Dan Freeman

One of these days I’ll be able to digest what just happened. All I have for now is heart. These guys have the biggest heart in the world.

North 1, Group 1 Champs. Legends.

Good luck Nicky Bamrick and @Albright_Base!

Best of luck to 2024 grad @JustinDressler5 and @_BryantBaseball!

Good luck to 2023 grad @Anthony48956374 and @AssumptionBASE this season!

Eli Manning on youth sports: “I wanna ride with your dad on the car ride home.” That line says it all. Parents: the game ends when the whistle blows. The car ride home should build joy, not steal it. Be that parent.

Important read for parents and student-athletes

🗣️ Be coachable!

Both Teams are yelling and screaming all game and talking negative about sisters and mothers and yes I have heard it before. And then you’re supposed to shake hands at the end of the game to show good sportsmanship, that is laughable to me.

Congrats to JJ Ruehlemann of Waldwick for winning Boys Soccer Player of the Year! #NorthJerseyHSSA

Refreshing to see a pitcher dominate and then act like he has done it before. Masterful. It’s a tired act with the growing trend of showing up opponents with screaming, prancing, stare downs, sword slaying, etc. Yea, before you bash me as an old fuddy-duddy, you would be correct. If a pitcher feels he has to celebrate after every strike out or inning, that is fine, but don’t be shocked when karma visits more than you would like. JS. Remember, waking up a sleeping giant, with unnecessary words or action, can cost you and your teammates. Better off to methodically dominate. Just my opinion.

How Do I Help You Understand? It just doesn’t matter. There is a GREAT chance they will never remember. It’s NEVER as bad as we think it is…The wins, the losses, being on a losing team, playing with what we believe to be talent below our child’s ability. It just doesn’t matter!! I’ve been there. Blessed with the opportunity most will only get to dream of. Played with guys who came from NOTHING. Played on the worst team in the league. Played on the team that walked away with the ring. Had middle infielders behind me who led the league in errors and fielders who ended up being big league all stars. I played Little League, Babe Ruth and American Legion ball. Played no more than 2 to 3 dozen games in a season as a youth. Had coaches who were over the top. Had coaches who genuinely cared. Played for coaches who had no sense being in the position they were in. Played for coaches who didn’t teach. You name it, there is a good chance I’ve been through it personally or have seen and worked with others who have gone through it. We have this obsession with playing on THE BEST team. We think being on a sub .500 team is a travesty. We think playing with and against average, or below average, talent will stunt our players growth. We think… We think a little too much at times. We try to control everything a little too much at times. WE need to chill out! I’m going to be honest and I know a lot won’t want to hear or admit this, but this is an adult issue. We get frustrated watching sloppy baseball. We lack patience for all of it. We drink the kool-aid and are sold on “this is what you should do” instead of taking the time to educate ourselves. SLOW DOWN! That poor baseball, those L’s, those W’s…They just don’t matter. What does matter…Passion for the game, determination to get better, using the lessons, being a great teammate, raising leaders, how we behave as parents, how we behave as coaches, the example we give, what we talk about at home with our kids, how we help them deal with failure, how we help them handle success…What does matter is the people we are raising. Adults, we must check ourselves. Stop making the GAME bigger than what it is. Stop making the game about OUR feelings and emotions. Help them get the most out of the ability they were born with. If they truly love the game, you will see it in their eyes. You will see it in how they practice. You will see it when they are on a losing team just as you would if they were on a wining team, BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE GAME. It’s a game and we are always out there to come out on top but remember this, those wins, losses, trophies, seeding, ranking…Nope, they just don’t matter in the big picture. Mom, Dad, Coach, Grandpa, Grandma, your mindset matters. Your attitude matters. Your leadership matters. Their Character matters. Baseball is temporary, but the lessons are forever. Use the GAME to prepare them for LIFE. That’s what matters.

Any High School Coaches realize how bad the bench chirping is getting each and every year! Why? Where is it coming from?

@VarsityAces Today is the day of the public school championships for baseball, which is far bigger than anything else happening today

Today is the day. The tweet/announcement is coming. Those who know, know.

@tracy_walder recently finished The Unexpected Spy. Really enjoyed it. My uncle Joe Hayes spent 35 years with the agency. Thank you for your service.

Here’s the deal: Folks tend to lose compassion, empathy and respect for you when you talk too much about yourself. When you try to tell everyone how good you think you are. When you try to imply that your team would struggle without you. When your antics cry “look at me!” On the flip side, humility tends to be respected more. When you go out of your way to praise your team and teammates. When you let others speak of your abilities. When your reputation is selfless, great teammate and hard worker, it’s tough not to pull for those athletes. But in the end, it’s your life. You choose how you handle yourself. You choose your reputation.

I have a vision. A vision for how I want to experience youth sports—with my child, my family, and my community. I grew up in New City, New York. Most Friday and Saturday nights, I’d ride my bike to Zukor Park, the local baseball field complex. No phone. No schedule. Just a few bucks in my pocket and the excitement of staying out late at the ballfield. We’d line up along the fence with our buddies—Big League Chew in our mouths, peanut M&Ms in hand—completely locked in on the Majors kids playing under the lights. Every single player looked like a big leaguer. I couldnt believe how all the older kids could catch pop flies! But it wasn’t just the baseball. It was the freedom. The friendships. The independence that helped me grow. We’d run around off to the side, playing soccer, trading cards, getting into harmless trouble, and just… being kids. No iPads. No video games. Just loosely supervised, unstructured play in a place where we belonged. Now I’m a dad in Northern California—and spaces like that? They’re rare. Almost nonexistent. This fall, I'm doing our best to bring it back. We’re launching Speedball Under the Lights—a place for families to gather, kids to compete, and the community to rally around the sport we love. Music. Walk-up songs. Announcers. Concessions. Smiles. First-name basis. A space built for community good vibes and memories. where memories live. But this isn’t just about baseball. It’s about mental health. Connection. And creating safe, joyful places for kids to be free-range again. I know places like this still exist in parts of the country—and I’d love to hear about them! Do you have a place like this in your town? Did you grow up with one? I’d love to hear what made it special—what worked, what didn’t, and what you'd bring back if you could. Because I think a lot of us miss this. And maybe it’s time we start recreating these community experiences.

I’m hooked

I can’t believe it!!! 🎉 please vote for me and my team @WHSgirlsSB for player of the week!! ⭐️ northjersey.com/story/sports/h… @WaldwickWHS @Kevin_Carroll_ @WHSWarrior_ATHL @WldwckBaseball @WMPFootball @TweetsFromFree @dabus1234 @NJICathletics @MessinaGabby

🥎: @WHSgirlsSB is through to the Bergen County Tournament's Round of 16 after a 7-0 win over @DumontHuskies on Saturday. Richie B.'s story & pics are now posted on northjerseysports.com. DIRECT LINK: tinyurl.com/2zwp5pnp

@VarsityAces Does Varsity Aces have anyone covering the Bergen County Baseball Tournament?

Here are the high school box scores for events involving North Jersey teams for May 3. This file will be updated all night long. northjersey.com/story/sports/h…