CARY, N.C. — On July 4, Americans across the nation celebrated Independence Day by wearing our nation's colors.
Kermit Smith did the same, but his were embroidered on a baseball uniform.
With USA stitched across the front panel of his cap, he took the field representing his country while coaching at USA Baseball's Prospect Development League.
"It was a jersey I always wanted to wear," Smith said. "Obviously, I love our country. My dad served in the military. It was always something I knew that, if I ever had the opportunity, I would do whatever I could to put it on."
Smith was one of two dozen coaches given a very important task: trim a roster of 100 of the nation's top high school players down to 40, creating the training camp roster for the 2022 U-18 National Team.
The final product will be a roster of 20 that competes in the U-18 Baseball World Cup from Sept. 9-18 in Bradenton, Fla. It marks the first time since Cape Cod and Fenway Park hosted the 1995 Junior World Championship that the top youth international baseball event will be held in the United States.
The Player Development Camp ran June 29 through July 6 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
The days were long and rigorous. Breakfast was served at 6:30 a.m., and players were off to the field just 45 minutes later. After stretching and throwing, the 100 players were split into different groups that focused on different aspects of the game and were often position-specific in nature. Smith ran stations that focused on infield play, outfield play, bunting, and baserunning.
"I just hope that whether it was mindset, or if it was something that was taught, a technique or what have you, I just hope they left the week with the realization that this was about representing their country," Smith said. "With our group early on, it's just letting them know that they were there to win a gold medal and do our part to help them win a gold medal."
The afternoons featured live competition. Players were split into four teams; Smith was an assistant coach on the Light Blue squad, and he served as the first base coach during game play.
"One unique perspective is that I've only been an assistant coach for nine months in the 22 years I've been coaching," Smith noted. "To take direction and to inform the head coach, and for him to inform me of scheduling and the lineup and to be asked my opinion on different things, I thought it was a really awesome opportunity from that standpoint, to understand what my staff goes through."
After dinner each night, the full staff would get together and review the day, sharing their critiques of each player and working to create a 40-man roster.
"That's where you have an opportunity to give your two cents of, 'This guy was really locked in during baserunning today' and then we would just communicate and the roster started separating itself," Smith said.
Team Light Blue started off the week with a poor showing in their first game but continued to show improvement as the week went on. Ultimately, the squad came together with some clutch wins at the end of the week to claim the title.
"There were some really good players that ended up making some really big plays in critical moments that allowed us to be really successful on that last day," Smith said. "I think it was really clear early on that they were really willing to listen to the fact that we were there to be competitive that week, and through that competitiveness, whether you made the team or didn't make the team, that's our part of winning a gold medal — doing the things you can do individually to help the 20 [who end up making the final roster] go win a gold medal. That's to go out each day and compete."
As much as the job for Smith was teaching, he too was there to learn as well as better himself and, in turn, the App State program.
"I'm a learner — I love to hear how other people do it," Smith said. "I'm just listening to dialogue, whether it be Lance Berkman hitting with a kid in the cage, just hearing how he does it, and the adjustments that he's asking that kid to make, or Dmitri Young around the batting cages, just listening to his banter and what is his language is, in terms of giving a cue or something that I can pick up on."
It was a week full of long days, a devotion to baseball, and a love for his country all molded into one.
"It was a great honor to take part in it," Smith said. "I'm very grateful to have the support of my family and our administration. I think it was not only a great opportunity for me and my family, but more importantly, for our baseball program."
