I Could've Been At A Barbecue!

The summer months have been anything but lackluster thus far - but is that due to the amount of time spent on the road at various ball parks and stadiums or possibly due to the run this coach's beloved Fighting Braves of the Cuyahoga are currently making? Ok maybe it's a bit of both! Any who, I know the Diamond has since been on hiatus since providing an update on where some of the Yellow Jackets are spending their time this summer - but that time has seen a lot of hours on the road, I woke up this morning and did a double take at my phone when I saw the date. It's July, folks - July! And the first week of July brings arguably my two favorite holidays that are within a 3 day stretch of each other. Confused? Don't be.

After all, today marks Canada Day (which I identify myself with due to my time spent with the Ontario Blue Jays, circa summer 2011) for our friends up north - in need of some ways to celebrate Canadian independence? Problem solved. All of this leads up to the biggest firecracker of them all - and no I don't mean this DC Athletic Trainer. But no matter which holiday this week you are celebrating, I think we all truly know which Independence Day stands above the rest. In all seriousness, this week should be filled with friends, family and fireworks - of course with maybe some baseball and burgers sprinkled in. Enjoy, I know I will!

Stay up to date with all things Defiance Baseball here.

Follow DC Baseball On and Off the Diamond on Twitter: @OnOffTheDiamond

OBJ White Hurlers Take The Next Step

I recently posted on my Twitter feed that five pitchers who I had the opportunity to work with this past summer, while in the Greater Toronto Area, have now officially moved onto the next level. And are continuing their baseball careers at various colleges here in the states. I can only hope that I made an impression on each and every one of these guys (even the smallest impression is considered a win in my book). Hopefully they will carry what I was able to teach and instill in them during the summer over to the college level. I would like to issue a formal congratulations to the following kids:

Ryan Anthony - Grambling State University (Louisiana): NCAA D1
Josh Appel - Saginaw Valley State University (Michigan): NCAA D2
Alex Attwell - Mineral Area College (Missouri): NJCAA D1
Jordan McLean - University of Northwestern Ohio: NAIA
Brett Nasello - Oklahoma Panhandle State University: NCAA D2

The transition to college baseball is far from easy, but I honestly feel that these guys are ready for the challenge that lays ahead. That is a testament to the entire Ontario Blue Jays organization. Being a young coach just starting to pursue this career choice, I very well may have learned more from these gentlemen than they learned from me. And for that, I thank them. I wish them all the best, and hope to see them succeed in this new chapter of their lives.

Bring some Turbulence down to the states fellas! Go Jays!

Take Flight.

Follow the OBJ Twitter feed here. And also be sure to check out their website.

The Next Step: NDCL Here I Come

As this is past summer season is officially in the books, I now look back and evaluate the experience as a whole. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I was given, and I know that this summer will undoubtedly aid me in furthering my career as a baseball coach. Having the chance to run my own staff, institute a throwing and conditioning program for all pitchers on the team, and travel throughout the states to multiple tournaments (including a World Series tournament); all pretty much for the first time, is something I will never forget.

As I look back on our pitching staff, I can confidently say that every single kid who put in the time and work all summer long, showed improvements as the summer progressed (that rings true for the entire team, position players included). Working with guys like Brett Nasello and Josh Appel, who will be attending schools in the states this fall to further their baseball careers, was a real treat for me. Because I knew I could give them a sneak peak at what awaits them in what is now only a couple weeks; they definitely have a leg up on the rest of the incoming freshman pitchers at their repspective schools. Guys like Andrew Gangadeen, Elliot Sebastian, Lucas Donovan, and Cole Kaiser, (who have 1-2 years left in the program) showed great promise and the talent to pitch competitively at the collegiate level. Each and every one of these guys were extremely coachable and I would like to thank every single one for the chance to work with them.

If our staff learned half as much from me as I learned from both them and Coach Sheppard combined, then I'd say that I did my job pretty well. I wish the entire OBJ 18U White team and the Ontario Blue Jays organization as a whole, nothing but the best and much success in their future endeavors.

