TALLAHASSEE, Fl. - WTXL — 13 years ago Bryan Henry and his friend David Ross had the idea to create a father-son baseball camp right here in Tallahassee. Over those 13 years a lot has changed in both of their lives.
Henry, now an assistant baseball coach with Florida A&M and David Ross, going on to win a world series title with the Chicago Cubs.
As busy as life has been for both, they’ve always carved out time for their community by spreading America’s pastime to future generations.
“I still live here, my kids go to school here, this is an important city to me. And now even with my role in Chicago with the Cubs being the manager and all that comes with that, this is the purity of it," said David Ross. "This is where my heart is."
He and Bryan (Henry) have turned a small idea from their days training together in their hometown during the offseason into one of the best baseball experiences you'll find in the Sunshine State.
“It’s very, very humbling. Never would’ve imagined it being what it is now. The first one we ever did there was seven dads and seven kids," says Henry. "My dad and his dad were taking hamburger orders."
Ross and Henry wanted to do something different when it came time for the two of them to share their baseball knowledge to the community that gave them both a start. Incorporating the bond between a father and son was something that really hit home for them and became the center point for what they envisioned.
“Hopefully they get in the car and the dad has a smile on his face just because he got to spend some time with his boy and the boy learned something," Bryan adds.
“We’re also teaching the dads something they can take with them to the field on a Saturday or a Sunday and get some work in," added Ross. "Little things like that I think go a long way because the dad is going to get way more time with them than we are on this one day.”
With the great baseball knowledge these fathers and sons get to take away from a day like this, also comes a lifelong memory shared over the simple love for America’s pastime.
“We really appreciate it because of the instruction that they give to do the drills right, it helps the kids play baseball. And it creates memories that will last a lifetime," says Jeremy Smith, father of Dylan and Crosby.
