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When people ask me why I think high school sports are important, this is what I can offer:
Baseball has provided me with everything I have. It’s more than a game, more than a calling; it’s life. Here’s why (thread).
Baseball has provided me with everything I have. It’s more than a game, more than a calling; it’s life. Here’s why (thread).
My parents weren’t sports people, but my dad randomly brought home a 3-pack PC set from Costco back in 1996, which consisted of Madden 96, NBA Live 96, and the start of my love affair with this sport: Triple Play 96. I was hooked. Literally learned all the rules of baseball here.
In the summer before 6th grade, we finally got cable and I saw the Little League World Series for the first time. I made my dad call the local LL folks, who of course told him to wait til next spring. Started playing that next April, and it turned out I was pretty decent!
I was lucky to play @ Holland Park, owned by Parrish Little League. It was the Mecca! Three fields solely dedicated to LL! We ALL spent all of our free time there. It’s weird that most kids today won’t have a youth baseball experience that’s anything like the one I had @ Holland.
Fast forward to 8th grade: I’d go to the North Salem HS games to watch the Vikings. I was mesmerized (& lucky to see some future D1 guys play everyday, including @Jed_Lowrie). Also met the coach, Chris Lee, who became my second father over the years.
I was a decent SS defensively when I started high school at North Salem the following spring. Couldn’t hit. Like at all. Probably played every inning on the freshman team and hit under .200 (against other freshmen!!). I was bad. Coach Lee believed in me, though. I needed that.
Long story short: I ended up as a first baseman (and pitcher), and broke a couple offensive school records as a senior (thank goodness I played in the BESR era).
Was dating a freshman in college that year. She went to @pacificu. Visited a few times. Eventually I committed to play baseball there. Best decision I ever made.
And then my gf broke up with, 2 weeks before college started. Yikes!
And then my gf broke up with, 2 weeks before college started. Yikes!
Played more than any other freshmen did my first year there, as a second baseman. I liked it, but I found myself quickly choosing to hang out and have fun rather than put in extra work. At winter break my sophomore year, I decided to hang ‘em up. (A regret I still have.)
A few months later, I needed baseball again, but at a different pace, so my buddy (this lovable doofus) and I coached a 7th & 8th grade JBO team in our college town. That was an interesting spring/summer...
The following year, I coached my old high school’s summer team. Coach Lee let me be the head coach, and HE was MY assistant. You wanna talk about valuable experiences? This was as good as it gets!
(Go hear him on the 1st episode of the @HScoachesClub) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-school-coaches-club/id1531346563?i=1000490804575
(Go hear him on the 1st episode of the @HScoachesClub) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-school-coaches-club/id1531346563?i=1000490804575
Two years later, I’m student-teaching at Glencoe High School and Coach Stewart decides to give my money in exchange for being the head freshmen baseball coach. Sucker. I’d have done it for free. (But it was nice to get paid!)
Coached with Ben Petrick there. Google him. Wow!
Coached with Ben Petrick there. Google him. Wow!
Also in college, I met these three fools, we got a house together, and we had too much fun living in it for three years!
This was our landlord, aptly nicknamed DJ Landlord because when you called him, without fail, he’d answer, “Dan Jansen, landlord.” Visited Forest Grove earlier this year, drove past the old house, and he was there working on it! So I helped him take the 1st selfie of his life.
I also met this lovely lady in college, and I eventually I tricked her into marrying me!
And having a kid together!
Baseball also helped me pick up my first teaching job.
And my current teaching job, too!
And now a podcast.
And my current teaching job, too!
And now a podcast.
So... baseball gave me purpose, friendships, love... everything.
High school sports are important. Youth sports are important. Don’t ever let anybody ever tell you differently.
High school sports are important. Youth sports are important. Don’t ever let anybody ever tell you differently.
