the Month.

After a 3-14 season last year in Little League, Colt and a great group of 12 year olds were asked to take the reins of the Athletics and you could not have asked for better leaders.. Off to a hot 6-0 start, Colt was the first to join the Homerun Derby and, along with Patrick Campbell, hit over .600 in that span to start the year. Coach Brendan Roche said about Colt,

I have been Colt’s majors coach for two years. In that time I have seen him evolve as a baseball player and a leader on our team. Colt is having a tremendous season, delivering great at bats, huge hits, and big plays in the field, and his best days are ahead of him. Colt also has a knack for knowing what his teammates need to get the most out of themselves. Whether it be a smile or a kick in the rear end, Colt can give both equally well and it makes a huge difference for the team. I love coaching Colt and I am very happy for his success, no one deserves it more.

Coaches Onix Mercado and John Richard have been very helpful with Colt’s development. They have worked 1-1 with him a lot over the years. John said about Colt,

I have had the pleasure to be around Colt since he was a baby. I remember chasing whiffle balls down the street and throwing pop ups to him. As he grew, I was able to watch him work at each sport he plays with such determination and dedication. He always wants more. Even now, he knocks on my door to see if I will throw to him or hit him ground balls; or even how to lift a certain weight. He constantly wants to be the best. I finally have the ability to repeat a story. When my son Cody played basketball for Coach Joyce, Win Bates accidentally called Cody by my name, after Cody hit two threes. He then corrected himself and said ‘I know John, John could never hit those shots Well Colt, you can do things now your dad could never do. Congrats buddy.

Onix also stated,
I joined the club 5 years ago and that is when I met Colt. During those 5 years I have seen Colt work on his skills and every year he gets better. I work with him on and off on different parts of his game. He always asks questions on how he can get better. More times than not when I walk into the club he is already there working. I am very proud of the young athlete that he has become. He deserves to be recognized for his hard work.

Tommy King, Colt’s club coach also said,
Colt’s work ethic is through the roof on top of being at all the practices and multiple practices staying with other teams. He is a constant at the club. You won’t see a lot of kids his age wanting to go to the club at 5:30 am. He also has a very good attitude towards failure and success. He is his own toughest critic but does not beat himself up which is one of his best qualities.

Not only is Colt a dedicated athlete, he also puts in the same work ethic in the classroom. In his first year in middle school, he has managed to receive all A's. We are looking forward to seeing Colt grow as a student athlete and what the future brings you. Congrats Colt we are all very proud of you.

Braintree Baseball Club