When Chuy Rico's love for baseball and community fused with his vocation in law enforcement, an extraordinary journey began, leading to the founding of Braves Baseball Academy. Join us as we sit down with Chuy, a man who wears many hats: a co-founder of a flourishing baseball academy, an LAPD officer, a dedicated coach, and a father committed to raising his children with the same values he teaches on the field. Through his story, we discover the profound impact of sports on the lives of young athletes, where lessons of integrity, respect, and responsibility are as important as the game itself.
This episode isn't just about baseball; it's about building character and resilience through life's curveballs. We delve into the successes of Braves Academy alumni, like Wesley, who's taken his baseball talents all the way to Harvard, showcasing the enduring influence of a coach's mentorship. We also tackle the competitive spirit of youth baseball tournaments, revealing the strategies behind ascending the ranks from local 'pay to play' games to coveted invite-only events. With Chuy's guidance, we piece together how a team's sportsmanship can elevate its reputation, opening doors to monumental opportunities.
We close our heartfelt conversation by exploring the core values that make Braves Academy more than just a sports organization. From teaching the importance of attitude and effort to weighing the decisions parents face when choosing the right team for their child, we cover it all. The episode is a testament to the idea that the most important victories aren't always won on the field but in the lessons learned along the way. As we look forward to Braves Academy's upcoming trips to Cooperstown and Arizona, we're reminded that the true win is in the memories made and the characters shaped.
When Chuy Rico's love for baseball and community fused with his vocation in law enforcement, an extraordinary journey began, leading to the founding of Braves Baseball Academy. Join us as we sit down with Chuy, a man who wears many hats: a co-founder of a flourishing baseball academy, an LAPD officer, a dedicated coach, and a father committed to raising his children with the same values he teaches on the field. Through his story, we discover the profound impact of sports on the lives of young athletes, where lessons of integrity, respect, and responsibility are as important as the game itself.
This episode isn't just about baseball; it's about building character and resilience through life's curveballs. We delve into the successes of Braves Academy alumni, like Wesley, who's taken his baseball talents all the way to Harvard, showcasing the enduring influence of a coach's mentorship. We also tackle the competitive spirit of youth baseball tournaments, revealing the strategies behind ascending the ranks from local 'pay to play' games to coveted invite-only events. With Chuy's guidance, we piece together how a team's sportsmanship can elevate its reputation, opening doors to monumental opportunities.
We close our heartfelt conversation by exploring the core values that make Braves Academy more than just a sports organization. From teaching the importance of attitude and effort to weighing the decisions parents face when choosing the right team for their child, we cover it all. The episode is a testament to the idea that the most important victories aren't always won on the field but in the lessons learned along the way. As we look forward to Braves Academy's upcoming trips to Cooperstown and Arizona, we're reminded that the true win is in the memories made and the characters shaped.
I'm your host sea monster and today we have a special guest, a friend of mine, here and train his kid. Awesome, awesome, awesome person here in front of me. He's the co-founder of Braves baseball Academy. He's a current coach, 15 year LAPD officer and part-time warm-up partner, pitching machine, baseball critic and full-time dad. Welcome to the show, chui Rico thanks for coming on, coach.
Speaker 2:See, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:I appreciate the invite yeah, no, thank you, man. I've been wanted to chop it up with you here the can't be broken podcast for a little bit. Busy, busy, you're, busy, I'm busy, it's great. Hate to use the word busy, but we're, we're blessed, you know. Give us a little background history of where you grew up, whether you're from the Valley here, what you're currently doing right now and where you play ball grew up in Van Nuys, california.
Speaker 2:Okay, born and raised there till I was about 24 years old some whole childhood was there went to Van Nuys elementary, van Nuys, junior high, van Nuys high school. Played ball. Grew up playing ball with my brother. My cousin's van is recreation center. Okay, my brother and I stuck with it. I play out of Van Nuys. He played at Birmingham. Okay, after Van Nuys I went to Valley College, played there for a year, or I should say was on the team there for a year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was on the team. I didn't play much, and then catcher. I grew up catching my okay, I said.
Speaker 2:I said all the time I grew up catching my whole life and I always mediocre at best, but I did catch my whole life oh, good, good. And then when the mission after that graduated, mm-hmm, and start working here helping around with, you know, the family with paying bills, helping my father with paying bills, yeah. And then when I joined the LAPD, yeah, in 2009, I started playing for their baseball team oh, that's right, good baseball team yeah good baseball it's competitive. We play against other agencies.
Speaker 1:Yeah, border patrol shares fire department yeah, like in the world police games and then like a league as well. I played one year and I remember playing. I don't know if you go, no guy, but any of gosh, I think his last name Soriano, yes, so yeah, yeah, he's a pitcher, he is. Yeah, he played at Pierce College, correct? And then I don't know where he went. After what one, soriano.
Speaker 2:Juan Soriano yeah, yeah, yeah, still on the team. He's more of a visor now he's a little on the older side he's an older cat, yeah, a lot of young blood.
Speaker 1:Yeah was it, which is exciting. Yeah, I thought he might be retired now, but no, he's still, he's doing the job.
Speaker 2:Okay, he's still. He's still gasses. He throws hard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he does he threw hard back then, yeah, he throws hard so I played for them up until maybe 2013 and then once I, my kids, got older yeah, there's no time to hang out or, you know, travel with the team. Yeah, attend to your kids. And then your brother played to. You said he played at Birmingham and then he played at your valley and the same thing position he was a pitcher. He grew up pitching his entire okay, so he's more so that's why he's more of a defensive, defensive guy, right yeah, yeah, we always preach take care of the baseball.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, all right, and then I think you have how many kids you have to have two kids.
Speaker 2:I have a daughter who's 15, going on 24 oh yeah, 15 forever. Yeah, you know, that goes and then my 12 year old son, who trains here with you. Okay, and your daughter she played ball. No, she's a. She cheerleads for her high school. Yeah, she likes it. It keeps it, keeps her, keeps her in line with her grades.
Speaker 1:And, yeah, away from the bad crowd yeah, jj is a big boy, he is strong. I remember we did a workout here this last week. He comes two times a week, obviously with the Braves here and we were doing where I'm holding him back with like with a band and he's running man. He was carrying me and he's strong, strong big kid.
Speaker 2:Hopefully keeps growing hopefully sometimes we all maturely going in some way. Somehow I retire early.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly there you go right. So you and your brother started Braves baseball Academy. Yes, sir, how did that come about and how long ago or when did that start? So?
Speaker 2:before we were called Braves, we were. We started as tigers. Okay, tiger Delano tigers out of Delano Park in Van eyes yep, no, where that's at? Yeah, yeah, I was in 2007, okay, so the way it came about was lots of family, friends from our hometown they all gentlemen a little older than my brother and I already had kids, and now my brother and I didn't have kids at this time, okay, and they already had kids playing travel ball for different teams in the Valley the Valley cats, black widows, bombs you can recall, but they had their kids all over the Valley and I don't remember exactly where.
Speaker 2:It was a family party or something, and they all came about the idea why don't we all bring our kids together and form a team here in our, in our hometown, and your brother, gus, and usually you guys, should coach it. Knowing that they had with that no, they them knowing that we had a little baseball background some.
Speaker 2:JC ball high school, a little bit of travel ball, but passion for sure, the passion for sure. So my brother and I agreed, not knowing or not had never coached, yeah. And we took the Bulls by the horn and we started that in 07. Okay, in 2010 is when we became Braves. We became Van eyes Braves. I'm not a my brother's, the one who took over once I joined LAPD. I didn't have as much time to be involved, right, but nice, I'm still blessed to still be able to coach.
