AHS baseball seeks to provide our student-athlete with opportunities that improve their athletic skills while reinforcing values of hard work, dedication, commitment, sportsmanship and camaraderie. We believe baseball teaches physical, mental and social skills that follow our athletes beyond their high school experience.
Our ultimate goal is to be a part of the education process that produces one who is properly prepared for life after high school. Winning is important but not the most important thing we want our players to learn. Our program does not insist on a “win-at-all costs” mentality. We want our players to play to win every game but more importantly, realize that a winner is not always one who scores the most runs. Defining success requires qualities beyond a program’s wins and losses.
AHS baseball insists on players putting priorities in order. If we teach our student-athletes anything, it is to place priorities in the proper order and perspective. What are most important in life are the relationships we develop and the need to work hard to allow those relationships to grow. Our priority list is as follows in order of importance:
1. God/Faith/Spirituality
2. Family
3. School
4. Baseball
AHS baseball by no means guarantees equal playing time for our athletes. This is a competitive program by nature and the game rewards those who work hardest. At each level we expect all our players to be able to step in and play, but not necessarily in equal amounts of innings or at-bats. Our Junior Varsity and freshmen teams will be more liberal in providing opportunity for each player in game situations. The ONLY guarantee of playing time is when either of these teams (JV, Freshman, or 8th grade) plays a double-header by themselves, each player will get to start one of those games (providing they are not serving a suspension). However, this does not mean they will play the whole game. When JV and freshmen teams play single games back to back, this rule does not apply. Our varsity players have no guarantee of playing time. We believe that each player is given many opportunities to exhibit their skills during practice. Our practices put players in pressure situations to help our coaches determine their abilities in the sport.