Speaker 1: 0:07

And Stuart Arango Oral Surgery. Learn more at SAOeralsurgeonscom. Welcome to the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson and today we are joined with the 2024 Highland Park Baseball Captains, maddie Chan, charlie Schneider and Max Stamble Guys. Thank you so much for being here today.

Speaker 2: 0:29

Thank you for having us.

Speaker 1: 0:31

Well, I'm so excited to talk to you guys. In addition to the season about to start, you also have a couple of really big events, and we'll get to that in a minute. But first let's just go around and introduce yourselves, say what position you play and how long have you played baseball.

Speaker 2: 0:44

I'm Charlie Schneider. I play shortstop and I've been playing baseball since I was like four years old.

Speaker 3: 0:50

Oh, wow, so it's been a long time.

Speaker 4: 0:52

Yeah, I'm Maddie Chan. I play outfield and second base and I've probably been playing around the same time as Charlie, like four or five.

Speaker 3: 1:00

Very nice, I'm Max Stamble, I'm a pitcher and I've probably been playing around 12 to 13 years. Wow, a lot of time there. Yeah, take part of our lives.

Speaker 1: 1:09

Yeah, absolutely. Well, in addition to the season about to be starting, you have a couple of events coming up. Can you tell us what's going on?

Speaker 2: 1:16

We have Meet the Scots coming up on January 20th. That's just, we let the kids come on the field, we have some games and we get to interact and talk to them and meet them. And then on the 31st we have a retirement for Clay and Kershaw and Chris Young. We're retiring their jerseys.

Speaker 4: 1:34

Yeah, that's at Armstrong Fieldhouse at SMU. You can purchase tickets and tables and sponsorships as well.

Speaker 1: 1:43

There's all sorts of opportunities. Well, we'll go into more detail here in a little bit in the podcast, but I wanted to kind of get to know you guys a little bit more, because being captains congratulations, by the way it's a really big honor, isn't it.

Speaker 2: 1:55

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:56

Can you tell us about the excitement and pride that you must feel about leading the team this season?

Speaker 2: 2:02

I was super excited when we got named captain. I feel like in the past our captains have been great like leaders and role models, and I want to just be like that for the younger players on varsity and not, and I just want to be a good role model for them.

Speaker 4: 2:18

Yeah, especially with the amount of talent and potential that our team has this year and how special we are, it's such an honor to be able to be in this role, to lead them.

Speaker 3: 2:29

Yeah, it means a lot to get voted by your peers as a person that can see as a leader and a captain, so it's really important to me.

Speaker 1: 2:36

Well is a big part of your role as captain. One of your main objectives is to keep the team morale high and motivated. How do you guys plan to do that this year?

Speaker 4: 2:47

I mean being close both on and off the field is like a huge part of Just people knowing that they have support and everyone believes in them. Definitely like makes the game easier. Makes it easier to play Playing for each other.

Speaker 1: 3:03

I think what you said there is, I think it's obvious on the field, but then again, off the field is equally as important. Just building up the comodery and the friendships and the bonds really helps. You know that you have each other's back on the actual field when you're playing right.

Speaker 3: 3:18

Yes, ma'am, like sometimes we do a lot of like team dinner stuff like that, just to get together outside the lines and like make friends, not just teammates.

Speaker 1: 3:25

Yeah, I think that's so important.

Speaker 2: 3:27

Yeah, especially over spring break, when everyone's out of town and it's just us. We really become closer during that and it's good. It's a good way to get the season started.

Speaker 1: 3:36

That's right. I've heard so many baseball families talk about how they can't go on spring break. You guys are back here training and getting ready and you don't. You kind of get Ripped off from the spring break, but I know you love what you do so I'm sure it's fine. Could you give us some insight that? You have a game come out. You have several scrimmages, it looked like coming up and then your first game with prosper is after that. How's the team preparing for the big game?

Speaker 2: 4:03

We've been doing. We're doing a lot of hitting and that's kind of what we've been Focusing on, like right now. That's what yoder is like prioritizing for us right now.