Speaker 1:Yeah and then and then your brother. Now that's what he does he just runs this academy, or does he do something else like you know, he also works at Brummingham oh, okay, okay.
Speaker 2:I brought up admin stuff there.
Speaker 1:Oh nice, okay, but um, and that's the Braves. Now, academy is a, is what do they call it? A, not a funnel, but like a feeder.
Speaker 2:Feeder team to Braves, to the Birmingham, a lot of people would think that would think that, yeah, but not necessarily. Yeah, we do wear the same colors as them and we use the facilities, but just because you play for the Braves isn't mean you have to go to Birmingham, correct? We? Have kids from all over that come and practice there yeah, so Birmingham would be fairly. Uh, no, truck easy, fairly easy, but then it was to some.
Speaker 1:It's also a it's a long drive, yeah, and then how many teams do you guys currently have, like how many, I guess, teams from different ages?
Speaker 2:we have 14 right now 14 14 teams from ages 8 through 14. 8 through 14 yes, sir, so in some ages we have multiple teams, like the 12 you yeah, which I coach.
Speaker 1:We have three teams, okay and then, when did it switch over from the Delano? You know? Starting yeah, to.
Speaker 2:Braves in 2010, in 2010 okay.
Speaker 1:So you guys went like that for a little bit and then kind of grew it and what not?
Speaker 2:I was.
Speaker 1:I was obviously just you guys are learning, you guys are let's go back into that, we'll just forget to fucking take it off. It's okay, we'll, we start on down. So then you guys, how did it feel like at the beginning, trying to figure it out, like you were just learning by doing, and how did it grow into and develop into the Braves, and how was that process and what were the failures and lessons learned that you're like, okay, but I mean you got 14 teams now, so you guys are doing it right.
Speaker 2:Well, tons of failures right, right, and I'm not saying stuff easy now, but yeah we've learned yeah, we've learned so much and that's through failures.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's life right there. Yeah, the reason, the biggest reason why my brother and I took on coaching yeah, our first team ever was to keep kids out of trouble, because we both have that understanding of baseball is such a positive outlet for kids to stay out of trouble, not just baseball. I'm saying baseball because it's what we do, yeah, but to some kids that grew up in a rough neighborhood, like we did, yeah, baseball can be your, your state way to stay away off the streets. Now what I do for a living, I understand how the streets can be so influential. Yeah, in a bad way, yeah.
Speaker 2:So we said, if we can keep these kids off trouble, have their mindset on baseball where you can have fun, be with your buddies. We didn't what we did. We ever think we would have 14 teams and some of them be nationally ranked and all that probably not, not at that time, right, but, and the goal is still the same teach these kids life through baseball. If you can do some winning, yeah, along the ways and gets kid, get kids into college, get kids know into the pros, yeah, that's sorry, that's a plus.
Speaker 1:But yeah, no, I think, because you started that way, with that philosophy, you and your brother started in in the core value of hey, let's get these kids off the street, and that's that's why you guys are progressing. You guys are where you're at with that in mind. That's, that's awesome, because you're teaching kids to stay off the streets. Yes, sir, teamwork. There's so many different valuable lessons that come with baseball or any other sport as well, but I'll tell you a quick story yeah, it's short.
Speaker 2:During COVID, parks were closed. Nobody can use parks. My brother has a batting cage in his backyard. It's a nice batting cage so kids were coming over, hitting kids from all over, some kids from parts of the city where we don't feel safe to go to the park and take batting practice, whether it's your dad or a friend that's gonna throw batting practice to you. So they were all more than welcome to come over here. So a certain neighbor of my brothers keeps on calling the police on him. Hey, these guys are being noisy. You hear the bat? Mm-hmm, you know the sound of the bat. In the later evening, to the point where you know, I called up to up top oh really, to talk about my brother's house and I explained to them look, this is what we're doing, this is what we do. We're in the business of keeping kids focused and out of trouble. Mm-hmm, you tell that neighbor that instead of calling the police, why doesn't he throw over a pack of waters or some Gatorade's?
Speaker 2:because these kids are over here getting working hard, getting there working right and one of the officers tells me well, why don't they just go to the park? I told them the park's are closed and, like I said, they feel a lot safer in our backyard than they do at their local park. Yeah, and that problem went away.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly. Yeah, people don't get it. You know, and that was a big thing 2020. I got super busy here because things were closed down. Nobody was playing. You know practices were going on, covid, you know everybody stay away.
Speaker 1:But I stayed open here and I got super busy and the kids got better and that's that's the purpose, you know, and they weren't out. I mean, I remember you know everybody was trying to figure it out. The schools were LAUSD and whatnot, and kids were going to school online for like two, three hours. Then they had the rest of the day, right. But to go where? Nowhere. And so a lot of them, like parents, are like, hey, as soon as he's done, he's over there working out, get a move and get, keep him moving, keep him moving. And I was like hell, yeah, let's go. So I was super blessed. No, it's awesome what you guys do, you and your brother, and how it all started. Well, who are some of the? I know it's been a long time now it's 2007 till now. Some of the players that have come through your Academy and you've seen them grow and go on, can you name some that maybe some people might know that have come through your Academy?
Speaker 2:so many, so many, probably a hundred green from the Reds. Yeah Notre Dame, yeah Notre. Dame product yeah, a hundred green.
Speaker 1:I know you, I know your. Your brother's son goes to Harvard.
Speaker 2:Wesley. He's a Harvard Wesley, correct, and he's he's been a brave since he was six. Yeah, he went through our program. He's now a starting varsity catcher yeah, as a freshman out there. Yeah, that's nice. Yeah, he's out there. Johnny Tenture played for my brother. He's now with the Indians, okay, yeah, actually his little brothers with the braves.
Speaker 2:Yeah, excited, yeah, there's so, so many and yeah, that's a lot of years and it's like I said, if these kids make it to the pros, that's like winning the lottery. Now, our biggest thing is, I guess our biggest thing and our biggest reward as coaches is seeing these kids grow up to be good men, good family men, good workers, live a decent, positive life. There's kids that are in the force right now that went through our academy and you don't have to be a police officer. But if these kids can grow up to, like I said, be good fathers, good husband good neighbors.
Speaker 2:That's a plus, and I see it all the time. We keep in contact with lots of these boys that are now grown men and even have families. It's such a blessing and it's your biggest reward as a coach seeing these kids grow up to be good contributors to society.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's the most important for sure. You and your brother leading with that, and the coaches that you guys hire. How do you guys go about when you guys first started and then now hiring some of the coaches and the staff? Cause that's a big deal, that's huge. Right, it's not just you and your brother anymore, it's 14 teams. We got a lot of heads dealing with a lot of people. How do you guys keep the cohesiveness of the mission of the Braves Academy? This is our mission, this is what we're doing. How does that look like? How do you guys pick these coaches and whatnot? Well, first and foremost, we run a background check.
Speaker 2:We really do at the times we're living, right now all the. Braves coaches. We run a background check, make sure we know who we're dealing with. Right, and you gotta have some. Obviously you gotta have some baseball background. You don't have to be former Mr Algarito or right, you don't have to be a baseball god just yet, but have some sort of baseball background.
Speaker 2:Be dependable, because it's a huge commitment. It really is. I understand every single Braves coach that we have now has their own personal life and job, but they still they're committed to, they're committed to the Braves. So you have to be dependable. Sometimes I'm coaching the 12s and our games are done and, for whatever reason, a coach can't make it because something comes up. I get a phone call from my brother hey, can you go help out the 14s and 10s? Whoever, absolutely, I had to drop over ahead, I'm there.