Now the time is upon me to start looking forward to my next coaching opportunity. There's always a  next step, right? And no, it is not as the Student Assistant at Lake Erie (as was posted before). I thought long and hard about all my options over the summer and explored them to the fullest. I was offered and in turn accepted a position as an Assistant Baseball Coach at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin (NDCL) in Chardon, OH. I met with Head Coach Jim Clark last month to discuss the position; I will be working with the Freshman and Junior Varsity pitching staffs and will serve as either the Assistant JV Coach or Head Freshman Coach (this will be determined at a later date). I'm excited about this chance to coach in one of the most reputable Division II High School programs in the state of Ohio. However, due to OHSAA rules, baseball practices cannot officially start until February. So it's going to be a long offseason!

By the time February rolls around, I know I'll have the itch to get back on the field again. I might even have that itch by next week! Scratch that, I definitely will have that itch by next week (pun intended). But until that time, I will be focusing on getting ready for May 2012, which is of course when I will finish my undergrad degree. Also, in that time I will have started an internship at Cleveland Whiskey that I'm sure will keep me quite busy.

As updates on my impending career choice become relevant, they will be posted on OAOTD. Let's hope these next 6 months fly by, NDCL here I come!

You can also find any and all updates on my twitter feed: @_CamCastro. And for more information on NDCL click here.

World Series Bound

When I arrived in the Greater Toronto Area on June 3rd, the Ontario Blue Jays 18U White team was 3-13. A little rough, I know. Nearly Two Months and 29 games later, the teams' record sits at 16-29 (13-16 since my arrival). Believe it or not (emphasis on BELIEVE IT), we are now only days away from traveling to Youngstown, OH for the NABF World Series!

During my constant talks with Head Coach Kyle Sheppard before my arrival, a reoccurring theme seemed to be our sub-par record. I stood confident by one particular statement I made to him, "Don't worry, we will hit our stride." And sure enough we did, within weeks we were fielding a competitive team with a winning attitude day in and day out. Our stride couldn't have come at a better time. The coaching staff knew after our trip to Virginia Beach that we were ready for our Regional Tournament, and had a real shot at making some noise in Altoona, PA.

After playing only three games (out of a scheduled five) in Altoona and posting a 2-1 record; the OBJs took second place and were thought to be eliminated. But due to an exception made by the NABF-WS committee, the Jays were granted a birth in Youngstown.

With an impending 15 team round robin tournament, the OBJ 18U White team is more than ready for the challenge ahead. Only one team workout stands in our way of pursuing that proverbial World Series Ring.

For anyone that will be in the Youngstown area August 4-7, watch out for the Jays of Ontario! Until next time, Take Flight!

Student of the Game

PBLO: Premier Baseball League of Ontario. That is what has been consuming most of my time over these last two weeks. The Ontario Blue Jays 18 & Under White team has finished league play and now sets its sights on a grueling travel schedule that will consist of four different tournaments in four different states (Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, and Pennsylvania) spread out through a seven week time period.

In my two weeks here, the young Jays of the Greater Toronto Area have posted a record of 4-9. I have seen great strides made by the young pitching staff since my time has began. Those four wins consisted of three complete games (no CGs were posted by our hurlers before my arrival) and an all around increase in time put into not only the physical side of pitching but the mental side as well. Having put the staff on a regiment and a specific program, I hope to see even more impressive and improving performances out of our guys while we make our way through a tough tournament schedule.

I am undoubtedly already seeing improvements in my ability to relate to these kids and my abilities as a baseball coach. Baseball players, and all athletes for that matter, are a breed of their own. With each one having different qualities and personality traits. There is not one universal motivating factor that can be used on an entire roster. As a coach, you must be able to asses what drives and pushes each individual player to want to compete at a higher level; in an attempt to get the best performance possible out of them. This is something I think I have begun to really understand and take hold off. It can not only be shown in how you handle Starters vs. Relievers, but also in how you handle the pitcher who just threw a gem for you vs. the pitcher who struggled through an inning and a third; battling through walk after walk and error after error. 

Seeing that I have started to experiment with different styles and philosophies on how to relate to each one of our players, I know that I will find success along the way but also failure. And in those times of failure, is when the best and brightest coaches shine. Which is being exceptionally demonstrated by OBJs Head Coach Kyle Sheppard. Although the results of his time and hard work may not reflect directly in our overall record, it does reflect in the improving attitudes and in both the increasing mental and physical talent our of players. Also by teaching these kids responsibility and holding them accountable to certain expectations both On and Off the Diamond, Coach Sheppard and the rest of the coaching staff is sharing with them some insight on what awaits them at the next level.

