Introducing the AA Charros

The AA Parma Charros

When it was time to start tryouts for the 2025 American Legion baseball season, the coaches of the Parma Gauchos/Vaqueros program were expecting to fill those two rosters and compete in the Single-A and Junior-B divisions.

But something remarkable happened. Over 40 kids turned out for the two teams, which is too many for two teams.

The staff immediately started asking each other, can we field a third team?

Head coach Pete Powers, who is the varsity head coach at Parma High School, made calls to officials with the American Legion to see if it was possible to add a team so close to the beginning of the season. The commissioners approved the addition at the AA level and the Charros were born.

There isn't a big difference between the AA and A levels of American Legion baseball. Both are varsity-level competition. Most importantly, though, adding the third team meant that each player who tried out would be on a team; no players would be cut.

Kaleb Wilson, the head coach at nearby Vision Charter, stepped forward to be the head coach of the Charros. He will be assisted by Dan Kling, the head coach of the Parma Middle School team.

Though the teams are based in Parma, they are not exclusively Parma teams. Players from nearby communities like Weiser and Vision Charter are on the rosters of both the Charros and Gauchos; WIC rival Marsing placed one player on the Charros roster as well. The Vaqueros roster features athletes from Middleton and Vision Charter. Their participation has been critical in allowing the legion program to grow in Parma - in all, 30 Parma athletes are playing baseball in the American Legion program this summer.

All three teams can be followed on the GameChanger app. Search the 2025 summer season to find each team to see schedules and rosters.