Speaker 2:So be dependable. Understand that you're part of something greater than you, and that goes with everything. Right, because right now I can stop coaching. The Braves are still gonna continue. So you have to understand you're part of something bigger and greater than you, willing to teach. Be willing to teach, be willing to learn, because you stop learning, you stop living. The more you learn, the more you understand there's more to learn. I always, this was always our thing and it still is. Sometimes you coach against these coaches who have such a great track record and our goal is let's take something from them today, let's learn something from them and input it into Braves Baseball Academy. Whether we're out of UCLA game or USC game, let's learn something right. We played against Coach BK from Jay Sara last year.
Speaker 2:We were 11 year, we played his legacy team out of Orange County and I just watched his every move in mannerism, like today I'm learning something from Coach BK. I asked him how many do you want to come into the year? He said I have 20 this year. I said if this man has 20, do you want commits? He's doing something right. Yeah, he's doing something right. I better learn something from him and if I leave this game, whether I win or lose, if I leave this game without learning anything from him, there's any justice.
Speaker 2:Right so there goes that Accountability. Hey, when you mess up, you're falling your sword right. Sometimes it's like, hey, good job, we tell our players that was on me, I shouldn't have sent you or.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's gonna happen. Honestly, be honest with your players. I'm a from believer in I call on my kids when they mess up. If you correct the kid right then and there you're gonna lose them for 24 hours. You'll probably say man F, coach, but he knows what he's doing wrong now, but if I don't correct him, I lose him forever. He's gonna keep on doing whatever he's doing wrong over and over and over. So be honest with your coaching staff. Be honest with your players, yeah right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, that's huge. Sorry, that was a long-winded answer. No, that's great. No, I mean, it's not an easy thing. You can't just say we hired good coaches. No, I mean, it takes a lot of different things that you guys are looking for in a coach to influence these kids to the mission which is most importantly keep them off the streets and have them become better human beings, live a better life, learn how to respect the game.
Speaker 2:Respect the game, play it the correct way, correct Be a good teammate?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, it's a lot. I mean, coaching involves a lot and you answered it perfectly, I'm sure. Obviously, patience as well, absolutely, and wanting to teach and learn and grow and the love for the game, love for the kids, love for them to be better and pass on the experience that they're coming from. Yes, sir, that is awesome. I know there's a lot of travel ball teams out there. Now it's blown up. I know when I was growing up, there wasn't as many. Well, first of all there wasn't travel ball teams. But now that there is a lot of travel ball teams, right that there are so many, whether it be in baseball and softball too.
Speaker 1:Yes, why does the Braves? Like? Because I hear it. I've been training and doing what I do now strength and conditioning for over 10 years, but I hear the Braves, the Braves, right, you guys' names have, you've put a stamp on, like who you guys are, and people say that's a good organization out there. What makes you guys different, do you believe, and how did that come about? Like, how did you guys all of a sudden become well-respected, well-known around everywhere, and how did that take time or evolve and whatnot?
Speaker 2:There you go, take a deep breath. For this, I think being true to ourselves, being true to our culture because when you cater to talent as opposed to class abuse, culture, right, it's like being true to ourselves. Stay the course. But this is what we do and this is how we're going to do it.
Speaker 2:There's times where I won't mention who, but I've been in my brother's backyard and he's talking to a big week from another organization that's has all the money in the world. Hey, can you guys become so-and-so Braves? And it's happened plenty of times and we say thank you for the opportunity and thank you for reaching out. But we're going to stick to what we know, which is Braves' baseball, the Braves' baseball way, and also a big part of us, staying true to what we believe in how to play the game and how to go about it on and off the field, understanding that it takes a village. We preach it takes a village. Whether it's the parents that are committed to us coaches like you, I see a difference in our kids that come here to train. I see a difference in JJ yeah, thank you, and he loves it the other day. I don't want to get off topic too much the other day.
Speaker 2:I text him hey, I'm sorry, but you're not going to be able to coach go to coach C's because you don't have a ride and four letter answers Woohoo, that's it, but it wasn't good.
Speaker 1:I'm just kidding. Four letter? No, I bet it wasn't. It starts within that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly so I don't know if it makes this different, but accountability there's times where we'll do favors for people where we don't gain nothing back, but it's in our mission. We started this. Since we started this, our mission was one thing and we have to stick with it Already. Our mission later of Braves Baseball Academy, where it doesn't say anything about winning and losing Not once does it say. It's on our web page. It has nothing to do with winning and losing. It's trusting the process, because wins and losses come and go. It's the process that you have to fall in love with, to get better every day. We preach that on a daily basis.
Speaker 1:Yeah, our coach at CSUN, Mike Beato, is retired now and he was up at Fresno State when a college world series. He always told us if we take care of our jobs, we will win. Take care of the jobs, don't worry about winning and losing. Worry about taking care of these jobs. There were certain things that offense had to do, certain things of defense, and we just handled it one at a time.
Speaker 1:I think you guys, in your success and where you guys are at now and well known and put it up good teams, high level teams and players and whatnot is because you don't look at the wins or losses. They take care of themselves. If you do the right thing, if you do the little things like we talked about earlier, if you do the little things, they become big things and those big things become wins, not only wins in W's but wins in life, wins in the kids getting better, wins in cohesiveness and understanding and learning. That's the win. Give me these kids going, like you said, I'm sure you have so many kids that have come through your organization you and your brother's organization that now are either married or have their own kids and sooner or later they're going to join the Braves Academy, and that's amazing. I mean how you guys are giving back.
Speaker 2:We have kids well, I call them kids because they're younger than I who played with us since day one. Coach Sammy Villa oh yeah, he was part of our first ever Tigers team. His dad was one of the gentlemen that really pushed for us to start this and he's now coaching with us. He's a big part in our success in our academy. Coach Lira, who pitched for my brother at Birmingham. Coach Lira, he's now coaching with us and it's a beautiful thing to see these kids grow up and then come back and then have them want to give back to these kids that play baseball. It truly is a blessing. It's my like. I say it's my anti-anxiety and my anti-depression medicine. Now, sometimes, when these kids mess up, they cause anxiety and depression but I get over it quick.
Speaker 1:Give me a little background on. I know you guys are nationally ranked. I'm not too big. Since I left the Sheriff's Department and I started Strength and Conditioning, I knew I wasn't going to get. I had missed a while of like hitting and fielding and the game. So I wanted to still give back through Strength and Conditioning and I knew it was lacking. I knew there wasn't a lot of people out there. There was people getting hitting lessons and fielding lessons and pitching lessons, catching lessons and lessons for everything but Strength and Conditioning, which is part of being an athlete Right, and so I'm like this is how I'm going to give back in baseball and in general, to everybody. You're doing a great job.
Speaker 2:Oh, I appreciate it. Thank you, our kids appreciate it, even myself with your podcast not because I'm on it, right now there's times where I wake up and I tell myself go for a hike. There's been times where I haven't won an Adam Gold, I don't want to go hike. I put on your podcast and it gets me through it. 20 minutes of motivation gets you up and down that hill, which is huge because, like you said, strength and Conditioning is part of our sport, part of life, but so is your mental strength.
Speaker 1:Yeah, mental strength, mental clarity, peace and whatnot, but yeah, so I got back into this and doing that and I love it and I enjoy. I've been doing this for 10 years now and same thing for 10 years. I've seen kids grow up. Some of them are married, have kids now and I've seen some of these kids get Division Year 1, 2, 3 scholarships, continue playing, becoming a student athlete still, and it's so rewarding.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir, I love to see that and stay in touch and I go try to check out as many games as I can support them outside of here, because a lot of the times I don't get to see them play. The way they move here, they're getting stronger, I see that. But then I'm like, how does that relate to their basketball game, their baseball game? And so I go see them play sometimes and it's amazing and they're happy and they're playing the game that we grew up playing as well and it's amazing. And then you get to meet their parents and they say thank you and they see the results, the hard work of 2, 3 years that they've been coming here, that they've grown up to be stronger and better athletes and better people, and it's a process, right? You're trusting me with your kids here right now your kid and the Braves Academy kids and I'm blessed. But how do you in travel baseball get nationally ranked? How does that process work? Is there tournaments or is there championships?