Through running a club program and coaching high school players just as they will be coached and treated in a college program, definitely is preparing these kids for the next step. The goal is by the time these kids step foot onto a college baseball field and more importantly a college campus, they already know what to expect and know what is expected out of them.

While I try to do my part in preparing our players for the reality check that awaits them, I am certainly humbled by the experience and the opportunity I have been provided. If this staff of young and vibrant arms can learn even one minuscule thing from me while I'm here then I can leave satisfied. Just as our head coach is doing, I am sharing my knowledge of the game with our guys and my experiences of having done what they long to; play college baseball. 

No matter how old you are or how long you have been around/involved with the game of baseball you can always expand and increase your knowledge. As a coach, you hope your players can learn the most that they can from you; but you also hope to learn as much as you can from them. You are never done learning. And you will always be a Student of the Game. That is exactly what I am, still a student yearning to learn more and more about the game that he loves. And believe me, I fully intend on doing so for as long as I can.

Take Flight.

Focusing On Right Now But Looking To The Future

It is almost human nature to look towards the future, no scratch that, IT IS human nature to look towards the future. You constantly find yourself playing different scenarios out in your head; especially when it comes to sports. Thoughts of postseason play come and go from time to time, sometimes even thoughts of next season pop up. You find a lot of people that try to repress those thoughts and more or less, live in the moment and focus on the task at hand. You cannot try and win tomorrow's game before you play today's.

With a four game home conference matchup against Northwood looming, the Storm of Lake Erie College seem to be balancing the notion of winning one before you can look to the next, remarkably well. Sitting roughly a half game out of a three way tie for fourth place there is a lot on our players' minds. Words of making the conference tournament in our first year are starting to be whispered around campus. It is a struggle to not get caught in some sort of hype, but we put our blinders on and keep pushing forward. We continue to Stay The Course.

As for me, with the thought of this possibly being my last season On the Diamond; as I have mentioned before, I am starting to explore the other side of the game. I look forward to being one of the select few that wear a protective helmet instead of a slightly bent "fitted" and Lace Up their turfs day in and day out instead of their cleats.

I also am looking forward to the next chance I have to keep building on my knowledge of the "In's and Out's" of America's Pastime. I started that this past summer when I got the opportunity to coach my Alma Mater's 16U Hot Stove team. The Lorain Saints of the EE League, made a fantastic run and ended our summer with a more than respectable record of 17-3, including landing the number one seed for the state tournament. Unfortunately we fell short of our state title aspirations, but the experience of getting to run your own ship at such a young age was something I truly treasured, and still do. I owe that opportunity to a great man, and someone who has played a pretty significant role in my life, Dan Ternes. Check out this link to get a feel for what we were all about, it was a story our local paper ran (they covered almost all our games), video is included! http://morningjournal.com/articles/2010/07/07/sports/doc4c33fae783a64110039980.txt?viewmode=fullstory

A new opportunity recently came my way that was just too good to turn down. This summer I will be coaching (yes coaching, not playing) for an organization up north. And yes, when I say "up north" I do indeed mean our friends to the north (dare I say it, I do dare), Canada.

Kyle Sheppard, a former assistant coach here at Lake Erie and close personal friend of mine, last summer accepted a full time position with one of the most recognizable club baseball organizations in North America, the Ontario Blue Jays. Kyle was generous enough to offer me a job as one of his assistants for the summer. It is yet to be determined exactly what my role with the team will be, but whatever it ends up being, I have 100% faith when I say it will be an exceptional experience. A chance to network and learn from one of the most knowledgable coaches I have had the pleasure of knowing.

So from about June 10-July31st, and possibly even into the first week of August, I'll be in the dugout and/or bullpen of the OBJs 18U White Team (it honestly is hard for me to communicate in words just how excited I am about this). With a travel packed schedule; that includes Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, and Pennsylvania, I expect to spend a good chunk of my time this summer tweeting and blogging from the OBJ bus and various hotel rooms. For more information on the Ontario Blue Jays and continual updates from the program check out http://www.ontariobluejays.com/

As I look to the future, I also make sure I focus on right now. So for now, I look to a four game GLIAC set against Northwood and then some much needed family time this sunday. Happy Easter (to those who celebrate it of course) and HAPPY BASEBALL to all! Until next time, RAGE ON.