Players receive their caps ahead of world cup
The players received their cap ahead of the WBSC U12 world cup in Taiwan.
National U12 baseball team coach Shawn Schwartz says his boys will carry themselves as true South African sportsmen when they represent the country at the WBSC U12 World Cup in Taiwan from July 25 to August 3.
Schwartz said his charges will respect their opponents and proudly carry the South African sports culture when they take to the field at the Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadium and Training Centre.
“We are tough, durable, and gritty, and we’ll do what we need to do to play the game to the best of our ability. Most importantly, we are going to play the game for each other,” he said.
The coach spoke after the capping ceremony for the Gauteng and Limpopo players at the Ebotse Links Clubhouse on July 12. The event was held in conjunction with the capping of the Western Cape players and Luke Bailes from the Eastern Cape.
The ceremony was attended by South African Baseball Union (SABU) vice-president Patrick van Niekerk and Limpopo Baseball president Thabang Letsoalo.
Schwartz emphasised that his team is going to Taiwan to compete, guided by their ethos of Respect, Energy, Attitude, and Purpose (REAP).
“We are going to be tough in terms of our approach. We won’t back down from anybody, and we are going to respect everybody. When the players go out there, they’ll earn the respect of the opposition they play against,” he said.
He expressed pride in his players and thanked his technical team, which includes assistant coaches Quinton Amos and Alroy Savides, and team manager Anita Hains.
“Although the players are young, they are capable of absorbing so much information. The more we repeated it, the easier it became. We also developed our own ethos, REAP, that will drive us through this tournament,” said Schwartz.
When asked how he balances competitiveness with development in preparing players for a global tournament, Schwartz said he focuses on helping them manage and cope with losses and failure.
“They don’t always understand the difference between failing and losing. Success lies in how they conduct themselves after that failure, and in seeing them bounce back and persevere.”
In his address, Van Niekerk encouraged the players to be fearless and not dwell on their mistakes.
“Don’t be intimidated. Don’t look down when you make a mistake. Believe me, you are going to make mistakes, you are going to drop a ball. Everybody makes mistakes. Try to remember that. Your coaches will be behind you,” he said.
The team departs from OR Tambo International Airport at 11:30 on July 19.
SABU is urging anyone willing to support the team’s BackaBuddy campaign to donate via https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/south-african-baseball-u12-world-cup.
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