Speaker 2:So our now 13U of Braves Team. One of them last year was ranked for the most part through a PG perfect game.
Speaker 1:That's one of the organizations that hosts these travel teams and these showcases, that's throughout the nation, that would meet up for a tournament a weekend or a week tournament.
Speaker 2:So you start winning these big tournaments where all these ranked teams show up, and obviously, the more tournaments you win, it's how you get ranked, just like any other D1 or D2, d3 or, say, city section baseball, all your wins, who you beat, goes into being ranked. So they were ranked. I'm sorry, go ahead.
Speaker 1:No, no. Do you have to get invited to be in? Like a perfect game thing? Do you pay money, like you know what I'm saying, like at the beginning. Let's just give an example. I'm Cesar Martinez Baseball Academy and I got my 13U. How do I get to be in that tournament? What do I have to do before that to start putting my name out there?
Speaker 2:So there's tournaments where anybody can sign up and you show up and when you're losing, come back to the next one where it's pay to play pretty much. But then, once you start winning these big tournaments and you get recognized, there are a few tournaments that are invite only, and that's where they start inviting the teams that win a lot and start separating them into rankings. So obviously, the more you win, the more you win.
Speaker 1:And then they're played usually throughout the here in California outside of state as well, like Arizona. Yes, like.
Speaker 2:I know this coming up a weekend. What's today? Monday, Thursday are eight, I think, I believe are 8U, 11U and are 13U, that team we're talking about. They're taking off to Texas. They'll be over there this weekend and that's a big tournament so you can do well. It's a big tournament where you do well. You know that goes into your rankings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then I know that sometimes they go you might win, but do they also do? Or like they do around Robin, and then you might win the tournament, but you're in a lesser how can I say this like a silver bracket or there's tournaments, actually most tournaments.
Speaker 2:The way it works is on Saturday you'll play your two games if it's a two-day Tournament.
Speaker 2:You'll play your two games on Saturday and then, based on that based on wins and losses or runs given up, run scored you get ranked. So you'll have your gold bracket, which will consist of the teams that went to an O To an O, scored a lot and scored a lot of runs, or didn't give up too many runs yeah, and then you have a no. The other teams start falling. Teams I went one and one, or own two. They fall into a silver bracket, home bronze bracket. Does that make sense? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So Okay, you can have a time. So obviously you want to do, obviously you want to the first two days, you want to score a lot and you want to win, give up a little bit, be up there so that you're playing with the big dogs and people that do the same thing as you, correct.
Speaker 1:Okay, and yeah, that makes sense. I mean I think that's the way it's around over here. I don't think when I was in high school that's the way they did in LA City, like they have a division one, division two or open when you went to high school, was it for a and three. I don't know how I like that, or a and three, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's same thing. Right, yeah, for a and three. Yeah, same concept. But sometimes we go to an O and we fall into the silver bracket because we gave up that extra run, yeah, and we got to keep that positive attitude. Hey, we went to an O. Now Sunday, let's go win another two and win the championship. Yeah, right, yeah, yeah. So sometimes you uh, sometimes you have teams that We'll draw, say, to starting teams, and go to an O and they score a bunch of runs and give up none, and then they show up on Sunday and they face a team with that's been together and with a lot of experience and yeah, they're in a world of hurt, but what are some of the other teams that you've seen that are out there that are like, hey, we've faced them before, they're good that you know?
Speaker 1:like that brings in the same thing that they're talking about you? Hey, we're facing the braids. You know what you're gonna get another, I'm sure other teams are going. Hey, those are the brakes. What are some of the other two or a couple of the teams that you that are pretty good out there, whether it be from California, none.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a at every level. There's a ZT, zt, prospects. Yesterday I want to go watch them against Our 13, you at Birmingham 13. They were playing 1690 with baby Corbats. We don't have too much pop. That's good stuff, because that's real baseball. You have to manufacture runs right there. Yeah, they don't. It's not these bats that the ball flies, because often there's ET, there's a tomatero's baseball Academy.
Speaker 2:They've been around for a long time. Good friends of ours shut ups to them. They started from scratch. Same thing they were when we're just starting. They were the powerhouse, back to back to back national champions. We beat them once two to one when we were the Tigers, still in a backyard tournament. Yeah, down and down here, something somewhere. And I told my brother and the other sort of coaching stuff right now when we beat them, let's act like we've been there before. We're not gonna throw apart. We're not show these guys respect. They went like 80 and three or 80 and two that year. Wow, I was being one of them. Wow and Strike three. We win, we shake hands, we get into my car.
Speaker 2:We start celebrating like one game seven of the world series. Yeah, and that's how the Tigers name started growing. Hey, everybody, everybody, we went every tournament. People were like are you? Guys, the Tigers that beat the tomateros, yeah, that's us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and they recognized that we were a class act when we beat them and we, you know, pretend like we were yeah, it's hard to like telling the kids to simmer down because they're super psych, yes, sir, but you know their kids, you know Like lesson act like you've been there exactly.
Speaker 2:Thank you till you make it um. I'm sorry, I'm a little ZT of MVP's the.
Speaker 1:MVP's.
Speaker 2:MV because he has no, the original VP's. They're always competitive and there's competitive teams here in the Valley to yeah, at every level, yeah, and there's one-to-one elite at up with a R12 you, yeah. There's Other birds, not birds baseball Academy, yeah, yeah, they're competitive to their odd. They always give us a good game, a training kit from the birds here yeah, yeah they're um, they have a great group.
Speaker 2:They're 12. You, which is the kids that I see often. They have a great group of kids too. Yeah, that's what it's all about. Get a great group of kids and develop them. Yeah, that's huge and good parents. Yeah, good, yes, good parents.
Speaker 1:It's key. It's key exactly. I know we've been talking a lot about the Braves Academy and whatnot, but let's dive into a little bit of like and we're talking about morals and values and principles and whatnot. What is success? You know, whether it be for the Braves or yourself personally, what does success mean to you? What is that, that word or what not mean to you success?
Speaker 2:Success to me, um, doing what you love, finding your purpose in life, staying true to yourself. While doing it, stay the course, right. Um, for instance, at work, I feel like I'm successful because I wake up every day and I don't tell myself I have to go to work. I tell myself I get to go to work, changing your words, changing my words, yeah, but it's something that I love to do. I love going out there, putting on my uniform and Interacting with people, problem solving, right, and. And then that that leads into you being off-duty.
Speaker 2:Right now I have a friend texting me. Hey, truly, are you working? I'll call him as soon as this is done. Yeah, but I find myself successful. Yeah, because I'm doing what, uh, what I love to do. Yeah, and also, like I said, finding your purpose for life, teaching these men, these young men, life through baseball. Yeah, I find it so successful. Whether we win or lose, whether we're ranked or not, it's a beautiful thing. Yeah, you know. And speaking from a Coach's perspective, on a father's perspective, yeah, because it's hard being a coach and a dad at the same time. Jj does good, I Can't throw a party like I'm in the outfield. Hey, that's my son. No, have to stay, even Q, because I have other 11 other kids that I have to coach. If he struggles, I can't fold and throw my chair, you know, because there's 11 other kids that are watching coach too. So it's a true blessing like a success to me is finding your passion, yeah, and Doing what what you truly love to do.