Speaker 3: 4:13

Nothing right now. We just have pedal to the metal. We're just trying to get the team rolling for a great season. I mean, last year we lost to prosper and one of the tournaments. I think we just want to start the year off with a good win. Yeah, get us rolling.

Speaker 1: 4:25

Yeah, show them right.

Speaker 4: 4:28

Having the talent that, like our team has, especially at practice. Being forced to like compete every day and, you know, try your best at practice Daily is like such a big thing sure, sure.

Speaker 1: 4:42

well, I always like to ask all the athletes we have on the show how do you prepare for the games? Is there any pregame rituals that you do just to get yourself mentally and physically ready for the games?

Speaker 3: 4:54

Well, a lot of baseball players have superstitions. One of my superstitions is I have to eat a specific kind of food before each game. I don't know why it is, but like I have to get it, even if I don't eat, I just have to get the food.

Speaker 1: 5:07

It's like a routine. You have to tell us what it is fast and furious.

Speaker 3: 5:14

I don't know why, it's just is it the name? No, it's just. I got it sophomore year and it worked and I just have yeah, exactly whatever works, you know for sure.

Speaker 1: 5:26

What about you, maddie? Do you have? Any superstitions that you do before the games.

Speaker 4: 5:29

I mean definitely on the field, like just the classic, like never stepping on the foul line. That's always like, oh, it's bad luck. But I mean nothing really like outside the field, like a special meal or anything.

Speaker 1: 5:44

What about you?

Speaker 2: 5:45

I don't really have any superstitions, but I just before the game I like to get really calm and just focused on it, not distracted by other things. Just really slow down, like to meditate before and just get calm before the games.

Speaker 1: 6:00

Do you listen to music or anything, or do you just try to keep it as quiet as possible?

Speaker 2: 6:04

I don't want to just try to keep it quiet.

Speaker 1: 6:05

Yeah right, very nice. Well, so you know, any time you're on a team like this it becomes kind of a family type of a like your second family. And how has the camaraderie within this tight-knit group contributed to the team's success?

Speaker 2: 6:23

Well, we're all really close and we're just continuing to getting closer, because we spend like three hours a day with them, every day and just we become really close and it's like a family, it's like a brotherhood and we always have each other's backs on and off the field and we just we're there for each other.

Speaker 3: 6:42

I feel like when you go out to go play whether it be hitting, playing defense or pitching I mean to have people around you that you really trust or more is just like a teammate it's a lot easier to go to your job and succeed.

Speaker 1: 6:54

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 4: 6:56

Yeah, and especially knowing that the people around you, who you are so close with, believe in you and believe in your ability and stuff that plays a huge role in being able to go out there and have success.

Speaker 1: 7:09

Well, you guys are all seniors. How do you see yourselves leaving a legacy for the baseball program?

Speaker 3: 7:16

I mean, I'm just trying to leave the same legacy of the seniors before me led, just leading by example, showing how younger people should act on and off the field, just trying to show, like, how to be a good man, how to be like good adult, good person on and off the field.

Speaker 1: 7:33

And we'll continue the interview after this short break. I wanted to give a personal thank you to our good friend and show sponsor, kathy Ellwall State Farm Agency. We have known Kathy for more than 15 years and there is no person we trust more when it comes to insurance than Kathy Ellwall. Kathy is always available to help you find the right insurance for your family needs, whether it's covering your home auto or providing a life insurance policy tailored to the unique needs of families in Highland Park. My family trusts Kathy with our insurance and we hope you will too. Please visit kathyellwallcom to learn more and let her know that Martha from the Bubble Lounge sent you.

Speaker 1: 8:11

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Speaker 1: 9:00

Visit saoralsurgeonscom. That's saoralsurgeonscom, so you all are seniors. My daughter just graduated last year, so I just happened to know that as a senior, you can't have a conversation with anyone without them asking the question where are you gonna go to school and what are the next steps? What are your next plans? So do you all know what you're doing?

Speaker 2: 9:23

Yes, I'm going to High Point University in North Carolina to play baseball and I wanna get in the business school and I'm not sure if I got in yet. Very nice.

