In reality 5 games a week is not that tough, but being a student athlete is.
Being a student athlete is tough, no matter what sport you play. I think most know that these kids had two things going on at the same time. I have heard them give out GPA for some players.
I agree with Coach, they have to bring it to the level that most people understand, that would be comparing some players to ML players. Only a hand full of players that reach Omaha each year will become ML layers, so pointing out those with ML tools helps those understand how really hard it is to move to the next level. For some kids, seeing these kids in Omaha and later in MLB helps them to relate. I know that is how son looked at it, he remembers seeing those in Omaha now seeing them on the bigger pro stage, it certainly can be inspiring, and this is what all championship games are about, for me anyway.
Lafmom,
It's hard for us to conceive the fact that some players do not work as hard as others, but it's true, some will just show up when they have to, others will sneak into the cages at night for hours to get better or spend more time in the gym. You will see this on the pro level, in fact I often think the reason some don't make it is because they don't think they have to really "work" at being better players. You'll have some who show up only when they have to and others there early in the morning, seeking out their coaches to help them. Some don't even bother with workouts during season or off season.
Must be me, but I am rather enjoying the commentary keeping in mind these guys only do this once a year.