Speaker 1:Are you coaching him on the team right now? Are you the coach for For JJ's team? Yes, okay, I'm one of three coaches on that team, but then when he moves up, will you move up to that team or you kind of let him go?
Speaker 2:No no.
Speaker 1:I'll move up with you. Move up with them, right. Yeah, we move over with them. Okay, that's good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, success. A lot of people say all success is having. You know it's expensive car and this big mansion of the hills. And listen, I don't know people like that and they're not happy. Yeah or they don't find, they don't, they don't think they're successful. Yeah, so, like I said, that's yeah.
Speaker 1:Success. Yeah, no, it's, you know. That's why I asked a question, because I think he has a different meaning to different people in so many different ways.
Speaker 2:And and that's awesome waking up this morning And- yeah, and being able to be on this podcast, yeah. You know, I find myself Successful already like no. Thank you for the invitation. I truly appreciate it.
Speaker 1:No, I'm blessed to have the people in front of me like yourself. I'm learning, you know, I I get to ask these questions because I'm I'm like, okay, I get this guy in front of me, whoever might be in front of me, and I get to ask these questions that I'm so eager to ask, cuz most of the time I see a little bit but I'm grinding over the kids or whatnot. Right, I don't get to ask you like, hey brother, you know, I get to dive in of, like what you're thinking and what you're feeling, and then I learn. Like you said, every day you should be learning something from somebody. Yes, you know, be willing to learn, willing to learn exactly what is some of the best advice you've you've ever received, you know, either from Whether it be a training officer or like your dad, parents or anybody.
Speaker 2:The best advice and coming from my father and this is the most positive person I have ever met is it sounds simple, but it's. He always has nothing as hard, not as difficult.
Speaker 2:To him nothing is hard. He says where there's life, there's a way, there's hope, and there's times where he could hear my brother I Mentioned that we're tired For whatever reason, whether we coached or we worked. And he always tells us how he came to this country With a language barrier and at 16, 17 years old, he's already working the fields. No, that's what he did when he first got here, my father. He worked the fields up north, all the way up to, like Oregon and stuff. He was all 16, 17 years old and working no hard labor, you know, bent over for hours and hours and hours. He's like it's a mindset. I was like was I tired? Yeah, but there's a job to be done. And if you have that mindset where nothing is hard, and you have to believe it in yourself.
Speaker 1:I needed that. I needed that on Saturday, yeah nothing is hard.
Speaker 2:Hard work, yeah, and with hard work, I love that with hard work comes confidence, because you're only as confident as you are prepared. Yeah, right, if you have a task at hand coming up and you're not prepared, you're not gonna be confident, because you haven't. You're not prepared for it, yeah, but you work so hard at something, prepare yourself for something that's coming up. When that moment comes, you're confident. Yeah, and you're training your ability. And just because you've working hard you've been working hard it doesn't mean that you're gonna be successful at it, but at least you go through it confident, correct. So, no, like I said, it sounds simple, but coming from my old man, yeah, which doesn't. Nothing is hard. Hard, I love you know you have to work hard.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, I love that. I love that. Where were you guys from and where's your dad from my dad's? From each one, from each one, yeah my dad's from each one.
Speaker 2:Okay, hey mom, my mom she was from sake at that cost second.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir, what is? What is peace? Peace mean to you? Not like peace, like bye. Thanks, you know. But have you found peace? What does it mean to you? Whatnot.
Speaker 2:Peace is waking up every day and, like I said, I might sound redundant, but wake up every day with the mindset of okay, let's win the day, let's make it a good day today. Yeah, give it your all. Give it your all Um you have a good day. Go to sleep knowing you give it your all and you have a bad day, like at the baseball. You have a. You know you have a bad game, hey, but you give it your all. Yeah, then you can be a piece with that, yeah.
Speaker 2:Um, I have a quote by a Bob Feller yeah, I want to share with you For sure, probably one of my favorite quotes, if not my favorite, because, like I said, baseball and life go hand in hand. Yeah, bob Feller, uh, hall of Famer, who's quote says every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, within a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is, mm, hmm, and it's the way for me to be at peace.
Speaker 2:You wake up, give it your all, good or bad day, go to bed, accept it that we won the day, we lost the day. But tomorrow it's a brand new ball game. It's a brand new. It's a brand new day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, it seems like obviously you're saying peace comes from within, knowing that there's going to be failure regardless at times. Yeah, there's going to be mistakes made and there's going to be certain things you win as well, but we got to keep moving forward and building on that and then, whatever the day is, wake up the next day and you get to do it all over again.
Speaker 2:There can be rainbows without the storm, right.
Speaker 1:That. I like that. Yes, sir, absolutely. What are some of the traits, values or like morals that are most important to you or are most important in what you teach the kids at Braves Academy?
Speaker 2:Attitude. I always say attitude and effort is the only thing you can control, right? You can piece up a baseball, hit it hard, hit a line drive, pay right to the shortstop, he catches it. You can't control that, yeah, it's your attitude and your effort. Or you spot up, strike three on the outside corner and that umpire calls it a ball. You can't control that. So don't be showing up the umpire doing faces or your attitude and your effort is the only thing you can control, and it takes zero talent, right.
Speaker 2:So you have a good attitude and it takes zero talent to give it all your effort. You don't have to be the most talented. Like you said, it comes from within. There's players that are so talented but don't work hard, and I've seen it before, where they get to that D1 level where everybody's just as talented as you and everybody works harder than you and you feel the difference. And I've seen kids that are not the most talented but work so hard and make it to the major leagues. I played with one of them at Mission College where this guy never cheated himself. Miguel Gonzalez, from San Fernando High School, played for the Red Sox Orioles I think the White Sox and I always use him as an example. Towards AJ, I said we had dudes on that team that were throwing 95, 96. He was throwing 89 tops, never cheated himself not once, whether it was a sprint, a drill. So his effort was always there and a good attitude. So that's huge.
Speaker 2:That attitude, effort, respect, right. Respect yourself. If you can't respect yourself, you're not gonna respect others. Respect the game, respect your teammates, respect the opponent. That's huge because whatever we do, good or bad, whether it's at work with the Braves here, good or bad, it reflects upon the rest of us, right? If you have somebody here training and they're goofing off or they do something bad and they're wearing your logo, it reflects upon the rest of everybody wearing that same logo.
Speaker 2:We always preach respect. To be with the Braves, you have to return to me. You go to your local toppers or whatnot and we're acting in a fool, whether it's the coaches, parents or the players. That reflects upon everybody else. So respect, right, respect goes a long ways. Respect yourself in the way you train, the way you care yourself, all that good stuff. Yeah, integrity, all right, integrity. Do what's right when nobody's watching, because that's really when it counts. It's easy to do what's right when everybody's watching, all eyes on you, like it's other kids. Hey, I was an elementary. Once that teacher comes in and you put your palms together and you put your elbows on the desk and you're sitting straight up because the teacher just walked in.
Speaker 2:How are we acting? When she was in her mouth? I text JJ when I'm at work hey, make sure you mix in the workout and he'll take his bag. Okay, dad? I get home and I ask him did you work out? He says yes, and you'll have some equipment laying around. Now did he just set it there for me to think yeah, or did he really go through that workout? And I tell him, I explained to him. You're not lying to me. If that's if he's lying, you're lying to yourself. Have that self integrity, because I'm not the one that's gonna have to perform on Saturday. Coming in you know, this turned me coming up You're the one that's gonna have to be up there performing. So when you're up there and that batter's box, don't tell yourself oh, I should have worked out like that, call me too. So integrity is huge and always say dude, it's one of our core values that work too, integrity, you know we say so.
