Landon Maynard

46 LAKE JANUARY 2022 yoLandon Maynard Landon Maynard curls the rope over a cleat to the amusement of Olivia Walls

A pitcher on the Central Alabama Community College Trojans baseball team, Eclectic native Landon Maynard fell in love with the game of baseball at 4 years old and hasn’t missed a season, despite moving mul-L An academic sophomore at CACC, Maynard is a COVID freshman on the Trojan baseball team tiple times in his 20 years. LAKE 47JANUARY 2022 y “As soon as I started playing, I fell in love with the game,” Maynard said. “I met all of my best friends through it. I like the adrenaline rush you get during play, and it teaches me important life lessons.” Among the most important of life lessons he’s learned from baseball is dealing with failure, Maynard said. “Baseball is 70 percent failure. You’ve got to learn to overcome it and work with other people to work out the problems and come up with solutions,” he explained. A sophomore in the classroom, Maynard has the advantage of being a COVID-19 freshman on the field. College athletes that missed tournaments and playing times during the height of the pandemic last year are allowed an extra year of eligibility in their competitive sport. He hopes to attend Auburn University, following his time at CACC, with plans for a career in sports medicine. “I want to stay working in sports. I have a long history with sports, and I want to help other athletes the same way trainers have helped me through the years,” he said. “They helped me get my body right after past injuries, and they help me all the time with tightness and soreness, so I can play at my very best.” Born in Eclectic, Alabama, Maynard moved to Panama City with his family before he started school. He also lived in Nashville, Tennessee, for a year. Living in different places was an adventure that helped to shape who he is today, Maynard said, as he experienced life with different groups of people. “I saw different ways of living between all three places, which allowed me to experience different things,” he said. In Nashville, Maynard acquired a cocker spaniel named Moose. “We adopted him when I was in the fourth grade, and we grew up together. He is 12 now, and he is my best friend,” Maynard said. Maynard made the move back to Eclectic with his family when he was in the fifth grade. Back in Eclectic, Maynard attended Eclectic Middle School before moving to Edgewood Academy for eighth through 10th grades but transferred back to Elmore County High School to graduate. He followed in his older brother’s footsteps Born in Eclectic, Maynard also has lived in Panama City and Nashville

oBaseball has taught him lessons he can apply to life, Maynard said

and started his college career at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College. After a year at LBW, Maynard wanted to be closer to home, so he transferred to CACC and lives in an apartment adjacent to the school. That move put him about 30 minutes away from his family who play an important role in his life.

The move to CACC was a good one, Maynard said, and he recommends it highly.

“It’s a great college to go to for your associate’s degree. Just remember to be friends with the teachers because they will help you a lot in every way possible. If you are struggling or need help, just talk to them, and they will help you out.”

LAKE 49JANUARY 2022 oy He wants to work in sports training, as his own experience with trainers has significantly helped his pitching game