ALUMNI COL UMN WH AT U SA BAS E BA L L MEANS TO ME By MIKE SIANI | USA Baseball Alumnus
Arriving at the Tournament of Stars as an underclassman in 2016, I didn’t know what to expect. It was an honor simply to be invited to participate, and I saw it as an opportunity to experience what it takes to play at the highest level possible and determine what I needed to work on in order to develop as my baseball career furthered. I had confidence that I could hang with the other 107 players at the tryout, but there was still a part of me that understood I had a lot to learn in order to make an impact. I truly had no idea what I was getting into or how the next two years would change my life for the better. From the first day I got to wear the “USA” logo across my chest down in Cary, North Carolina, my mindset changed. There is something dramatic that happens to you when you understand the significance of playing for your country. It is humbling to imagine all of those people who wore the red, white and blue uniform before you and to think about the kids looking up to you as you represent this great country. I was there to compete against the 107 best players in the country and prove to myself that I belonged. I continued to work hard that week and do my best, and it paid off. I was asked to be a part of the 40-man National Team Trials in Houston a few months later. That whole week taught me
Jeff Haynes
Jeff Haynes
numerous lessons. Living with a host family was something that I had never experienced before, and USA Baseball did a great job putting me with a family that I still keep in contact with now. I also got to meet so many new people who taught me how to go about my business in the right way and strive to bring out the best in myself and others. Other players, coaches and USA Baseball staff helped me feel like I belonged and showed me what it takes to compete at the highest level. Additionally, I learned to be more disciplined on and off the field, and going out every day against the best in the nation really humbled me and pushed me to develop as a player and a person. Eventually that September I was asked to be a part of the final 20-man roster that would travel to Mexico to compete for the Pan-American Championship. This was an honor that cannot be compared to anything else. Taking the field wearing “USA” across my chest and knowing I was there to compete for a gold medal that I would bring back to my country gave me goosebumps every time. Spending three weeks in Mexico taught me so much about myself. I learned how to navigate in a foreign country and what it means to have a brotherhood with my teammates. We were playing for something bigger than ourselves, bigger than a team or and organization. We were playing for our
country and all the people in it. What made it even better was that we brought home the gold, which was our goal as we entered the tournament. As 2017 approached, I knew I was going to have to step into a new role if I was lucky enough to play on the 18U National Team again. I joined the other three returning players – Triston Casas, Brice Turang, and Jarred Kelenic – and we knew that our experiences the year prior could help the team for the better this year. But, there are no guarantees; so all four of us had to work even harder this time around to prove that we not only belonged on the team again but should be looked up to as leaders. Our goal was to show the rest of the world what USA Baseball was all about, meaning that we represented our country with pride and respect while playing the game with aggression and relentlessness. We took this mindset into the world championships and came home with the gold once again. The entire USA Baseball organization has made not just me, but all players involved better talents on the field and more mature men off of it as well. I am grateful to everyone affiliated with USA Baseball for my experiences over the past two years. Bringing home two gold medals to Glenside, Pennsylvania, back to the people that brought me up, is something that I can’t put into words, but will always treasure. USABASEBALL. com | 13