Speaker 2:that's huge Carcariot on over to our academy, like I said, hard work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember being at CSUN and our coach said, on the field, I want you to be a motherfucker, I want you to be as gritty as competitive. Be a dog, yes, sir. And off the field, I need you to be the nicest person. You're representing this team, this university, the uniform, everything you put on your chest, our coaching staff, other players, yourself. Be the nicest person. Care yourself with integrity, care yourself with purpose, care yourself respectively. You know so and so, but on the field, we're here to grind, we're here to win, we're here to fucking. You know what I'm saying Be the dog Right. Learn how to switch it up on and off. And we needed to be. We were at CSUN. We had some dogs on that team and we had a great 96 team, you know, with Adam Kennedy. With Adam Kennedy, we had, my God, Robert Crabtree, we had Eric Gillespie, we had Robert Fick.
Speaker 2:I was gonna say Robert Fick was on the team, right, robert Fick, we had.
Speaker 1:Rasmus Ramirez, who played in the pros too. We had Benny Flores, we had oh my God, we had so many people combined that that made up that team and we were gritty. I mean, we're facing USC, fuller 10, fresno State, we're like, they're like we're facing CSUN. Come on, let's go baby Right, and we would kill them. I mean, we were ranked third in the nation at one time, what? 58 and 10, I believe it was. Well, it was One game short of going to the College World Series. You know, I was a great team Down at Sunken Diamond at Stanford. We just ran out of pitching. We got into Losers. Bracken ran out of pitching and we lost to Mississippi State, which was JD Drew was on that team and some ballers. But it happens, you know it happens. You guys give it your all. It's all you can do.
Speaker 2:Exactly what you said you can be at peace with it. Peace with it, you can be at peace with it. Look, you can be at peace with giving it your all and coming up short because you're like, hey, I did everything I could. Yeah, when we came up short, it happens, but it's tough to live on with. I could have done it more, I could have worked harder, I could have tried harder. Yeah, you know, sometimes we tell the kids hey, you know, die for that ball, we'll never know your capabilities if we don't try, if you don't yeah.
Speaker 2:Hey, could you have caught that ball? I don't know, coach. I know that because you didn't play out for it, right? True that? So you know, don't? It's a beautiful thing to know that you give it your all, win or lose, win or lose hit the booze.
Speaker 1:Yes, no, I'm just kidding. I'll tell you a story about that a little bit. Okay, yeah, funny story is my brother. My brother is older than me and he went to North Hollywood and he went to Pepperdine, got drafted 24th round by the Padres. So he shows up after Pepperdine when you get drafted the draft. That I think was in June, july, after schools over. But minor league ball is already going, baseball has already started.
Speaker 1:And so you go in your first year, go into short A-ball, like a short season A-ball. So they fly him down to Iowa and he shows up and, you know, gets out of the plane and he's yeah, you go to the ballpark, you're ready, here's his uniform, so on. So here's the lineup he's leading off. He's like, holy shit, barely warmed up, through some balls around, we're ready to play. So he steps into the batter's box and he goes shit, I don't even know the signs, like I don't know, no steel, but whatever it's it calls time out Time.
Speaker 1:He goes over to their base coach. Their base coach is this big, burly, big, broad shot white guy looking like a Hulk Hogan, a little bit meatier, and he goes hey, coach, I don't know the signs, like what's the steel sign or whatnot? You know, I just got here, he goes. Son, I have one rule win or lose, hit the booze, that's right. My brother's like all right, welcome to my league ball. Here we go, that's it. Let's go fucking hack. But I always say that and everything hey, win or lose, hit the booze, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. I say the same thing. I tell JJ hey, don't take it too serious If you go three for three with three home runs, after the game I'm still gonna feed you.
Speaker 1:I'm still gonna medicate myself. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:And if you go over three with three strikeouts, don't worry about it, I'm still gonna feed you and I'm still gonna, you know, hit the booze myself. That's right have some fun and give it your all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, that's all you could do. Yes, sir, what's your opinion on? Because when I was playing ball, like travel ball wasn't around, it was a one eight area code games, legion or whatnot. You know, I graduated in 93. So it's a while ago, 30 years ago. We just had our 30 year reunion, nice. I didn't go, but we had it. What's your opinion or thoughts on? Travel ball showcases where it's at now. Has it gotten watered down in your opinion, has it gotten better? You know how does it all bond itself, because sometimes I see and hear different opinions on where it's at.
Speaker 2:This will be long-winded, but it's all expensive. It's okay. Yeah, that's for sure, I think I graduated in all one.
Speaker 2:And same thing. You would see a scout here and there if you had like a big prospect. Right, you know you're playing against a big prospect. You'll see the scouts. Now, with showcases, it's made it so easy, so much easier for these college recruiters and these pro scouts to see all the talent in one place. So instead of them coming over to a local high school here and then the next day Orange County and then the, you know, tomorrow, arizona, you'll have all this talent in one place in one weekend. For instance, my nephew Drew. I was talking to my brother yesterday and he was telling me how this summer he's going to this big tournament I think it's in Arizona and it's, you know, a huge showcase where all these D1 guys and these pros are. And he was telling me how it's and days like this to get your kid to the next level. Yeah, it's, it's needed.
Speaker 1:I think it's necessary. It's necessary, it really is.
Speaker 2:So that's my opinion. In showcases, it's when it's necessary, yeah, and to it's it's made it, it's the way of being now, because it's made it so much easier for these, yeah, for these scouts and these Recruiters.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're all in one place. Here we go. Hey, we get all the talent. Here they are. We spend one day watching all these teams or whatever's happening rather than yeah. I remember when a scout would show up Because so-and-so is pitching or hitting or whatever.
Speaker 2:Whoever, you're right and you're like, okay, it's got to here today, right now, you're at one place and everybody, all the scouts are right, that yeah, and but if, if you have guys like our Harvard West, like right now with my nephew, they got a one kid throwing night. He hit a hundred already this this season he's throwing like 98, 97 consistently, another one throwing 95. I've been to a couple of his games and I'm not lying, coach. See, there's like 40 scouts there. Yeah, it's incredible. But how? That's rare, right, that's rare. And hey, sometimes they come looking for you know a certain player and you stand out and somebody else.
Speaker 1:Yeah, somebody else might get a break, which is a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2:It's a beautiful thing of our sport, but that's rare to have 40 scouts. You know I have one high school, but you know it takes a special talent like that. Yeah, as opposed to, like I said, having all these great players all the home plays at the same time. Yeah, so it's a necessity, for sure. Yeah, now with travel ball. No, there's travel organizations that I think are doing it the right way. You know it's not a money grab and I'm not specifying or saying someone Is doing it for yeah, but um, you know there's teams out there that are competitive, organizations that are competitive, teaching the kids to Play the game the right way, develop them, you know, physically, mentally, get them ready for that next level, you know, like, for instance, us high school. And Then there's teams that you know you put a team together, win or lose. You know that's Sunday. You shake hands that you never should. You never see that that.
Speaker 2:That player again or that coach again and it's like no, you're really teaching. You know what baseball is or not. You can say I played travel ball. You know, with us, we, we spent so much time With our players, with our coaches, with our parents. You know, like, for instance, jj, moneys and Wednesdays he had these, got baseball practice. Tuesdays and Thursdays he's here with his teammates working out with you know, yeah, and then it's Saturday and Sunday. He's playing with them. The only time he doesn't see them this Friday yeah, that's the only time. So it's it's huge to do.
