Robert Morey showed just what Tidewater baseball is all about. The sophomore from Virginia Beach (Cape Henry) fanned nine San Diego State batters, while allowing just five hits in six shutout innings in route to a Cavaliers 5-1 win May 29th, 2009.
Morey did all of this against the nation's top pitcher, Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg is projected to the #1 overall pick in the the 2009 MLB draft.
The Cavaliers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after two innings of play. However, the offense came to a halt against Strasburg. When it was all said and done, Strasburg struck out 15 batters in just seven innings, allowing two earned runs.
Morey is a former Cape Henry Collegiate graduate standout. He dominated on the diamond and also provided a solid presence on the basketball court.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Virginia Beach Native Robert Morey Leads UVA Baseball to 5-1 Win Over San Diego State
Monday, April 20, 2009
Should Kids Specialize in One Sport at a Young Age?
This conversation is discussed all across the country by parents of children participating in sports at a young age. Some say travel the country on "elite" teams and become a star in your desired sport. Others believe children should be free to pursue whatever sport they want. But seriously, should kids specialize in one sport at a young age?
The idea sounds good: practice in the sport you play the best, practice it a lot, and land a starting position with a big-time college. Focus on what you do best and don't toy around with other sports--after all, you wouldn't want to injure yourself while playing a sport for mere fun. Practice year-round, play in weekend tournaments, and keep good grades so college recruiters will like your resume.
That's the jist of it. Oh yeah, and while you're at it, try to have fun, maintain a social life, and pursue other interests outside of your sport.
Does this help an aspiring Division I athlete reach his/her goals? Maybe. Is it necessary? Absolutely not.
Just stop and think about some of athletes from Hampton Roads that are now great in their desired sport. Allen Iverson graduated from Bethel High in Hampton where he excelled in football and basketball. Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor played basketball and football for the Hampton Crabbers. And Percy Harvin of the Florida Gators played football, basketball, and participated in track & field at Landstown High Schol in Virginia Beach.
Sure, some of these guys went to invitational camps, were hounded by recruiters, and probably told to specialize in one sport. But the great part is they didn't. In fact, Percy Harvin ran track his freshman year at the University of Florida. Even better, his teammate Mike Morrison of Great Bridge played football and volleyball in high school. The cool thing is despite all the efforts and pressure, these athletes played multiple sports, helped their school program, and had fun.
That's just a few names of guys that proved playing multiple sports wouldn't stop them from achieving a starting position at a higher level.
Now, I understand some sports require more intense practice than others. In other words, basketball and football are related in many ways: quickness, speed, and strength are all necessary qualities to perform well. However, with many individual sports, such as golf or bowling, you really don't need speed and quickness to be a champion. You need hours of practice.
I get that.
But if your child shows potential in basketball, tennis, swimming, or anything else, should you hold him or her back to hone in one sport? And then pursue it so fiercely that their lives revolve around it?
Here at Tidewater Sports Report, we don't think you should. But we also believe it's a personal choice. We just want everyone to have fun, enjoy sports, and continue representing Tidewater as one of the elite athletic regions in the country.
