Conclusion
Currently making a career in sports, with being a college-level soccer coach at St. Mary’s University, I am proud to discover, learn, and be given evidence on how the PHY Little League in the West Side of San Antonio was a vehicle for integration and acculturation into the American mainstream for Mexican Americans during the 1960’s. Baseball is “Americas old pastime” and through competition and “winning” meant the players belonged while maintaining their identity as Mexican Americans. For the West Side community of fans, each game was a time of fun and celebration.
It is clear San Antonio has a rich history in Mexican American baseball with the PHY athletic club. The PHY athletic club served as a foundation for youth development and strengthened their pride in the West Side community. For the first time in their lives, young people were given opportunities to participate in sports and surrounded by American concepts and culture. Through teamwork, discipline, and competition, the players of the PHY Little League demonstrated Mexican Americans could win. My father, Jerry Guevara, and David Moreno have gone on to lead successful professional, business, and community careers and winning instilled in them confidence in their abilities. The experiences of playing on the PHY Little League proved significant.