Exclusive | Long Island Little League team has best season in 63 years and a no phone policy may be the secret

Screen time is outta here!A Long Island baseball team is having its best season ever – now just a pair of wins away from the Little League World Series – as a self-imposed cell phone ban on game days has been an absolute hit with the 11- and 12-year-old boys.“It makes me focused on the game and not thinking about other stuff,” Port Washington Legends third baseman Jack Gomez told The Post. “Whenever we go on our phones, it makes you stimulated, and you’re just not focused for the day.”The team tradition to go distraction-free began with an idea from the coaches when Port Wash was playing in the New York state championship tournament in West Nyack in late July. They started taking a bucket five hours before first pitch to collect and keep the boys’ devices until after the last out.“I think it’s like an on button for us,” said assistant coach Anthony Theoharis, whose sons Drew and Luca pitch and play the infield.“Once they do that, they get locked in, and they beat a team,” Theoharis addedNaturally, the Gen Alpha boys were reluctant at first — especially after going an entire school year under a similar, state-mandated ban.“At first, it was like, ‘What!? Five hours!'” the coach said.But the ball club soon saw the results of matching their minds to the hard work they’ve put in all summer long.“I don’t think we’ve lost yet, so it’s worked out,” Theoharis said. The end result was Port Washington winning the Little League’s first-ever New York State title in its 63-year history.The team advanced, for the first time, to the regional round of the LLWS, which is being televised on ESPN this week.“It’s a good luck charm,” Jack said of the phone ban.His dad, Neal Gomez, joked that he should get “a few buckets” for home.“Anytime you could put those phones down and let kids be kids and just play ball and have fun — that’s really what it’s all about,” the proud dad said.The tweens realized that the five hou...