08/02/2026
(Sent to us from Joshua Williams)
Coaches/Parents:
It’s been a few years since Ive got to Coach. I don’t know a ton about ball, but do my best to build the kids I get the chance to work with. Your players/kids that are hearing back now they didn’t make their school team, they’ve been on my mind today.
Some of your players/kids might recognize the kid in the below pictures. His name is Bo. He’s my oldest. There’s a good chance he ump’d a game or two for them this summer. (Baseball or softball)
As a middle schooler, Bo didn’t make his school team in 6th or 7th grade. He was lanky, couldn’t run fast, and wasn’t one of the kids that always seems to get the nod. Good or bad, when he didn’t make it 7th grade year I told him I didn’t want to hear any complaints if I didn’t see him working daily.
He picked up his bat. He hit mornings, evenings, hot, cold. I remember shoveling snow off the driveway and pulling fans out so he could have a dry spot to hit. The kid refused to let somebody else determine his future.
Bo made the school team in 8th grade. He went on to play in high school. This year he had one of the top 3 batting averages on his hs team. He was rated by TN Preps as one of the top 3 1st base prospects in the state. He was also awarded Cannon County’s Male Scholar Athlete of the of the year. He leaves in 2 weeks to go play college ball on a scholarship.
Why share this? Maybe one of the kids that played for you needed to see they can turn it around. Maybe one of them needs to know what hard work and determination can get them. Maybe one of them just needs to know there’s a path through hard work.
The last picture below is him finding out he made the 8th grade team. The look you get when you achieve something after hearing 2 years of no’s.