06/16/2026
With the college world series on full display I wanted to share a bit of perspective on college athletics, teammates, winning, and how any of that ties to youth sports & the environment around here...
In 2003 I had the honor of helping lead the Glendale Community College Gauchos to the NJCAA College Worlds Series in Grand Junction. First time the program had been there in 35 years. They have been back once in the last 23 years. Here's where the perspective comes in:
Picture 1: pic holding our regional championship trophy of myself and my teammate Jared. In high school we played for different teams - him for the established program and me with a new program. The battles between our teams were ugly (though we owned them 🤣)... Then we became teammates. He was one of the best teammates I ever had. Years later I would support his small business and him mine as would many former teammates. Lesson 1: You never know who might be your teammate.
Picture 2: 3 future Division 1 baseball players, two future professional baseball players. The one on the left played for a rival high school in my district. We each were our teams captains, each heavily recruited, each signed with the University of Arizona in the early signing period, and each would later transfer to Glendale CC. We both were drafted this year, him by the Twins and me by the Yankees. The one in the middle was cut from our middle school team both years and his freshman team in high school. He worked with my pitching coach, became a vital piece of our high school team, our JUCO team, and I brought him with me to Louisiana as my roommate - and then watched him pitch to me against LSU in front of their insane fans. Lesson 2: Junior College baseball is an incredible opportunity - you might think you're above it... you're 100% not. The kid that fails, that gets cut, that isn't told how great he is from 9-16 but instead is made fun of and just keeps working... he's going to take your spot on the roster one day if you don't work hard - bank it. Hard work beats talent that doesn't work hard.
Picture 3: Three high school teammates reunited to be part of something special on the field once again. We've been there at prom together, moved across the country in a truck together, weddings, baby showers, good times and times of need... Lesson 3: It's not about the wins on the field - it's about the relationships, the friendships, the memories before and after the games and off the field as much as on the field. That's winning.
Picture 4: Proud mother and son. Always make time to take a picture with your mom, dad, grandparents, siblings, etc... A year before this picture I was a senior in high school signed with a top 10 recruiting class in the PAC-10 & projected to be drafted in the first 10 rounds of the MLB draft. The year leading up to this picture there was a lot of inner pain, a lot of decisions, a lot of personal health struggles, a lot of pressure & weight being carried on my shoulders. I was blessed to have my family there to support me as I limped through these years and back to health. Lesson 4: It's ok to ask for help. It's ok to lean on people who care about you. I wish I knew this sooner, so I hope it helps you if you're in that same situation. Hang in there. Fight.
So as you watch these players in the World Series - enjoy their energy, the competition, the anxiety, their experience of pure jubilation and crushing defeat. And know that that's just what you see on the field and there is always so much going on off the field these athletes are pushing through & working hard on.
Why should you sacrifice, work hard, and dedicate yourself to have an opportunity to go through the college athletic experience... because it's an awesome experience. Most importantly - the opportunity to play baseball is a privilege. Never forget that and pass that on to as many kids as you can.
