Parenting a travel baseball player, especially one that competes at the national level, is no small task. It means long hours in the car driving to and from practice, thousands of dollars spent on gear and travel, and sacrificing weekends and summers. But for these moms, it’s all worth it to see their sons excel at the sport they love and be recognized for their hard work on the field.
When her son, Carver Brown, received his invitation to the USA Baseball 12U National Team Training Camp, his mom Deanna said, “We were just so excited for him, and all the hard work that he's put in. The time and the things that he sacrificed for baseball, that it paid off.”
The moms of the athletes invited to 12U Training Camp certainly have a lot to be proud of, as just 36 players earn the opportunity to compete for a slot on the 18-man roster, despite thousands who participate in the selection process. Team manager, Wes Brooks, notes that with over 750 roster spots available in the major leagues, it’s exponentially harder to make a national team.
The opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches in the game and take the field alongside the best players isn’t lost on the athletes or their parents. Amanda Thomas said she's incredibly proud of her son, David Thomas, knowing how much work he’s put into getting to this point, and is excited to see him continue to learn and grow as a player.
“I know there's some awesome coaches that are on staff, and I’m just hoping [David] learns a lot,” said Amanda. “Pitching, hitting, just taking all the knowledge in.”
But at USA Baseball, it’s not just about how talented a player is on the field, it’s about who they are as a person off the field as well. To the mothers, this is one of the most valuable parts of training camp.
“USA Baseball does a really good job at transforming the kids and promoting the character of the boys, and encouraging them to be respectful and responsible,” said Andrea McDaniel. “[They] walk away a better boy growing up to be a young man, so I'm just really looking forward to what he walks away with, both on and off the field.”
Her son, Caleb McDaniel, earned his invitation after a strong showing during the 11U Futures Invitational at Thomas Brooks Park last weekend. Although she doesn’t know much about the sport itself, Andrea is glad she’s able to support Caleb during the highs and lows he experiences and watch him build his character along the way.
Along with providing emotional support, moms also make sure their sons have everything they need to be successful on game day. For Koda Graziadei’s mom, Leslie, it's about doing the little things. She always makes sure her son is able to complete his game day routine which includes getting dressed in a certain order, eating his game day breakfast and drinking his tart cherry juice.
For some families, it's eating a healthy meal together the night before a game or playing a certain song in the car on the way. And for others, it’s taking a step back and letting the athletes focus on their mental preparation.
“Oh gosh, [Carver’s] so superstitious, there's a million of them,” said Deanna Brown. “He's got to get dressed in the same order, he's got to have the same thing for breakfast, there's just a gazillion different things. He's a creature of habit, so that's all on him. We just get out of his way and let him do his thing.”
Despite coming from different teams and backgrounds, these moms all agree that the sacrifice is worth it when they see their sons' smiling faces on the field.
“Being a baseball mom is the best thing in the world,” said Melissa Izquierdo, the mother of training camp participant Aiden Izquierdo. “You get to sit on the sideline and watch him do what he loves.”
