Selmer Stretches Himself as Three-Season Athlete and Outfielder for H-K Baseball
Max Selmer has taken on additional athletic roles while stepping into the upperclassmen ranks at Haddam-Killingworth. Yet they have all been to bolster his various skill sets on and off the field for his one true pastime with the Cougars.
The H-K junior outfielder has been playing baseball for as long as he could remember. Yet this past fall and winter seasons, he became a three-sport athlete by picking up the pigskin and pool, respectively. After being part of the baseball team’s historic 2023 campaign that concluded with the Cougars' elusive first-ever state crown, Max has played a pivotal part in H-K racing out to a 9-2 start in its title defense.
“Football helped me grow in role model and leadership skills which helps a lot with baseball, and swimming showed me perseverance by seeing I could be good at things that were new to me,” says Max. “Playing the outfield can be difficult, because you always have to be alert and know where to throw the ball. I love how you never know where the ball will go, and it is the best feeling when it comes to you.”
Max is quite open and honest about himself when it comes to how he originally handled defeats. Yet he can look back on it now with a sense of perspective and personal growth, knowing that in anything, especially a game based on averages, you must roll with the punches and go with the flow.
“Growing up, no one likes to lose, and so I was kind of a sore loser,” Max says. “But as I got older, I began to learn that you have to learn to lose with pride. You must understand as an athlete that not everything will go your way and that no one person is perfect. You also have to realize you are there for the team, not yourself.”
Max craves any constructive criticism from his coaches when it comes to producing in the batter’s box. He explains that not only must one pine on each plate appearance, regardless of result, but one must also put themselves in the position of being a contestant of the long game–whether in the setting of one up or the whole season.
“One thing that has helped me with hitting is simply listening to my coaches,” says Max. “Reflecting on my at bats afterwards helps me, too. You have to accept defeat and not worry about being perfect. You also have to just fight through the long counts and trust that the hits will eventually come.”
H-K skipper Mark Brookes certainly sees how much he takes his coaches’ words to heart while carrying himself as a humble and hard-working young man. Max is never someone to dwell on the past while always pushing forth.
“Max embodies everything a coach wants in terms of attitude and work ethic,” says Brookes. “He always listens and applies what we are teaching. He then works tirelessly to perfect his mechanics. He is a leader by example, quiet but has an intense personality when it comes to sports. Max is always aware of the situation and is forward thinking; just a pleasure to coach!”
The afterglow of such a monumental moment of attaining the mountain top of tasks in the form of a state title can illuminate for a lengthy amount of time. Though more than grateful to be part of it, Max stays humble and hardworking when it comes to the future.
“Winning that state title last year was absolutely awesome,” Max says. “The experience of just getting to the state final was great. It was also great to get that first title for the program and for Coach Brookes. It was awesome to go down in history as being part of that first state title team, but we keep showing up and playing hard this year.”
Speaking more to that mentality and mindset for the now reigning title holders, Max and the Cougars have put the past in the past with the creed passed down from the captains. They are not looking ahead to early June, or even early or mid-May, because all that matters is the next adversary slated on their regular season schedule.
“The captains this year were emphasizing that this year is a new team no matter what we did last year,” Max says. “It is a new slate and new season for 2024, and we just work and play hard while taking things one day at a time.”
Max puts the fate of his future athletically in the hands of some well-revered and trusted mentors. Still, he puts a lot of his growth upon himself by simply getting in the reps daily while keeping a close eye on his preeminent peers.
“My success has really come from not only listening to my coaches but also trusting them and their advice,” says Max. “And simply working hard has helped me become a better player and athlete by getting in the gym and watching the best people on the team.”