The First Samoan To Participate In An MLB All-Star Game
(Los Angeles, CA, July 12, 2021) – Justin Su’a of the Tampa Bay Rays has been invited to serve on staff for the American League All-Star team at the 2021 MLB All-Star game in Denver, CO.
After being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, Major League Baseball is bringing the mid-season classic back to an eager and excited fan base. The All-Star game will be on full display Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at Coors Field in Denver, CO, the home of the Colorado Rockies.
The 2021 MLB All-Star festivities promises to be an action packed event filled with future superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Fernando Tatis Jr making their first All-Star appearance.
One notable and historic first timer will be serving on the American League All-Star manager Kevin Cash’s staff, Justin Su’a of the Tampa Bay Rays. Su’a will be the first Samoan native to ever participate in an MLB All-Star game. He is the Major League Mental Skills coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and received the historic invitation. Su’a was also a mental skills coordinator with the 2018 World Series champions Boston Red Sox.
Sua’s baseball roots date back to his All-State honors in Torrance, CA at West Torrance High School as a standout student athlete and elite third-baseman/pitcher. He then competed at the Division 1 level as an All-American pitcher with BYU in Utah.
Justin also pitched for the American Samoa National team under the leadership of Ben Solaita during the Olympic qualifiers in 1999. At the end of his playing career, Su’a excelled in academia receiving his masters from the University of Utah in sports psychology, which set the backdrop for his meteoric rise to becoming a well respected, sought after, and in-demand mental skills coach.
With a widely listened to daily podcast, Increase Your Impact, Justin’s ability to simplify complex ideas while bringing peace to chaos, has been a staple in the lives of many with his approach to mental skills and mental health. He is poised to have the same authentic approach in this year’s All-Star game.
Polynesians are known for their grit and strength on the football field. Samoa has been considered the highest supplier of football players to the NFL, per capita, in the world. However, there have been notable Samoan natives who have put in work at the Major League level, such as Sean Manaea, Mike Fetters, Benny Agbayani, and the late Tony Solaita. Add Justin Su’a to that list too.
Justin’s father Murphy Su’a said, “We’re thrilled for our son and all his hard work! It was a blessing to see Justin with the Rays at the 2020 World Series against the LA Dodgers, but to be the first Samoan to participate on a global stage at the Major League All-Star game, is something special.”
Justin Su’a is the oldest of three for Nina Yavette Su’a and Murphy Su’a. Siblings Travis and Natasha Su’a are also excited for their big bro and his accomplishments. His father, Murphy Su’a, was an All-American at BYU, played professionally in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers organization, and coached the American Samoa National team at the 1999 South Pacific Games.
Congratulations to coach Justin Su’a, his wife Melissa and and children Jarom, Mya, Eliana and the entire Polynesian community for a historic moment in baseball history.
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