Speaker 2:You know, do it the right way you know, build these morals strong, how to play the game the right way, respect the game. So if you're doing it right I Think it, you know go for it. If you're one of these teams that you have to win at all costs you know you got a pitch, little Johnny, 140 pitches because we really need that ring, that doesn't matter Then you're not doing travel baseball for the right reasons, right. Right, because, like I mentioned earlier, it's not about win some losses, yeah. It's about keeping these kids healthy, developing them, getting them to the next level, yeah. So, and Some travel baseball could be watered down at times. I, sometimes we play teams and not knocking on anybody and I'm just thankful that her nobody got hurt. Yeah, right, you're like these kids don't belong here just yet, just yeah you gotta run before you walk.
Speaker 2:But if you're doing it for the right reasons, yeah, you know it's a good job?
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's. Let me you know, like in any profession or anything you do, there's good teachers as bad teachers. It's good cops or bad cops or you know whatever. There's better, better cops or you know whatever. And same thing in travel ball and whatnot. And there's teams doing it right and there's some teams that aren't doing it right. You know, sometimes it's daddy ball and sometimes it's right doing it for the money or growing right, but there's a lot of teams out there, like you said as well, doing it right as long as they stick to that mission.
Speaker 1:I've grown the kids to be better. Kids learn, learn the game right. What do you Now, looking at it right, from, like, your point of view, and maybe from out, if you step outside a little bit, what would you tell a parent that's looking for a travel ball team? Right, let's say somebody comes up to you and says, hey, you know, I knew you used to do this. You walk away from the Braves or whatever that might look like. What should I look like in a team that would better my kid? You know what I'm saying, right? Should I look at oh, they win a lot, they, they're ranked. Or should I look at like, what do I need to go look at In order to make the best decision for my family, my kids, that that would give me the best Growth for my kid. What do you tell a parent? I?
Speaker 2:Think the best way for me to answer it is if I read you our, our mission. Yeah with with Braves, baseball, or, like I said, it has nothing to do with Our mission, nothing to do with a, it's kind of long it's.
Speaker 1:it's has nothing to do with when you're losing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, here it goes. Our vision, our vision here at Braves baseball Academy is to create a safe and positive learning environment for our players and their families. We strive to prepare our players for the next level, both physically and mentally, as we compete versus the best competition, we all we also emphasize the importance of our players academics, encourages him to become the best student athlete possible and allowing them to become a positive, contributor society. There it is, yeah, so If you're this parent that you're okay with, you have to fly out to whatever state this weekend and Play with a bunch of you know, guys from all over the nation flying in when fly right back. If you think that's getting your kid, better go at it. Me personally, yeah, speaking like a father, just like our vision says, find an organization that is gonna create a safe and positive learning environment for your player at like, like we mentioned here and the families because it's not only the kid, it's the mom, the dad, the siblings right, sisters, a little brothers that are that are there on in the stands cheering us on Strive to prepare the players for the next level, physically and mentally, and we do that all the time, you know, constantly. You know it's not just hey, hey, ground balls, throw BP. All right, boys, a couple laps around the field, bring it up. See you guys. The next, you know, next practice. There's a lot more that goes into it.
Speaker 2:Emphasizing on academics you know one over one of our key players on JJ's team a few weeks ago. His grade you down and his dad says, hey, be Kangol, play. I Said, trust me, you have our 100% support. Right, because there's no point in him being so talented and us letting him get away with Playing while not having grades. Yeah, when at the next level, high school, and he did your grades to play. Yeah, so if we allow him to play, we're doing him with the service. Right, we're doing him with the service.
Speaker 2:It's like I mentioned earlier. You know, you're honest with a kid, you lose them for 24 hours. You'll bounce back when he realizes he's messing up, but if you let him keep failing over and over again, you lose them forever, yeah. So, like I said, find someone that and obviously gonna play some competitive baseball once we're ready for it. Right, because, trust me, we've, we've taken our licking. You know, I've taken some of the chin. Yeah, you're like okay, we have to get back to the dry board and work harder, because I never want to feel that feeling again. Yeah, and um, you know, it was this one tournament thing where nine you know JJ and we went like oh, like no wins, three losses and like a tie in San Diego, and they give us these wrist bats to enter the facility. I Still have it. And JJ asked me why do you have that? I said because it reminds me of a feeling that I never want to feel again. Yeah, I said it's a motivator I have it there now.
Speaker 2:every time I look at it, I'm like we better work hard today, buddy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's uh, I've never. I think if you look around this I have medals of like runs and stuff, whatnot okay, but I've never kept a. They give you a Bibb, a race bib, with your number, like 41 or whatever might be, and I've never kept one. I just tear them off my short shirt, I throw them away. They're just a piece of paper. This weekend I was my first DNF, which is did not finish the race, and I kept the bib and I'm gonna put it up in here. That's the only bib that I'm gonna put up in here right now, because that I it's gonna make me realize that I did not finish that Right and I was mentally in a mental space that I allowed myself to not win, like mentally, physically I was able to do it, but I Don't want to feel that again. You know, I don't want to feel that in my mind again. I don't have feeling and I'm gonna put it up where I see it every day, because I'm here every day pretty much.
Speaker 2:That'll be a huge motivator.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that feeling of failure, absolutely so that's the only one I'll put up here somewhere Talking about motivator. What is the biggest motivator and or drive, or for success and or purpose? You think there, and what are like some of the daily habits that you do to achieve that?
Speaker 2:I think my my biggest motivator is the family, from my kids to my father and my nephews, my nieces, my immediate family and friends that have become you know immediate family throughout the years the next generation Is your biggest motivator. You know, you see, you see my, my nephews that play my knees. You know you see their last name on the back and like that motivates me.
Speaker 2:You know that because that's the same name. That's the same last thing that I have on my name tag, you know, in my uniform. Yeah, so, like I mentioned earlier, everything I do reflects upon the rest of them and everything they do will reflect upon me. Yeah, right, um, I lost my train of thought.
Speaker 1:We'll take that out? Yeah, for sure Not. Maybe we'll leave it.
Speaker 2:But it's true, it's keep it real yeah it's that next generation.
Speaker 1:How am I gonna?
Speaker 2:impact them Right now are gonna. How am I gonna impact them or how are we? So that's a big. You know how. That's all. That's how I keep going. You know my dad sacrifices, my mom sacrifices. You know we tell each other at work, my sergeant and I. You know he's a first generation here. His father came from Mexico, his parents came from ex-coaches of my parents and sometimes you know long hours and you're thinking out loud and you're like you know you'll say I'm tired and he'll tell me you want me to call them chewy.
Speaker 1:Tell them that it's son's tired.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think he crossed the border to come over here Just for his son to you know. Say that he's tired after a few hours at work and right away you go to that mindset of I can't be tired, Nothing is hard.
Speaker 2:Nothing is Exactly like hey, if my dad is 16, 17 years old, working, you know, bent over, working long hours, you know, in El Campo I can for sure go through this. So that's my biggest motivator. Like I said, that's dad sacrifices my next generation family. Yeah, and, like I said, extended family to the Braves is my extended family. You know, I've known some of those kids since they were six. I spent time with them, you know, more than I spent time with you know other friends and family yeah, even there my motivator, you know, they motivate me to be better. And, like I said, no, all this talk is from the heart, but I'm not perfect either. Yeah, I struggle at times, mentally or or physically or whatnot, but just that drive that we need to have within ourselves, take it, takes the village, takes a text here earlier. A lot of my answers are gonna be, you know, work, baseball and life, you know, intertwined. Yeah, because it's what we do. At least that's what you know, that's what I do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, first of all, you have a badass last name, rico, you know. I'm sure you heard a lot of shit going Rico Swabian.
Speaker 2:If I had, 10 cents for every single time I've heard of you. So I've had to be a millionaire. Yeah, another thing like at work. At work, you know, say paperwork, you know paperwork's to be done, and if say my partner's doing it, I say hey, make sure it's nice and neat and it's squared away because it's got my last name on it.
