This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
08/25/2023 04:09 PMIf any individual spent just a few quick moments speaking to Cameron Garrett, they would instantly come away from the conversation knowing full well that he is someone who has a great physical and mental perspective of not only the sport of baseball, but also life in general as a passionate leader and competitor.
The North Branford baseball team 2023 senior captain discovered a love for the sport through watching it both locally and on television, while additionally dabbling in flag football and soccer. Fast forward years later, and the third baseman and pitcher finished off a phenomenal career with numbers of a 7-3 record on the mound and a .380 batting average at the dish in helping the Thunderbirds reach the Shoreline Conference Tournament final this past spring. As an additional season accolade, he was named First Team All-Shoreline as a pitcher.
“With baseball, I love how everyone can play it, and, even if you do not play it, you can be a part of it. There is a sense of community to it and being part of a collective goal. It is more than winning and losing; it is about becoming a better person through a game of respect,” says Cameron. “For baseball, you have to want it. It is cliché, you have to work extra hard and do things you may not want to do, like practicing in the cold during the offseason. You have to do what it takes, and that is where the love of the game comes from. Your only competition is your potential; you cannot fill your love for the game without your potential. Baseball got me to work hard, appreciate my potential, and how to learn from failures.”
Over at third base, Cameron faced the onslaught of hard-hit balls head on while being a sort of infield backstop for North Branford, and also being a quintessential cutoff man in the clutch.
“Third base is the hot corner, and you have to be ready for those balls hit at you and always be thinking and ready for the next play. You have to stay down in order to knock the ball down and stay mentally prepared,” Cameron says. “I also have to focus on getting cut off throws in from the outfield, and it is one of the hardest positions in the infield.”
In a game predicated on eventual failings and shortcomings, Cameron learned to focus on housing the right mindset to overcome adversity. He details that it is about an attitude of gratitude to simply take to the field and play this great game.
“I have focused a lot on my mental game; it is an under practiced part of the game. I improved because I became able to let things go, because you play so many games, so you cannot harp on one moment,” says Cameron. “I tell myself to be grateful to be in this position and know that you have people who support you. You have to also take a step back and appreciate what you have and take a step forward after a failure. I take things one pitch at a time and realize the game is not as big as you think. I also improved as a pitcher by watching others and how they are composed. I have gotten better at timing things, looking up, and taking a deep breath, and it was those little things that helped.”
While Cameron never openly or verbally lobbied to be a captain for the T-Birds, he certainly made it evident he had the right temperament and intangibles to assume the position. Once in the captain’s log, he was part of a stewardship squad that conveyed a great deal of appreciation of the entire club.
“I was so grateful to be captain and be voted for it by the team. I did my best to be a good presence on and off the field at all times through the years,” says Cameron. “Being captain was a goal in the back of my mind, but it was not the be all and end all. I felt blessed to have other guys to bounce ideas off of. I was able to keep things in line with the other captains, and we were able to keep the winning culture. I was also able to help show the younger guys how to be good kids and instill respect for the game and themselves.”
While Cameron was the first ever First Team All-Shoreline hurler in his tenure, North Branford Head Coach Billy Mitchell was even more impressed with Cameron’s persistent positivity and poise in all aspects of the game, team, and life in being a lynch pin for the squad in 2023.
“Cam has got it all together. He was extremely important to us this year. We had key injuries to our top pitchers, so he had to do the bulk of the work,” says Mitchell. “I rode him good this year, and he responded pretty well. He is a tremendous kid who is very intelligent and competitive. Without him, we would have been in trouble this season. He helped the younger pitchers with his attitude and tenacity, and he always had a positive attitude. I will miss him as a player and person.”
In his concluding remarks on his tenure as a T-Bird, Cameron explains that he could not have asked for a better skipper and coaching staff to mentor him and have a listening ear and heavy heart to his words, as he also garnered great tenets to succeed for the remainder of his life.
“I loved this team; Coach Mitchell is the best, and I have respect for all the coaches. I always felt heard by them, and they all treated me with respect,” Cameron says. “We were a hard-working team and did whatever we could to gain an edge. My time there also taught me discipline. There are days where you may not be motivated, but through discipline, your mind tells you that you can do it. North Branford allowed me to build towards and be the person I always should have been, and that is something I will take into college and the working world.”