Student At Columbia High School In Maplewood Wins 'Best Teammate'

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Continuing a tradition in local high school sports, for the ninth consecutive year, the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center honored student athletes from member schools of the Super Essex Conference (SEC) this week. The ceremony was held virtually on Tuesday.

Jacob Messeri, who played catcher for Columbia High School’s baseball team, was the winner from Maplewood, earning the Investors Bank Best Teammate Award.

Columbia’s coaches said that not only does Jacob help out in the bullpen — helping pitchers warm up — he also organized food drive that gathered more than 1,000 bags of groceries that were donated to local not-for-profit food pantries.

Recipients of the 2021 Investors Bank Best Teammate Award, selected by their respective athletic departments, exemplify the strength of character, sportsmanship and supportive spirit, said the organizers.

The 37 winning students, together with their parents, grandparents, coaches and athletic directors, had the opportunity to hear from special guest Bill Brown, Chief Retail Officer of Investors Bank, longtime sponsor of the event.

In congratulating the recipients, Brown stated, “At Investors we always ask ourselves how we can make our communities better. We often talk in meetings about Yogi Berra as the model of a person who lifted the people around him. The Best Teammate Award shows that you make your teammates better because of who you are.”

“There has been so much personal sacrifice in the last 14 months,” said Eve Schaenen, the Museum's executive director, in her welcome remarks to the students on Zoom. “Sports seasons were cancelled, or cut short, or modified to account for the public health crisis we have all lived through. And yet, your athletic directors still chose you as Best Teammate. What that says so clearly, this year more than ever, is that the qualities of a great teammate are identifiable in you… because of who you are as people, as much as who you are as athletes.”

Participants also heard from Dale Berra, Yogi Berra’s youngest son, who spoke of his experience playing on the same team as his Hall of Fame father when Yogi managed the NY Yankees and Dale played on the team.

The younger Berra reminded the students that being a great teammate isn’t just about statistics, but is about putting the team first, showing respect for others and persevering.

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