Speaker 1:It's got my name on it. You know, that's motivating.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I told JJ when he was younger and who would do his homework, said hey, make sure you write your name nice and neat, because it's got my last name on it, buddy, no, it's like yeah, that's, that's the biggest motivator to me. Wow, yeah. Family, yeah, family trades, family traditions, all that good stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no for sure, my, I wish that we would have had this, this podcast, before Saturday, because Saturday had the race and you know I did not finish. And If I would have had this conversation and what I learned today, specifically how your dad said nothing is hard, and it would have brought me back, even though I know my dad, same way across the border, came here, work three jobs, never complain, took us to baseball practice. You know, I mean, man works hard, you know, and not only that, he ended up owning his own business starting and all his own trucking business which my brother runs now. Never complained and I needed that, probably, you know, before Saturday. But it's okay because I know it now. Right, I'm saying I'm gonna learn from what ended up happening, but and then the next race that you have.
Speaker 2:I'm sure you'll, I'm sure you'll finish.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, let's go for sure, nothing is hard. We it really. It really isn't. No, right now he can you're gonna see it up on that. I have those quotes up here that I always put for these kids and I read them stuff. You know, after every, every Session that we have here, I have a book that I, you know, we pick out some stuff and we learn and we grow right. But the next one's gonna be by your pops nothing.
Speaker 2:Right yesterday I, after my brother's 13 year team they played against two scrimmage games against ZT prospects and against the tomatillos and and after I went over to my brothers and had dinner with him and my dad and I was going over the questions and I told him. I told him one of the questions was what's you know some great advice that I've ever received? And I told them I think I'm gonna answer you with what you always say Nothing's hard. He looks at me.
Speaker 2:He goes this because it really isn't another not as a PC and and when I got there I think he was like doing some yard work and stuff and he says you know, you stop, you stop working, you stop Living. And he's a two believer in that, his, yeah, so his old man, my grandfather, passed away, I think, at the age of 86 or 88 and he worked up until the day he died. Just you know, moving, moving, moving, your rest, you rust yeah so life is better when you move.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, life is better when you move. I want to thank you, brother, for coming on here and having this conversation. I learned a lot, a lot about travel ball showcases, a lot about you, a lot about how you go about things and and where the brave Spaceball Academy's app, how you carry yourself, how you have influenced and made a change in so many kids lives that have grown up to be adults now, and so many different ways. Sometimes we don't see it, but we do. You know right. Sometimes Now, with social media, you can see it more often in front of your face, which is good. Yes, sir.
Speaker 1:But I want to thank you for that. Is there anything that you want to leave this podcast with or anybody else or anything you want to mention Before we go into how they can find you and you know the Braves Academy and how does somebody go, and all that, but anything you want to leave this, this podcast with.
Speaker 2:It's. Thank you for having me. I truly appreciate the the opportunity to be here. Like I said, all these answers were from the heart. Yeah, I told you, I think sometimes I'm kind of getting away from the yeah, from the question and it happens. But, and, like I said, we know we're not perfect. Yeah, you know there's the life has peaks and valleys, riders, looks and downs. Well, you're trying to, we're trying to stay away from this. You know that Grand Canyon, we just go straight down.
Speaker 2:I don't know if you got a you got a valley coming up, a get back up. Get back up, um, and, like I said, um, be willing to learn. You know I'm yeah, I'm 40 years old. Then, till this day, I try to learn every day. I listen to a podcast, I listen to yours, I listen to lots of podcasts. A shun casey he's got a great podcast where he's so positive mentally and, and I'll be honest with you, at 40 years old, I never thought I'd need so much. I don't know the word is reassurance or positiveness around me, but it's just, the more you live, you know, the more stuff you take upon you know, whether it's problems or or tasks. So I Hope somebody can learn you know at least a little bit from from this podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah or you can Impact somebody in a positive way. Um, just like I said, sometimes I go on a hike and I listen to your podcast and it gets me up there, it gets me up that hill, up and down that hill, and you know sometimes some motivating words do do truly help 100%. Yeah, like I said, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Yeah you're welcome. Thank you for coming down. How can how can people find either you or Braves baseball Academy? What's the best way to reach out of? You know they need some advice or they want to get their kids started up in in your baseball Academy.
Speaker 2:Braves baseball Academy. Our Instagram is exactly how it sounds. It's just Braves baseball Academy. Our 12 you Braves baseball Academy, the team that I run. Yeah, it's 12 you gold underscore Braves baseball Academy. Okay.
Speaker 1:I know, every time I have these kids and I do a video I'm like you guys find, because you guys it's like, so you put Braves baseball Academy. Yeah, everyone, 9 you, 8 you, 9 you go 12 you this oh my god, okay, you guys find your team, yeah, so.
Speaker 2:And that's a good problem to have. It really is. It really is. It is for me, because I'm not the one that deals with all 14. It's my brother, yeah, I deal with one, and that in itself is a lot is a lot. And then our Our web pages Braves baseball, academyorg. Okay, and you can go there and we see our rosters. Our brave store Okay, you want to order some, some gear? That's what I was thinking. We got to hook you up with some Braves gear.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I got this.
Speaker 2:You guys hooked me up with this PG tourney champ thing yeah, the banner yeah, we won that one in Vegas.
Speaker 1:They either you go Vegas, super in it, yeah sir trim, and and then some of the kids signed it up there, as you can see, that's cool.
Speaker 2:It's pretty cool yeah even that, even that should be a motivator for them when they come in here and work out. Yeah, you see it, and you're like hey, that's, that's a good, that's a good feeling.
Speaker 1:They're good kids. They work hard, they're talented, for sure. Sometimes we got to simmer them down because they're boys, you know anything, they get together they start running the muck.
Speaker 1:but you know, we get their attention real quick, either by running them and say, hey, you guys calm down now, right, I think one time, only one time, I had to say okay, you guys don't want to pay attention, I'm ready to work here, you guys, you guys ain't ready to work, let's go run. Yeah, I kept on going back and forth. Are we done it? No, I'll tell you when you're done.
Speaker 2:I had to get JJ's attention once to just once, which is not bad, not bad. He's in the dugout and he's in the dugout and I tell him, hey, jj, come here.
Speaker 2:and I said here Are we here to play games, not baseball, but like I'm here to mess around, I go, because if we are, I said, hey, I could have not driven it for an hour. You know, when I said we can go home and you can go your PS5. I said are we here to learn and get better? Right, and he says he looks at me as he goes we're here to learn and get better. So they'll start acting like it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's go you know you don't take a pitch off. No, don't take a pitch off office and defense, and that's hard to do. But if you have that mindset, yeah, you know, sometimes I'm coaching third and my old man shows up to his game. Now I go over and I say how to hit the defense, and then that next pitch, I took it off, I missed it. Yeah, I wouldn't say how to my old man, no, I'm asking hey, what's a cow, right? Yeah, one little thing, right way. That mindset of hey, no, don't take a pitch off, yeah no one percent.
Speaker 1:Hey, thank you so much. I appreciate it, man. Good luck, I think your 12 years going up to Cooper's town this year yes, we're going to.
Speaker 2:Cooper's town. This year we also have spring training, late, late March, no, actually like the 21st through the 25th or 25th. Turn him in out there. Yeah, we'll be in Arizona for that, and then Cooper's town in the summer, yeah, and that'll, uh, that'll culminate our 12 you season and then we'll up to 13. That's badass. Yeah time flies with these kids, but it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, thank you so much and thank you everybody for listening. Appreciate it it's. It's always good to have somebody here that I can learn from, and I'm hoping you guys took something as well and learned from this episode. I appreciate you guys. Thank you for listening, training into the can't be broken podcast and remember you can't be broken.