Summer Sports Diaries: Blake Bowen and Shelby Vaughn
Four of the area's top athletes — Wooster's Blake Bowen, Norwayne's Shelby Vaughn, Loudonville's Corri Vermilya and Triway's Carter Wachtel — are providing first-person updates during their busy summer sports schedules.
This week's updates are from Bowen and Vaughn as they continue their quests to become next-level players in baseball and soccer.
This is edition No. 3 of the Summer Sports Diaries:
Shelby Vaughn
Since the last time we spoke, my team won the NPL National Championship in Colorado. This was our last tournament as a team and now I will be joining my high school team for the preseason.
The coach that has made the biggest impact on me is Atilla Csiszar, who has coached me since fifth grade. He has always pushed me to reach my greatest potential and has always been a huge person in my life.
After the winter season of sports, I usually have soccer every other weekend from tournaments, ODP or college ID camps. A typical tournament weekend that is played in Ohio, we would leave that Thursday night and would play the next day. If it would be a tournament where we would have to fly, we would leave Tuesday or Wednesday. We usually play one game a day and it's very rare playing more than one in a day when you get older as a soccer player. My mom is usually the only one that comes with me since my brother and sister are at school. The tournaments usually last until Sunday and then we would leave that day and go home. At the end of the tournaments, I am usually very exhausted. My body usually needs two days of complete rest before I can give something my all again.
A typical game day for me would be where I would wake up and usually have to eat breakfast at the hotel. I normally just eat something small, so my stomach doesn’t feel heavy. I then go back up to my room and would change into my uniform and do all the essentials. Before my games I like to listen to music just to get myself focused and ready. I also like to drink a liquid IV before, so I’m hydrated before my game.
I usually get to the fields and hour and 15 minutes before game, I like to stretch a little before our team warmup and apply bio freeze to what needs it. After the game my mom and I go get food and it usually contains chicken in the meal. During tournaments I just drink water the entire time I’m there and my mom definitely pushes me with the water even though it’s not my favorite thing to drink. After getting food we would go back to the hotel, and I would take a shower and change my clothes. I pretty much get ready for bed then because we don’t really go anywhere else besides the hotel. Most of the time I will sit in my bed and relax or go hang out with my teammates.
My favorite place I have played over the years is definitely Colorado. I know playing in the circumstances aren’t that easy but the view of the mountains while you're playing is a sight to see. It will always be my favorite place to play soccer.
If I had advice for any younger kids coming up it would be to enjoy the game you love and have fun. Soccer wouldn’t be anything to me if I didn’t have fun and make memories while I was doing it.
Blake Bowen
My team has been in a couple tournaments since we last spoke. A big one that we’ve been looking forward to this whole summer is the PBR National Championships which is held in Emerson, Georgia.
A coach that has had a huge impact on me and my baseball career is coach Rob McNerney, who is the head of the Ohio Elite Organization. He has done so much for my family and I over the years I’ve been with this team. He has helped me so much during the recruiting process and is the main factor in why I’m committed. For that, I am more grateful for him than he knows.
For our out of state tournaments, we usually leave on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on our schedule for that tournament. Most of these out of state tournaments, we only play one game per day, until we get to bracket play. When we go to bracket play, we play until we lose, or win the tournament. These tournaments are very long and tiring but I have gotten used to playing through exhaustion. By the end of the week, you kind of just want to go home and sleep in your own bed, but you come to love traveling and staying in hotels. It really becomes a part of your daily life.
Obviously, baseball is different in the south. Whether that’s the heat, the players, or the coaches coming to watch everyone — it’s a big difference. Before my games, I like to get in a good meal. I hate playing with an empty stomach, so I have to eat before every game. After the game, we sometimes go out to eat with my team. That’s always a fun time and I have so many memories going out to eat with my teammates.
The coolest place I’ve played by far is Prasco Park, in Cincinnati. Not only was it an awesome field, but the environment was even better. Playing in front of every single MLB organization and possible future pro players was an incredible experience.
To all up-and-coming baseball players, just take in the experience. This isn’t something you will always have. It feels like just last summer I was a freshman being recruited, and now, I only have a couple weeks left in my summer baseball career. Take in everything and just have fun. Baseball is a fun game. You should have fun playing it.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Summer Sports Diaries: Blake Bowen and Shelby Vaughn
