Many high school, college and pro sports coaches would probably agree that the foundation for sports at those levels of competition is created in youth athletics. The Arsenals, an 11-and-under baseball team consisting primarily of Excelsior Springs kids, is working to prepare athletes for those levels. Formed in 2020 by Maverick Dean with the intent of forming a group of local baseball players into a traveling team that hones youngsters’ fundamentals, the Arsenals have a 12-player roster in 2023. In addition to the Excelsior Springs kids, there are players from Liberty, Lawson and Richmond. The Arsenals play in competitions in the Midwest. Recently, they took fifth at the JP Sports Father’s Day Slugfest in Peoria, Ill. “We finished the 2022 season with a record of 32-19 and decided to push the boys out of their comfort zone by moving up a division this year,” Dean said. Dean has enjoyed being part of the youngsters’ ...