Son went to his first showcase camp at a D-2 as a rising 8th grader. He was probably one of the youngest and one of the biggest at same time. He was very nervous. All the kids were directed to sit in the dugout and await further instruction. So there they waited, like nervous sheep many of them, certainly mine.
Just minutes before the thing was to start, into the parking lot rumbles a custom muscle car, like a Camaro or a Mustang, just a beauty. Older HS ballplayer calmly exits the vehicle, wearing shades with the coolest of cool demeanor. Right out of casting central, like Kelly Leak's entrance in Bad News Bears (30-years ago he'd of had a cigarette dangling from lips). No rush. No urgency on his part. Just strolls thru the check-in and enters the stone silence of the dugout where all the "sheep" were quietly awaiting their next order from the showcase organizers. This "cool" player, clearly a veteran of many a showcase and a battle hardened sage, takes in the tense atmosphere and silence of the other kids nervously waiting for the event to start and says, "Hey guys.........relax, it's just F%$#ing baseball!" As soon as he said it, all the kids laughed and began to relax. The kid's remark just lightened the mood and allowed my son at least to take a breath and just relax, and get ready to play ball.
Son told me the story later on the drive home, as I had noticed the kid pull in the parking lot. We laughed. And to this day, whenever I am in his company as he heads to the next "most important outing of his baseball career," I usually will remind him of that cool "Kelly Leak" kid and his sage advice so many years ago.
"Relax, it's just F&@#ing baseball!"