Post by Sly Fox on Aug 3, 2005 8:37:11 GMT -5
Here's a story on an incoming baseball player from Florida:
Tommy Bussey is a long-time youth baseball player who is leaving soon for college on a baseball scholarship. He's shown here on the baseball field at Northwood University in West Palm Beach where he teaches at Hit and Run Training Center's summer camp.
www.palmbeachpost.com/delray_beach/content/neighborhood/delray_beach/epaper/2005/08/03/npd20_sptfeature_0803.html
Player sees college as steppingstone to Major Leagues
By Angela Perez
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
As Tommy Bussey packs his bags for college, he can't help but be excited.
"I'm just looking forward to playing ball," he said.
Bussey, of Boynton Beach, is heading to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., on a Division I full-tuition baseball scholarship. There, he will join 18 other new Flames baseball players. He leaves Aug. 12 for freshman orientation, though he has been training all summer.
"The coach sent me a workout program for the summer. I did four days (a week) of weight lifting, two days of running, and I also played with a local league in North Palm Beach," he said.
Though Bussey just turned 18, he has been playing baseball for as long as he can remember.
"My dad used to play with me in the back yard, and I liked it... so I asked him to put me in a league."
So, at 5 years old, Bussey, who plays shortstop and pitches, enrolled with the Okeeheelee Little League. He played there two seasons and then switched to the West Boynton Little League. During Bussey's sophomore year in high school, he joined King's Academy's baseball team in West Palm Beach.
This past year, Bussey received the Golden Glove award from King's Academy for having the best fielding percentage, and in May he graduated with a grade point average above 4.0.
But Bussey realizes it's going to be a big leap from high school to college ball.
"There are going to be a lot of changes. In high school, not everyone is a 100 percent competitor. In college, every person on the field gives it everything they've got every game," said Bussey, who most likely will play shortstop or third base for the Flames. "It makes it a lot more fun and intense."
Besides training, Bussey spent much of his summer teaching 6- to 12-year-olds the fundamentals of baseball at the Hit and Run Training Center's summer camp in West Palm Beach.
"I have had such a blast," Bussey said. "Sometimes I can get aggravated, but it is all worth it in the end."
Bussey looked at a lot of schools before choosing Liberty. Though he had offers to play with Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama and a few community colleges in Florida, Bussey fell in love with Liberty when he visited it last September.
"I liked the area, and I liked the school. I knew this is where I wanted to be," he said.
Bussey attributes much of his success in baseball to his father.
"Sometimes it is hard to self-motivate," Bussey said. "Even though we used to argue a lot, my father pushed me to do the best I possibly can. We get along great now, and my dreams are coming true."
To relax, Bussey plays the guitar and piano. He also enjoys wakeboarding.
"I might not be able to do much of that in Virginia," he said.
Bussey plans to major in International Business, but wants a professional baseball career. And although the Houston Astros have been keeping an eye on Bussey, he doesn't care who he plays for, as long as he gets to play.
"Playing Major League baseball is my ultimate goal," he said. "I won't be picky."
By Angela Perez
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
As Tommy Bussey packs his bags for college, he can't help but be excited.
"I'm just looking forward to playing ball," he said.
Bussey, of Boynton Beach, is heading to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., on a Division I full-tuition baseball scholarship. There, he will join 18 other new Flames baseball players. He leaves Aug. 12 for freshman orientation, though he has been training all summer.
"The coach sent me a workout program for the summer. I did four days (a week) of weight lifting, two days of running, and I also played with a local league in North Palm Beach," he said.
Though Bussey just turned 18, he has been playing baseball for as long as he can remember.
"My dad used to play with me in the back yard, and I liked it... so I asked him to put me in a league."
So, at 5 years old, Bussey, who plays shortstop and pitches, enrolled with the Okeeheelee Little League. He played there two seasons and then switched to the West Boynton Little League. During Bussey's sophomore year in high school, he joined King's Academy's baseball team in West Palm Beach.
This past year, Bussey received the Golden Glove award from King's Academy for having the best fielding percentage, and in May he graduated with a grade point average above 4.0.
But Bussey realizes it's going to be a big leap from high school to college ball.
"There are going to be a lot of changes. In high school, not everyone is a 100 percent competitor. In college, every person on the field gives it everything they've got every game," said Bussey, who most likely will play shortstop or third base for the Flames. "It makes it a lot more fun and intense."
Besides training, Bussey spent much of his summer teaching 6- to 12-year-olds the fundamentals of baseball at the Hit and Run Training Center's summer camp in West Palm Beach.
"I have had such a blast," Bussey said. "Sometimes I can get aggravated, but it is all worth it in the end."
Bussey looked at a lot of schools before choosing Liberty. Though he had offers to play with Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama and a few community colleges in Florida, Bussey fell in love with Liberty when he visited it last September.
"I liked the area, and I liked the school. I knew this is where I wanted to be," he said.
Bussey attributes much of his success in baseball to his father.
"Sometimes it is hard to self-motivate," Bussey said. "Even though we used to argue a lot, my father pushed me to do the best I possibly can. We get along great now, and my dreams are coming true."
To relax, Bussey plays the guitar and piano. He also enjoys wakeboarding.
"I might not be able to do much of that in Virginia," he said.
Bussey plans to major in International Business, but wants a professional baseball career. And although the Houston Astros have been keeping an eye on Bussey, he doesn't care who he plays for, as long as he gets to play.
"Playing Major League baseball is my ultimate goal," he said. "I won't be picky."
Tommy Bussey is a long-time youth baseball player who is leaving soon for college on a baseball scholarship. He's shown here on the baseball field at Northwood University in West Palm Beach where he teaches at Hit and Run Training Center's summer camp.
www.palmbeachpost.com/delray_beach/content/neighborhood/delray_beach/epaper/2005/08/03/npd20_sptfeature_0803.html
