Through preseason training, the Revere High School (RHS) baseball team anticipated their trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The coaches’ voices rang out over the field, emphasizing the importance of their journey beyond sunny skies and sandy beaches. This trip was not just a getaway, it was a step in shaping the team’s season.
Led by head coach Jason Cottrell and associate head coach Steve Wido, the team’s work this preseason will allow for a strong regular season, and help identify playmakers for open roles within the team.
Both Cottrell and Wido kept their eyes open for opportunities to arise for players during these preseason games. Performance critical coaching and identifying strong players are both coaches’ preseason goals.
“Hopefully better weather will allow us to get our season underway and figure out who is going to earn starting roles in the four games we will play in Myrtle Beach,” Cottrell said.
Cottrell and Wido expressed their optimism that improved weather conditions would finally let the team kick off its season, a feeling shared by players who are eager to show their skills and play for starting positions during the trip and season.
“Having that advantage of getting to see our players interact and get used to a game before the league is huge. But also it helps us figure out what role players can fill,” Wido said.
Wido’s perspective shows the value of early-season games in shaping the team and identifying strengths and weaknesses. The insights gained from these early games will be crucial to the season, which aligns with Cottrell’s emphasis on player development and role assignment.
“We are looking for players to step up and earn their role on this year’s team, whether it is a starting position, a backup role or some other,” Cottrell said.
Cottrell highlighted the need for individuals to assert themselves and secure their place on the roster. Wido highlighted that staying on top of performance and holding longevity throughout games is key for a strong overall season.
“The big challenge is we’re playing six games as a program in four days. So really pitchers and catchers staying fresh and having your best guys out there strategically when that’s the key times,” Wido said.
Wido acknowledged the significant challenge posed by the packed schedule, emphasizing the importance of managing pitchers and catchers throughout each game. The decisions will be crucial during the intense series of games. Clark’s perspective complemented this, also showing the team’s belief in their abilities and the importance of teamwork.
“I feel that we all truly believe we can be good and believe in each other. It’s just a matter of playing as a team that can determine our success,” Clark said.
Clark’s insight sheds light on the team’s mindset and unity, showing a shared belief in their potential for success. As they gear up for the challenges the season throws at them they keep this belief alive. As a team building chemistry and strength, being together as a group is important as shown by Cottrell.
“Any time that you can get together as a group you are building trust/camaraderie with your teammates,” Cottrell said.
Team cohesion is critical in a sport like baseball, Cottrell keeps this in mind as he builds starting squads for the season. Finding leaders and strong adaptive players is key as highlighted by Clark.
“As a captain, I feel I need to lead the team and bring everyone together. The motto for this year is preparation and we feel that we can adapt well to change through preparation,” Clark said.
Clark’s perspective as a captain shows his commitment to unifying the team and leading by example. Clark emphasizes the team’s collective belief in their abilities. This unity is crucial as they adopt this year’s motto of preparation, aiming to win by being well-prepared and adaptable to change. Cottrell echoes this as well by showing the need to pitch effectively, score runs and maintain solid defense.
“We want to throw strikes, score runs and play errorless baseball. In order for this to be accomplished, we will constantly need to hone our skills through practice and drills,” Cottrell said.
Cottrell outlined the team’s key objectives, though achieving these goals requires continuous skill development through many practices and drills. Looking ahead the team aims to leverage the momentum gained from their spring break games into their upcoming regular season games.
“We preach a phrase called Mudita, which is rooting for your teammates and rooting for your brothers and finding joy in their success,” Wido said.
Wido uses Mudita, which emphasizes the importance of teamwork and unity. The origins of the word come from the Sanskrit and Pali language, meaning the feeling of joy for another’s fortunes, accomplishments, or luck. Keeping the players close will allow for a much more unified team throughout the season. Cottrell’s hope to carry positive momentum into the season stems from working together as a team.
“We hope to be able to carry some momentum from actually getting to play games during spring break as when we return we open our league schedule against one of the favorites to win the league, Aurora,” Cottrell said.
Cottrell expressed the team’s aspiration to keep the momentum gained from their spring break games, recognizing the importance of these matches as they keep the team prepared for what the regular season brings. Following their trip, the team looks forward to evaluating their roster and ensuring they field the strongest lineup possible, aiming for success on the field.
“That [preseason goal] is to go 4-0 and feel good coming home to start against tough suburban league opponents,” Clark said.
Clark’s alignment of personal and team goals reflects a shared determination to excel. This is similar to Cottrell’s strategy, which sees the upcoming trip as an opportunity to assess talent and optimize the lineup for wins.
“This trip will allow us to evaluate the talent we have so we can put our best lineup on the field to win games,” Cottrell said.
Cottrell underscores the upcoming trip as an opportunity to assess the team’s talent and strategize to field the most competitive lineup. The goal is clear: to maximize their chances of victory by keeping their strongest players in key positions.
