The Baseball Program Continues at DJDS

As baseball spring training approaches, students and faculty are preparing with batting cage practice and off-season training. Spencer Barclay will be coaching the middle school team and Sam Botbart, Sam Boscoe, Jack Makovsky, and Dr. Jeremy Golubcow Teglasi will be coaching the high school team. 

Josh Lake, DJDS Upper Division Dean of Technology and Athletic Director, and Dr. G.T., current Upper Division principal and Baseball Coach, plan to cover all bases by starting practice this year at the end of February regardless of whether baseball players are involved in other sports.

Practice time is critical and waiting for basketball to end means starting too late. Dr. G.T. wants this to be “a developmental year for baseball.” According to Dr. G.T., this first year won’t hit it out of the park, but it can set the groundwork and make a commitment to excellence so that we go out swinging. 

Dr. G.T. identifies that baseball is more controlled than basketball and “can feel less fun.” It isn’t a game that can “just be played” quickly or at recess. It takes a concerted effort to practice and play. At the same time, baseball has a strong culture that can be supported by simply bringing a glove and throwing across the soccer field between classes. 

“Baseball was my identity in high school. The smells and feelings of a high school baseball field are some of the most vivid memories that I have in my life,” Dr. G.T. said. 

Both Lake and Dr. G.T. agree that the baseball program here at DJDS lost its momentum and appeal over the past few years. There are many reasons for this including curveballs like COVID-19, which resulted in the Israel trip being postponed to spring. In addition to this, many students are hyper-focused on basketball and choose not to play baseball. 

“Basketball showed us what we can do with a commitment to excellence by a group of people,” Dr. G.T. said. Lake fears basketball was so successful at DJDS over the past few years that it overshadowed all other sports. The appeal of basketball has been so mighty that baseball has been unable to thrive in its wake.

Lake also discussed a new movement across the country that de-emphasizes cross-training in school-aged athletes. This movement pushes more club sports and more specialization. The hope is that kids excel in a single sport and then become eligible for college scholarships, acceptances, and even professional sporting careers. 

Lake believes this trend is off base and argues that cross-training, rather than single specialized training, creates both better athletes and better camaraderie. “The magic that comes from being in a sports game is so rare,” Lake said. 

There was a time when baseball was the most robust sport we had. Coach Mike Wolf, who coached baseball when it first began at DJDS, stepped up to the plate by taking DJDS to the final four-state tournament in Pueblo in 2009. 

While we may not get this season perfect right off the bat, the hopes of the players are high. We have lots of enthusiastic coaches, our wheelhouse has grown, and it’ll be a whole new ball game! Go Tigers!