07/20/2026
Both of these guys signed professional contracts last week. They’re already on-site with their new teams. That’s not the point of this post. They’ve received plenty of high fives and congratulatory comments.
They had two different paths, with different obstacles they overcame. Two different personalities. Two different sets of athletic tools.
This is what is similar:
They trained as consistent as anyone you’ll find. Not just some times and not because their parents wanted them to. More than a few times we had to convince both of them they were overtraining and needed a day off. In high school, they still trained during the spring season, and still trained when they were banged up.
College winter off-seasons…they were banging on our door the day before Thanksgiving and asked if we’d be open on Christmas and New Years. If there was a foot of snow on the ground and roads were closed they’d be asking if we were open. Summer off-seasons were 4x/week like clockwork. Glamorous, it was not. Dedication and sacrifice, it was.
One more important similarity. JUCO ball is a part of both of their stories! Hopefully the point has been made.
