Tryouts are always nerve-wracking

The kid has been playing baseball since “bucket ball.” He’s experienced the highs and lows of baseball at many different levels. Youth Baseball division championship games, Little League All-Star games with Series on the line, coming in to close out a game as a pitcher for a random Tuesday evening Little League game, being at bat for a club ball championship game. He’s played with some kids who will no doubt be playing at the next level. He’s been coached by coaches who have played at the highest level, and continue to be in his corner, teaching him and rooting him on. But you step onto that high school field with a chance to wear your school colors on a team with the area’s best of the best, representing All Star teams he’s played against for years and all bets are off. It’s a legitimate All-Area team on one roster. It’s hard to imagine not being nervous about your chances.

This week is tryouts week for the Freshman baseball team. Some of these kids played Fall or Winter ball while he was playing football and wrestling. It feels like they have a leg up, having some experience playing together and working with the coaching staff. Naturally, the kid is nervous. And I’m quite literally on the other side of the planet on a work trip in Southeast Asia, desperately wanting for someone to live stream the tryouts on Gamechanger so I can check in on him. 

Sometimes I need to lean into my own advice. He knows how to play baseball. He needs to trust his instincts, play his game, bring the energy and hustle that brings to every team he’s on, and the results will come. And if he doesn’t make the squad, we have options. I need to trust that he will trust his instincts, play his game, and bring his trademarked energy and hustle. The results will come. But boy is that hard…

(Update: He made the team!)