Baseball Factory,

On behalf of my son Trevor Williams, I cannot thank Baseball Factory enough for providing Trevor the opportunity to make the Under Armour National Team that competed at the USA Baseball 16U Championships. What started out as a $99.00 tryout/showcase in November of 2007, has now blossomed into a chance to travel internationally and represent the United States at the Pan Am games later this summer. Being selected to appear at the pre-season All-American showcase in Tucson in January, 2008 was an honor. Being asked to play with Baseball Factory at the 16U Championship tournament in June of 2008, was an even greater thrill. We agreed to play with Baseball Factory because I believed it would give my son the best chance at national exposure. I believed that the 16U USA selection committee would know that the Baseball Factory organization would only take the crème of the crop to play on Baseball Factory's Under Armour National Team. However, as one could expect, despite all of the talent on the field, being a tournament team has its challenges. In tournament play, the Baseball Factory team was at a distinct disadvantage against 99% of the teams because it had never played as a cohesive unit before their first game. Additionally, the Baseball Factory team had a team philosophy of “equal play time” that was agreed to by all participants before anyone stepped on the field. That philosophy will most likely never get Baseball Factory a championship banner at the 16U tournament, but what all of the players and parents immediately realized after arriving and meeting the coaches was that Baseball Factory was offering us a chance to be coached, both on and off the field, at a national tournament by a top notch staff. The college-type experience of living in a hotel with the team, traveling to and from each game together, eating meals together, talking baseball together and bonding for 7+ days as a team, despite the wins and losses, was what my son wanted out of the 16U Championships. And that is exactly what he received. Being named as one of the 18 players from the west coast championships to attend the 16U USA team trials, well that’s just icing on the cake.

As you are aware, Trevor was selected as one of 18 players from over 1,300 participants. Upon reflecting on the events this past week, I kept asking myself, how did the selection committee happen to notice Trevor amongst hundreds of other pitchers?? Our team was 1-4 in pool play! We were seated 66th out of 72 teams!! Our consolation game was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in 115 degree heat at a field that the maintenance people needed directions to. I kept asking myself, why did the USA committee happen to come scout our 66th seeded consolation game?? There is no doubt in my mind that it was the credibility of your staff which included Mark Daniels, Justin Roswell and Justin Duarte as well as the credibility of Baseball Factory that was instrumental in having Trevor seen a second time. I suspect that every coach at the tournament was telling the selection committee they had an “ace” of a pitcher that they just had to see. Or the coaches were telling the selection committee they had an “ace” catcher or an “ace” outfielder. Yet, someone on your coaching staff said the right thing to the right person that sparked an interest that caused them to come see Trevor pitch again. I am convinced that some friendship that was formed years ago with someone on the USA staff is what set in motion a series of events that led to my son being selected. Of course, my son had to pitch his heart out to get selected, but getting someone to see my son pitch, that is where your staff went above and beyond our wildest expectations. Your staff believed in my son’s abilities. Your staff did what it could to get Trevor scouted a second time. Being seen by the right people at the right time, that’s what Baseball Factory did for my son. Now he’s quickly rising in the depth charts on the professional and collegiate level. I am convinced that because of your staff’s outstanding efforts, my son is getting an opportunity of a lifetime!!

Trevor will work hard these next few weeks to make the final cut and play in the Pan Am games. However, at the end of the day, whether he returns from either Florida (after the trials) or Venezuela (after the Pan Am Games), he’ll have Baseball Factory to thank for making this dream possible.

Trevor and I look forward to our next experience with the Baseball Factory organization.

Richard A. Williams
Baseball Factory Parent