By Aaron M. Smith

With the biggest game of the NFL season swiftly approaching this Sunday, one could make a solid guess at where most of America’s sports focus is aimed. However, I have found my football focus wavering, due to the reality that the baseball season is among us. My San Francisco 49ers will be playing in the Super Bowl this weekend, yet I have been watching baseball movies like “A League of Their Own,” “Bad News Bears,” and “Trouble with the Curve” over the past week. Baseball is here, and I couldn’t be any more excited.

MLB pitchers and catchers report to spring training in two short weeks. Many high school baseball teams are holding tryouts this week, and college teams will be having some of their first games in the following weeks. It’s the time of year for students’ focus to start shifting from their other sports like football, soccer, and basketball, back to the greatest sport in America: baseball.

Many student athletes have been grooming their baseball skills throughout the off-season to ensure that they are in top shape for the upcoming season. The First Base Foundation has had the pleasure of helping many dedicated athletes by providing dedicated coaches and a safe place for students to continue to hone their baseball aptitude. Besides our popular signature summer baseball program, the First Base Foundation has been delighted by the large numbers of dedicated ball players to show up each weekend for our Fall and Winter ball programs. They have been getting extra at-bats both in live games and in the cages. Infielders and outfielders have had an abundance of reps at many different positions, and the pitchers have had many innings against live batters.

Having watched these talented student athletes throughout the Fall and Winter off-season, my advice to them would be: As the butterflies swirl while you lace up your cleats and you grab your gloves to run onto the baseball field for tryouts and first games, trust the skills that you honed throughout the off-season, and have fun playing the game you love. Treat the game with the same amount of respect that the legends who came before you did, and remember that no one player is bigger than the team.

Good Luck Team!