Speaker 4: 9:32

I actually don't know where I'm gonna go yet, but baseball is such a big part of my life up until this point and I think, like in college, I'm just gonna be a student focus academically.

Speaker 1: 9:45

Sounds like a plan.

Speaker 3: 9:46

I'm going to Duke University next year and I'm going to major in econ.

Speaker 1: 9:50

Very nice. So you guys have a very bright future ahead of you, so congratulations to all of you, thank you, thank you. Well, we talked about how all of you have played baseball starting at a very young age and we have a lot of parents out there that are probably listening and kind of interested in getting their kids involved in the baseball program. Do you all have any advice to your younger self if you were starting now pursuing baseball?

Speaker 2: 10:14

I would say like, don't take the game too seriously, Like a lot of people overthink and get really stressed out because baseball is a really hard sport to play. I would just say have fun, play loose and whatever happens happens.

Speaker 4: 10:27

I'm going to piggyback off of what he said Like just not making the moment too big, like no matter how much you train or how much you play, like still being able to go out there and have fun. That's how you're going to play your best.

Speaker 3: 10:39

Yeah, I agree. I mean, baseball is a game of failure, so you're going to fail. It's just how you react to that, and you just have to keep going, even though it's going to be really hard.

Speaker 1: 10:46

Right, as long as you're learning from those failures and turning them into improving in the future.

Speaker 1: 10:52

I think it's all worth it in the end. Well, we talked earlier about your really big event, meet the Scots that's coming up. I think that's a really great opportunity for families, especially with young kids, to come out and meet you guys. I know the kids. It means so much to them to look up to you guys and it probably serves as a good recruitment tool to get a lot of these kids involved in baseball. But let's go into more detail because there is a lot going on on this day.

Speaker 3: 11:17

Yes, ma'am. I mean we have a lot of challenges. Like there's going to be a willful ball challenge. There's going to be a lot of great prizes out there and we're also bringing in and out burgers. So there's going to be a food truck and people can just come and go get in and out burgers. It's just going to be a great time for families and kids to go experience what it's like to be a Scott and be a baseball player.

Speaker 4: 11:39

And especially going there as a kid myself, like just having those memories. Meeting the ex-players and looking up to them is such a memorable experience.

Speaker 1: 11:49

And I understand the Highland Bells, the drum line, the lads and lassies are going to be performing.

Speaker 2: 11:54

Yes ma'am. Yeah, there's going to be a lot of fun things to do out there and it's a great opportunity for our team to become close with the community and just have them back us up and get to know them well.

Speaker 1: 12:06

Yeah, I think that that's so important. The community really rallies around our sporting events and this is the perfect way to do it. Well, one thing I love about this amazing community of ours is there's so many local businesses that love to sponsor these events, and you all are so fortunate in that you have some really amazing sponsors for this. You all have Parker Injustice, which is an intellectual property law company, Lemon Avenue plastic surgery, Benchmark Bank, Privy, Christine McKinney from Allie Beth Alman and Associates, Johnson Orle Facial Surgery, DeBool, Sam Schleyhuber from Farmers Insurance. I mean, these are some really big names here, guys.

Speaker 4: 12:47

Yeah, we're definitely super thankful that we get their support for this amazing event that we get to have every year.

Speaker 3: 12:54

Yeah, I mean, it's a big event, so it's great to have all these amazing sponsors with us to help set this whole thing up for us and really just push Meet the Scots to the community and everyone around.

Speaker 1: 13:05

Well, like I said earlier, it's a perfect chance to get your whole family together and come out and support the Scots, and I will include a link both in the show notes here and then on our Instagram stories. So, guys, tell us one more time when the event is and where it is.

Speaker 4: 13:20

It's January 20th.

Speaker 3: 13:22

It's going to be from 1 to 3 PM and it's going to be at Scotland Yard.

Speaker 1: 13:25

Perfect, but that's not the only event you have. You have another one 11 days later. That's really a big to do as well.

