USA Baseball had the opportunity to talk with the 2015 12U National Team Manager, four-time national team assistant coach and 2020 12U National Team Assistant Coach, Tanner Vesely, to reflect on his time with the organization and a life full of baseball. 
USA Baseball: What does it mean for you to be able to coach the 12U National Team this year?
Tanner Vesely: Anytime you get the opportunity to represent [USA Baseball], represent your country and get to put that uniform on, it's a special thing. It's not something you can put into words. It's a huge honor and to be thought of as an individual and to be able to do that is a tremendous honor. Not a whole lot of people in the world get to put the jersey on and to be able to do that is one the highest honors in the game.
USAB: What's different about coaching Team USA compared to coaching any other team? Did you ever think your career would bring you to be as involved with USA Baseball as you have been over the years?
TV: Growing up in a small town in northern Arizona, if you would've told me that I get the chance to work for USA Baseball and do some of the things I have, I would've said you were crazy. There is no way growing up I would've thought baseball would take me all over the world and I would've gotten to do some of the things I've gotten to do.
What's different is the pace of everything. When you're back home you get your kids for an extended time. You get them for a season and practice more than three or four days before getting thrown into eight or nine of the most important games that some of the kids get to play in their lives. We're going up against teams that get to be together 10 months to a year, but that's what's special. We get the buy-in aspect and the talent level is fun to coach, and banding together as a group representing your country and trying to accomplish the ultimate goal of bringing a gold medal home. It's the time frame where you get to create relationships and develop those players. With USA Baseball, the team-building is a big piece you can't build in 3 to 4 days, but yet somehow you still do.
USAB: From any point in your life, what is your greatest/most fond baseball memory?
TV: Two of my biggest moments would be: 1. Getting to share the dugout with my dad and getting to be around him every day after I was done playing; 2. Being the manager of the 12U [National] Team in 2015 and to win gold in Taiwan. Also, getting Development Coach of the Year was a tremendous honor and was pretty special for me. But, yeah, coaching with my dad was big in my baseball life.
USAB: Growing up, and as you progressed through the sport, who was your baseball role model? Why?
TV: There were two people who directed the baseball influence in my life: 1. My father. He was there every single day whether it was BP or ground balls he was a humongous influence in my life and what I got to do. 2. Derek Jeter was also huge for me and the way he did his business. Whether it was at-bat number one or 572 he was approaching it the same way.
USAB: Looking back, if you could give younger Tanner advice from what you've learned over the years, what would it be?
TV: Be diligent about being a lifelong learner. When it's time to hang up the spikes - the day comes for everybody - you've got to figure out what to do next. I always knew I wanted to stay in the game and coach. When you're having fun playing and you're young, you think you know everything. You've walked the road and know how it's done and you have to continue the road. There was a five-year span where maybe I didn't treat umpires well [laughs] but I continued - and still am continuing to learn and grow, and be a better coach for the kids you get to impact down the road. Coaches need to make that effort to get to be better every day as well.
USAB: What is the biggest piece of advice you would pass on to young athletes wanting to play for Team USA one day?
TV: Never take no for an answer. If it doesn't work out when you're younger, prove people wrong. Use it as motivation not as anger. Hunter Haas (2019 18U National Team alum and member of Veseley's Corona del Sol High School team) tried out for the 12U [National] Team twice, the 15U [National] Team twice, made it to trials and NTDP, and never got over that hump. As an 18-year-old, he called me and said he made the team and you could hear the tears in his voice. He used it as motivation for six years and became the starting second baseman and won a silver medal. Whether it's a coach or anyone, don't ever accept no. Enjoy the game and have fun, you only get to play for so long. You never know. It's not just what you do on the baseball field. It's what you're doing off the field. It's what you're doing in the community and social media and how you're representing you and your family and your community and state. It's more than just your baseball ability. It's being a great person and having high character and not caving in. Everyone else is doing these things and are you doing it too? It's about being uncommon.