Message from lead program coach,

derek bell:

 

I’d like to share, personally, when I was in High School, I didn’t have anyone going to bat for me, I didn’t have anyone pointing me in the right direction to be as good of a baseball player as I could be. I didn’t have anyone that was sticking his neck on the line for me, I didn’t have anyone that was being pro-active on my behalf.

 

Other than my mom & dad… I didn’t have anyone that believed in me, at least baseball wise.

 

I was left to fend for myself.

 

I personally sent out my stats to about every college on the west coast, trying to do anything I could to give myself a chance to play college baseball, for someone to know who I was.

 

I really did. This was before the time of the internet, so I bought a book that had the addresses of every college in the country in it… and I sent out about 100 letters. My dad even had a Catholic Priest bless them.

 

That memory is my driving force for the structure and foundation of our High School Club Team Program. The last thing I ever want to see is a player ‘slip through the cracks’, or be overlooked because nobody even knew who he was or had a chance to see him play.

 

It’s a whole heck of a lot easier when you have someone going to bat for you, when you have somebody on your side, in your corner…when you have someone that believes in you.

 

That doesn’t mean even with all that a player or your player is guaranteed anything. But at the very least a player could always look back and say during that brief moment in time… I gave it everything I had to achieve that goal.

The worst thing is looking back and saying… I sold myself short. I cheated myself. We as a program make sure that doesn’t happen.

 

Thanks for taking the time to hear about the program,

 

Coach Derek Bell

 

Golden Era Baseball