Evaluation expansion comes to Atlantic Canada

PSA and PBR teaming up to help Athletes #BeSeen in Newfoundland

By Ryan Sweeney

Premier Sports Academy Inc.

Frank Humber, Troy Croft, Gerald Butt, Ronnie Sweeney, Myles Vincent, Cole Tucker ... different generations ... same story.

Over the years, these players ventured out into the unknown to try and make their mark on the baseball world. Some are still on their journey (Cole Tucker, NCAA Division I Niagara University), others spent some time with the Junior National program (Troy Croft, Ronnie Sweeney, Myles Vincent), and even fewer made a push at the pro ranks (Frank Humber, Gerald Butt).

Something else makes their stories similar, they had to leave their province to be noticed before they could be accepted into the next level.

This is not an old tale, it is still the same to this day. Why is it that in 2020, athletes and their families have to go so far from their homes to pursue their dreams?

Shouldn’t it be enough to work hard and perform at tournaments? I always thought that this story was unique to Newfoundland. While it is especially true here, the same thing occurs right across the country. How do you get noticed with regularity by schools and programs south of the border?

Even the best programs (Okotoks Dawgs, Vauxhall Academy, Ontario Terriers, FieldHouse Pirates, Ontario Blue Jays, etc.) only play in the US a few times per year. Even then, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be seen by a school that’s interested in you as a player, that also offers the major you are interested in.

What about your coach? As a parent putting your child into a high performance program, this is really what you are paying for; experience is nice, training and discipline are great, but networking and connections are the real sell. Again, sometimes that is not enough.

So, what do you do when:

You can’t afford to leave Newfoundland?

You don’t get to play in front of scouts?

You don’t play for connected coaches?

Answer - attend a Prep Baseball Report Showcase!

I feel like the old guy at the party telling the same story when I say this, but opportunity is a guiding principle for Premier Sports Academy. I want to provide an opportunity for local athletes that I did not have living in Newfoundland. The first step was getting a facility and a team of coaches together that would allow for year round training, the next step was making connections.

When Covid-19 struck, Noah Anderson and I made an instant decision: If we were unable to generate revenue, we were going network and create opportunities (the Premier Sports Academy Guest Speaker Series).

Two people we met early in the process were Chris Kemlo, and George Halim of PBR Ontario. Instantly, I knew that we had connected with like minded people. Kemlo and Halim are two that care immensely about the success of their athletes’ playing careers

To hear the passion they have for training, recruiting and advocating for athletes is inspiring. I didn’t know them well, but I could tell that these gentlemen shared my vision.

After connecting on the podcast, we agreed to keep in touch; none of us knew what Covid would have in store, but it was clear that we were going to work together to change the game in Atlantic Canada.

In just a few short months, this relationship helped cement PBRs growth with the launch of PBR Atlantic, and its only fitting that the first Atlantic Showcase will happen right here in Newfoundland, with a partnership between PSA and PBR at its core.

The paths forged by those athletes who came before are road maps for future generations of ball players to follow and rewrite. If an opportunity exists to leave home to pursue the dream, follow it. But, now we want to forge another path, one where athletes can train at home, and can be seen at home.

The original dream of what Premier Sports Academy could do for local athletes is quickly becoming a reality. Congrats to both Kevin Richardson and Pat Westhaver for their new roles leading PBR Atlantic.

Showcases dates and times

PSA 13U Development Camp

9:30am - 11:00am

Aug 3-6 PM @ St. Pat’s Ballpark, St. John’s, NL

PSA High Performance Camp

Aug 3-6 @ St. Pat’s Ballpark

11:30am-2 pm

PBR Showcase (in Partnership with PSA)

Aug 7 @ St. Pat’s Ballpark

9 am-3 pm