Speaker 2: 13:32

Yeah, we have. We're retiring Clane Kershaw and Chris Young's jerseys. We're having a nice dinner and we're going to get to it, meet them and get to interact with them while we retire their jerseys.

Speaker 3: 13:46

Yeah, we're really excited for the retirement dinner. I mean, it really helps us with being able to fund our program and you can purchase tickets, tables and sponsorships, which is really amazing, and you get a chance to meet two really amazing pitchers for Highland Park.

Speaker 1: 14:00

I mean, are you kidding me? What is it going to be like to meet those guys?

Speaker 2: 14:04

It's gonna be crazy. We curse-shelves at the last meet the scouts and we barely got to see them there, so it's gonna be cool to get to interact with both of them at the same time and in a familiar place.

Speaker 3: 14:18

It's gonna be pretty surreal. I mean, all around our field we have Clayton Kershaw, chris Young Things, so we grow up at Highland Park hearing about him and the ability that we have to go to this retirement dinner and see them both and just commemorate them is really awesome.

Speaker 1: 14:34

I mean two living legends that came from your high school are going to be there and you get to interact with them.

Speaker 4: 14:39

Yes, ma'am, being able to honor two people that went to our school and contributed so much to our program means a lot to us.

Speaker 1: 14:46

I think this is gonna be such an amazing event and such a good opportunity for people to bring their families out to it and to just be able to be inspired by these men.

Speaker 4: 14:55

I mean Clayton Kershaw really developed like during his four years at Highland Park, From a freshman to sophomore year, like just such a huge difference when he was a junior and senior. It's really showing like if you put the work in, it pays off in the end.

Speaker 1: 15:12

Yeah, I mean, it's just all about your mental attitude, as if you really want something, you have to be the one that makes up your mind and you have to figure out how to make it happen. Well, that's just one more example of this amazing community that we live in. Like I said earlier, if there's a sporting event or any type of event, the community really rallies together and they come out, and I think it's so important that they support the baseball team and come out, and I just wanted to know from your perspective what it means to you to have the community support.

Speaker 4: 15:42

Like everyone in the community, from the sponsors to the students to the parents, having that support behind us really allows us to, you know, want to make them proud and have success during the season. Being in Highland Park. It's such a community where everyone rallies around the sporting teams, from baseball to football to basketball, and having that community support is really what makes our community what it is.

Speaker 3: 16:08

Yeah, that's why we love for y'all to come out to the events, because when it with the community behind you, you can really build something for the future and just keep pushing what we have.

Speaker 2: 16:17

Yeah, you have no idea the difference it makes when we have like a full stand, when everyone's in the stands and it's full, then when like no one's there and it's just kind of like we're practicing but we're like actually playing people when they have fans and we don't.

Speaker 1: 16:29

Yeah, I'm sure the energy is just so much more alive when the stands are filled.

Speaker 2: 16:34

Yeah, we have. I feel like we get a lot more energy when we have the stands filled and it seems like we're playing for more than just our teams, like we're playing for our community.

Speaker 3: 16:42

Yeah, I mean it's really helpful when you look into the stands. When something's going wrong or something, there's people cheering you on and it's a lot easier when people are there for you than when there's no one there for you.

Speaker 1: 16:52

Well, you heard it, guys. They want you to come out to the games in a perfect place to find the schedule and to buy tickets at scotsillustratedcom and go to baseball. Well, guys, this has been such a treat to get to talk to you today and meet you. I'm so excited for the season and for the two big events. And do you have any final thoughts for our listeners?

Speaker 2: 17:11

Just come out to the events. Come out January 20th, meet the Scots and come meet the team there.

Speaker 4: 17:16

Yeah, january 31st retirement dinner. It's gonna be awesome to living legends that once a howling part.

Speaker 3: 17:22

I mean the entire season. Just come out to the field and support us. We need the community, please.

Speaker 1: 17:25

Well, there you have it, you've heard them. They want you to come out to support them.

Speaker 4: 17:29

Go Scots.

Speaker 1: 17:30

That's been another episode of the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson and we'll catch you next time.