OFF THE RECORD

At the Ballpark
Attorney Tom Ganucheau Wraps Up a Two-Year Term as President of the 500 Player Bellaire Little League

By Patrice Childress

"I will play fair and strive to win, but win or lose I always do my best.” This motto of the Bellaire Little League guides its young athletes, but it also expresses a sentiment that would serve any lawyer just as well in the courtroom. And it is this message that is at the heart of what attorney Tom Ganucheau strives to instill in the more than 500 young ball players he oversees as president of the Bellaire Little League. When not hard at work as a partner in the civil litigation boutique of Beck, Redden, & Secrest, LLP, Tom is at his “second job” managing the 60-year-old youth baseball program in Bellaire, Texas.

Tom and his family have been Bellaire residents for over ten years, and volunteering time at the baseball field is just one of many ways Tom says he chooses to give back to his community. How does he manage to fit it all in with a busy legal career? Tom credits his firm with encouraging its lawyers to give back and get involved in the community and for affording him the flexibility to do just that. Mind you, it is no small task. With over 40 teams in the League and some 20-plus games for each team during the season, there is no shortage of activities to fill the schedule of this busy League president.

This September will mark the end of Tom’s extended two-year term as president of the Bellaire Little League. In that role, he coordinates a team of volunteers to ensure the seamless operation of the Little League, and his other responsibilities truly run the gamut. No job is too large or too small for this president. You can find him doing everything at the ballpark from coordinating inter-league play to working with managers and umpires to spearheading fundraising efforts. You may even find Tom atop a tractor prepping the playing field! He is happy to take on whatever task is needed to keep things running smoothly. His goal, Tom says, is “for the players to be able to just show up and play and most importantly have fun.”

Make no mistake, however, as busy as he keeps with his ever-growing list of “behind the scenes” responsibilities as president, there is one time when you can be sure to find Tom up in the stands with the rest of the parents: when the Yankees are playing. Twelve-year old John Ganucheau is a lefty pitcher for the Bellaire Little League Yankees, and his number one fan and dad, Tom, never misses a game. It was as John’s coach that Tom first got his start in the Little League. These days Tom is happier to just enjoy being a fan in the bleachers when his son takes the field, but he certainly heads the cheering section.

His perspective as a fan and parent has earned Tom high praise from other grateful parents of the Little League’s players during his tenure as Little League president. Michelle Hoogendam Cash, a fellow Houston lawyer who can often be spotted at the Bellaire ballpark cheering on her son, Cameron, had this to say: “Tom has a delicate balance of competitive spirit and a sense of fair play. He wants the players and teams in the league to play hard and do well, but he insists that the players and coaches do things in the right way.”

“Tom,” she adds, “was the kind of parent you would want to have sitting next to you in the bleachers. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the players; he cheered for the good plays but did not criticize the manager or players when things did not go as well on the field.” This spirit of fairness and fair play is what Tom prizes most and hopes that the players and parents alike will take away from their Bellaire Little League experiences.

As his term as president draws to a close, Tom reflects back and wistfully remarks, “It’s been a blast! I just love little league.” The end of this season is especially bittersweet as his son, John, will age out of little league this year, too. But Tom looks forward to the next chapter and is sure to be found cheering on John as he moves on to his new team. Without a doubt, Tom leaves a legacy of grateful parents and players in the Bellaire Little League and leaves big shoes to fill for the next president.

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