Passion like no other

What happens when you mix South American passion with an addictive game like baseball?

We've seen the result firsthand.

Nomar Romero hails from Venezuela, a country where baseball is essentially the national sport.

But according to his mother, it was far from love at first sight.

"I'm not sure if it was because he didn't understand the game or something else," she said.

Be it persistence or being surrounded by the game so much, Nomar eventually became one of the loudest champions, not just of baseball but softball too!

Fast forward to 2022 and Nomar and his young family find themselves on the other side of the world in Townsville.

As close as Venezuelan networks are, it was a friend who had joined Taipans who encouraged Nomar to come down and meet the rest of the Taipans gang.

A moment he hasn't looked back from.

With baseball, came a community.

"It's an opportunity to connect with people who share a common goal and a common passion," Nomar says.

And it keeps him coming back for more.

He's not shy in admitting that he loves the adrenaline of getting a good win!

But wins for Nomar are more than just what's on the scoreboard.

Winning to Nomar also comes in the form of seeing others improve and achieve their goals. He'll do what he can to help them get there.

Starting with our littlest Taipans.

For the past three years, Nomar has been coaching the Taipans T-ballers.

"Seeing someone improve and achieve their goals is so fullfilling," he says.

Just by listening in to the laughter and joy that resonates from the T-ball diamond, you know this is true.

And it's been noticed across all the club's. To Nomar it doesn't matter what colour jersey you wear, as long as you're enjoying the game.

From expos and information days, to come and try days, trainings and games - Nomar is a familiar face at every stage of a young players journey, doing what he can to make them feel welcome.

"Nomar brings such energy to training and games, is patient and adapts his coaching to suit the players he’s working with," one parent commented as Nomar welcomed them to the sport.

Nomar may have taken his time to connect with the game but he's doing everything he can to make sure that others discover a similar passion in their own journey.

Outside of being one of the driving forces for the Taipans junior program, he also makes sure that everyone in the club is looking their finest!

As the club's uniform coordinator and dedicated committee member, he works tirelessly behind the scenes to scatter red and black wherever he can.

We can’t thank him enough and are lucky to have him in the Taipans family!