Through four years of ups and downs &045; mostly ups for this bunch &045; of coaching All-Stars, Tam Winston can tip his hat and appreciate everything his teams in Vidalia have done.

But losing still stinks.

Even if the Vidalia Major League All-Stars experienced that only four times last year, losing is something you don’t like and can’t forget. Winston, now in his fourth year of coaching All-Stars, knows all too well how delicate life can be this time of the year.

Even if your team goes well beyond its expectations, it’s never fun to see the other team with more runs on the scoreboard when it’s over.

&uot;Never,&uot; he responded. &uot;I tell them the season is when you want to take your lumps. If you lose two in any tournament, you’re taking it to the house. It’s all about playing as well as you can possibly play and winning as many games as you can. But you know what makes it super? The guys are so competitive.&uot;

The Major League All-Stars start up their All-Star summer Saturday in Winnsboro at the South sub-district tournament, but for Winston, his son Jake and five others, it’s another summer of seeing just how long they can keep playing. In Winston’s four years coaching All-Stars, his team has at least won sub-district and moved on.

Last year’s team at Minor League All-Stars lost in the district championship, went to the South regional tournament as the No. 2 seed and lost to Ville Platte in the championship game.

&uot;All we do this time of year is play ball,&uot; said Winston’s wife, Beverly. &uot;We all love it. Jake loves it, Tam loves it and I love to watch it. This time of year is dedicated to ball. We just play ball in the summer &045; that’s what we do.

&uot;We’re all competitive. Everybody in my family is pretty competitive. Neither Jake or Tam is out there just to play. If they’re going to play, they’re going to give it all they’ve got.&uot;

That’s summer in the Winston household. And losing isn’t all that bad, Jake says, if the team played well in the process.

&uot;Nobody spends more time with his kids than he does,&uot; Vidalia Dixie Youth commissioner Mike Bowlin said. &uot;He’s got his son, and they play tournament ball up until league comes up, but he’s never missed a game because of tournament ball. Nobody cares more for those kids than he does. One through 13, he spends must as much time with that 13th kid &045; especially if that kid’s willing to learn.&uot;

That’s been the case with the All-Star teams in summers past. Last year’s run was the most memorable by getting one step away from playing for the state championship with a spot in the World Series on the line.

Eight of those players are back as 11-year-olds, but five have been with Winston ever since first winning sub-district tournament in coach-pitch in 2002 &045; Jake Winston, Tucker Bruce, Devon Barnes, Cory Williams and Matt Souderes.

By now, they know what it’s all about.

&uot;Focus and work hard,&uot; Barnes said of the keys last year. &uot;We worked hard, never playing around at practice. I hope we’re going to do much better. I hope we get a shot at the state tournament. We want to go all the way to the World Series this year.&uot;

Said Jake Winston: &uot;The team from last year, we just had heart. I think we’ll be better this year. We’re faster. We’ll be better at the plate, and we’ll have better pitching this year.&uot;

Dealing with those five players again this summer may be the easiest part of Winston’s job, while the team returns three others from last summer and picked up some talented 12-year-olds. Plus those five grow a little bit each off-season and come back a little stronger and quicker.

Take Souderes, who grew a couple of inches since last summer. So has Jake Winston, the team’s top pitcher last summer.

&uot;It gets easier each year,&uot; Winston said. &uot;They know what to expect out of me, and I know what to expect out of them. They’re bigger, stronger and faster. The 12-year-olds out there, I think they’re pushing the 11s a little bit. The 11s have a little more experience. We haven’t seemed nervous in the scrimmage games. Everyone seems relaxed and ready to play baseball.&uot;

Winston likes the team’s pitching staff, one that won’t have to rely heavily on Winston as the team’s ace with four others who can go. Twelve-year-old Caleb Vines will throw a good bit, as will Corey Wadlington, Corey Williams and Holden Hill.

The team’s abilities at the plate may be a bit better, too. Players combined for 20 home runs during the season.

&uot;We’re hitting the ball better, and we’re faster, too,&uot; Barnes said. &uot;We’re fast this year. We’ve got some better pitching, and we’ll see some better pitching. We’ve been hitting the ball well.&uot;

If all goes well again, Winston will keep the same promise he made last summer &045; he’ll bring them to a Major League baseball game if the team gets to state and Disney World if they win the state tournament and advance to the World Series.

The players sure hope so. Winston, who celebrated his 53rd birthday Thursday, said this is his last year to coach not only All-Stars but baseball altogether.

&uot;This is it,&uot; he said. &uot;I’m going to retire after this year. I started out umpiring and working in this league in the late 1960s and early ’70s, and I came back four years ago. I think I’m old enough. I told them last year last year that was the best ride they could have taken me on. That was just so much fun. I wish that could happen every year to every coach.&uot;

Winston fulfilled the promise last summer and took the players to a Texas Rangers game. Now they want a little more.

&uot;I want to win state this year,&uot; Jake Winston said. &uot;(Then) we’re going to Disney World.&uot;