The team has been made, the group has been working indoors and now the U18 South Central squad is set to get out onto the diamond and coach Paul Schaak couldn't be more excited to get things going.
"We spent a lot of time inside and we're grateful for that facility, but we're ready to get outside," Schaak says with a smile.
Making up the team is always a bit of a difficult process and Schaak says he's happy to have great people around him to help out. "I'm very thankful for the help from Cam Kirky and Bobby Matuszewski, they've been coaching a few of these guys longer than I have, that certainly helps. We have a pretty grade 12 heavy group, which makes it difficult for a year-one guy to make the team, but we do have some young talent that will be coming up that I'm excited about."
Having a team featuring players that have been together for a while, Schaak says it's pretty special to see the desire they have for success in this upcoming season. "I think for a lot of these guys, it's their last opportunity to finally win nationals. I know a few of them have had the opportunity to make a provincial final and came up just short. I think given the group that we have, the expectation is to win, just like it was last year. There is some pressure on some of the grade 12 kids and I know it's their ultimate goal."
A huge point of pride for Schaak is not just the level of talent on his team but who they are as people helping build the future of the programs at all ages. "Being the older group of the South Central areas, it's pretty clear to set a good example. I must say our group does a really good job of that. I've had multiple coaches and parents from other teams come up to me and acknowledge how respectful and good examples our kids are, that's number one. Number two is we have a lot of talent. We've had a number of kids move onto the college level and beyond, it's pretty cool how strong our area is when it comes to producing incredible talent."
Being a coach is more than just developing skills for Schaak, he also believes that building friendships through sport are very important and have made an impact on him. "I can look back when I used to play ball, there are relationships that I've had for lifetime. Seeing some of these guys who have grown up together, played mosquito ball together, it's been so cool to see them evolve as people. End of the day, you want to have fun and it's those relationships that will last well beyond the game."
On the field, Schaak believes this group is very capable of doing something very special. "I think last year some of our guys put too much pressure on themselves because winning was something we talked about right from the start. This year, we're focused more individual goals and kind of looking at what we can do for each man on the roster. I think at the end of the year and we look back at what we accomplished, I think we will be happy if we can achieve what we all set out to do."
U18 has it's challenges, it's about getting the best out of the players both physically and mentally, according to Schaak. "Understanding what people do well is very important. In baseball, there are so many different skills and people can bring so many different things to the game. I think having these kids understand why they've gotten to where they are and understanding they can really lean into the skill or ability that they have, gaining confidence from that is something we're really going to focus in on this year."
It's not just the players that make the team special, it's also about the parents and the community support. "I've lived in a number of different communities over the past ten or fifteen years and I got to say, it's very exciting to be around this group of players and parents," Schaak says proudly. "I've said it before, the example these kids lead by is so cool to be around. Having the support of the parents, they understand it's not just about baseball, it's about helping lead and guide good people. The community is special and we're proud to be representing it."