By Kristina Venable – Chisholm Student
This season the Chisholm baseball team has gone through rain, wind, sunny and dark skies; however, no matter how much the weather changed, these boys’ attitudes never did. Many pushed through the pressure of being a newcomer and made an impact on their team.
The question that was asked to a few of the players was how was the atmosphere at practice this recent season. Ethan Kieu said “Everyone was excited that we have improved compared to last season and hopes were high.” This quote clearly shows how the boys were excited for each other and nothing could bring down their spirits. Jackson Caddell stated, “There was an incredible amount of focus when it was needed and the amount of fun and excitement was also a major factor in our experience in our baseball season.” This recent season of baseball showed excitement, uplifting players, and most important, times that made the sport memorable.
Head Coach Bobby Shoate was asked how the players looked physically and he had some powerful words to say. “The young guys have changed a lot and will continue to do so. The older guys have bought into our system and have encouraged those around them. There aren’t many baseball programs that hit the weight room like we did. We lifted immediately after games to make sure we got 3 lifts in. It really started to pay off both physically and mentally because our guys knew they were putting in more work than a lot of the teams in our class.” The coaches focused on strength and building the players up. Creating a program and a pattern that they would remember and recall when they struggled was huge as well. The players recognized their weaknesses and strengths and opened their mind, body and spirit to the process that their coaches had implemented into their program.
A baseball team is not about the players and the Chisholm coaches prove that they can make a difference in the teenager’s lives. A player was asked to reflect upon the coaches this season and one said some encouraging words – “[Coach] Shoate and Robins both had high expectations and standards for the team as they knew the potential we possessed,” said Kieu. The best chance a coach has to impact a player’s life is having hopes in his players. The coaches and players at Chisholm High School correlate with each other and give feedback to each other. The players at Chisholm High School work with each other and are a family.
Hearing from the head coach at Chisholm High School, Bobby Shoate had put blood, sweat and tears into his team and his family. This team has meant the world to Coach Shoate and he would be expecting to make many more memories with the family he has built at Chisholm. “We were a young team. Some of the younger players had never been through the grind of a high school baseball season. We played a lot of games in a short period of time. Our class played baseball at a high level so every day has to be the best otherwise we can get beat. I like the way we developed over this year and I’m excited for the future.” He makes his kids feel like they have a family and some make lifelong friends. Coach Shoate implemented his strategies and programs to have made the players better at their sport. Last year the team went 10-22; however, the team has sprung past the scores from last year and has made a difference in Chisholm’s community, in Chisholm’s sports, and in the player’s lives.
