Berkshire Baseball's exponential growth and development through the course of the past 20 years has built a foundation no one could have imagined was possible in its beginning. Season after season, coach after coach, and player after player, Berkshire has become reputed as one of the most respected non-profit baseball organizations in the region, while bearing its motto "A Tradition of Excellence," that of what it is nothing short. The implementation of two new teams and the return of the Blue Sox Optimist team will be of great benefit to the organization, as its reputation only continues to grow, respectively.

The Blue Sox Optimist team had been discontinued prior to the 2009 season, but due to an increase of interested, potential players, Berkshire revived the team and created a new roster to be managed by current Berkshire coach, Boo Schaeffer.
Schaeffer coached a team for three-years called the Berks County Wizards in the 18-U tournaments before joining as coach of the 18-U Berkshire Blue Sox. Comprising players of both his previous teams and some former Red Sox players, Boo said of it, "Why not?" and accepted the opportunity to lead the Optimist Blue Sox.

While Schaeffer plans a busy schedule for the upcoming season with the Optimist team, he still has to manage his time accordingly to allow him to continue coaching the Antietam High School team during the spring season. He will also continue to manage the 18-U Blue Sox during regular fall-season play. A few names he will see on this years Optimist roster will be familiar, while others will be making their debuts in the Berkshire organization.

When asked in an e-mail interview what his outlook on the upcoming season is, Schaeffer replied, "I'm not really sure what to expect in managing a new team. As of right now it looks like we will have a fairly young team, but with these players backgrounds I can guarantee I will get 100 percent from them. But, hopefully with hard work and a good effort we have great success."

 
Between coaching the Blue Sox Optimist team, the 18-U Blue Sox, and the Antietam High School spring team, Schaeffer coaches somewhere around 100 games per year. Maintaining a stable living with such a busy schedule is tough, but the determination and dedication Schaeffer has will allow him to manage his schedule accordingly. "I think every coaches goal is to win a championship, but the best thing about working with Berkshire Baseball is the life friendships that you make," stated Schaeffer.

 

As Schaeffer leads the 18-U and Optimist Blue Sox teams in 2010, all other Berkshire coaches, players and parents will be doing their parts in preparation for another successful year for the organization. While the weather is warming and the fields are naturally prepping for play, Berkshire Baseball is looking forward to the coming months of an adventurous and exciting season.

Through the course of its 20-year history Berkshire Baseball has produced well rounded, educated athletes, some of which have gone on to play ball at a variety of professional levels. One athlete that particularly stands out is Nick Allen, a former pitcher for Berkshire who has gone on to play at the High A level with the Seattle Mariners.

A Berks County native, Allen has been playing baseball since the age of five and had gotten involved with the Berkshire program during his junior year of high school. When asked what made Allen interested in joining Berkshire's program, he replied, "The program already had a great reputation and the coaches were highly respected. I think I played with five or six of my high school teammates, too." But as his days of youth baseball came to a close, new doors opened that allowed him to embark on a journey every young and aspiring high school athlete strives for-playing at a Division I College.

Allen was awarded half of a full scholarship to University of Villanova and committed to attend early enough to not have to consider playing anywhere else. "I knew when I visited Villanova that there was no better place for me to go to college," stated Allen, and his days with Nova have brought him great success. "At Villanova, I really got a chance to grow as a pitcher and learn how to pitch at a high level of competition. The first few games of my senior year I threw something like 27 straight scoreless innings and finished with a solid college career," said Allen. 

Although his greatest success came during his college career and post-graduate days with the Mariners, his time with Berkshire Baseball is what he believes has truly prepared him to play at his best. "At Berkshire, we played at a high fundamental level which prepared me for being successful in the Big East. In high school you can be successful with talent, in college you need to know the game to be successful, and Berkshire Baseball helped me hone that skill," said Allen.

Allen played three seasons with the Mariners and his biggest accomplishments with them were earning Pitcher of the Year for his first two seasons and getting to be in the big league bullpen for a handful of games during spring training. His career in professional baseball had been short lived, and when asked what ended his playing days he replied, "I think my six-something ERA my last year ended my career. In all seriousness, I had about two bad months at the wrong time that did me in."
After his baseball career came to an end, Allen and his wife Tracy moved to Charlotte, NC to escape the frigid winters of the north. He currently works for LPL Financial, an independent broker/dealer that caters to independent advisors, and he likes to stay active within his community.

During his days living in Birmingham in the off-seasons, Allen gave pitching lessons to kids from ages six to 20 at one of the top training facilities in the Southeast. He has also helped coach a youth team in Charlotte. "It's great to get out there and teach kids how to play the game the right way," stated Allen.

 

Albeit his career being short, the integrity he had gained and recognition as a respected player and person have had a significant impact on Allen's life. He doesn't think that he could have done anything differently as he is completely satisfied with where he is today. "I was able to walk away from the game knowing that I had given everything I could give," Allen expressed. From his beginning days to the end, Allen has truly had an amazing experience with the game of baseball, and his outright passion for the game will never disappear. Practice, dedication and devotion bring the best success, and how one manages that is what truly makes a difference in any anticipated career path.