Campers at the Diamond Skills Camp in Alameda were in for a special treat as guest Buster Posey joined the camp to interact with the young players, as well as the members of the Neptune Beach Pearl. Posey, the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants, spent several hours at the camp, interacting with the younger players after first giving a talk to the Neptune Beach Pearl team. Yet with such a busy schedule, Posey’s presence is especially meaningful to these campers. ““I grew up a big fan of baseball,” Posey said. “I like to come to things like this because I think it pushes kids in the right direction and teaches them the right way to play the game. I think they’ve done a great job here.”

            One of Posey’s key pieces of advice was to make sure that every player gives thanks where they’re due – essentially, to the parents who make their dreams happen, advice that was well appreciated by the families of the campers who attended the session. While baseball might be his life, it’s also a game, and Posey stressed the importance to enjoying the experience itself. His advice to the younger campers? “Have fun and have fun playing,” Posey said. “Don’t narrow yourself down just to baseball, play as many other sports as you can.”

            For the players on the Pearl, reaching the major leagues like Posey no longer seems like an impossible dream but is closer than ever. Posey, who chose to play at Florida State instead of going straight into the draft, spent three years playing for the Seminoles before being chosen as the fifth overall pick in the 2008 draft. In many ways, Posey’s journey isn’t all that dissimilar from that of the current Pearl players and watching him serves as an inspiration for what they hope to accomplish themselves. During his talk with the team, Posey offered some sound advice about how to make it big. He mentioned “what I talked to them earlier about, coming up with a routine that works for you and trying to stick to that routine,” as being particularly important to keep in mind. His own decision to play in college for three years instead of going straight to the draft is a decision that some members of the Pearl have grappled with, and having gone through that experience, Posey had some words to share. “I would say that you have to know that it’s a big jump from high school baseball to college baseball just to start with,” Posey said. “So high school ball to pro ball, you’re stepping into the adult world and playing nine months out of the year. It’s not going to always be easy and there’s going to be ups and downs.”

            Though he spent just a short time with the Diamond Skills campers, it’s clear that Posey’s words made an impact on everyone present, and with his advice, many of the attendees walked away from the day being sure in their decision to continue with baseball and fight for their passion just as Posey does.

Photos from Posey's appearance can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.446924732008306.107596.150086125025503&type=3