The lessons learned on a baseball field can carry each and every ballplayer through different avenues and journeys on the stage of life in ways once not realized or even considered.

Per Major League Baseball, youth participation in the sport across the United States comes in at roughly 16.7 million as of 2024. Of those 16.7 million, 500,000 go on to play high school, 34,000 play collegiately and a select 1,057 get to live out their big-league dreams at the highest level.

Regardless of where one’s baseball journey may begin or end, the moments, experiences and lessons learned will pay dividends in whatever the future may hold.

For three-time USA Baseball alumni Shane Victorino (2005 professional, 2009 & 2013 WBC), he knows that he has been given a responsibility and a platform through baseball to push young men to be the best versions of themselves on and off the field.

“I was able to walk the journey, but it's not a journey that everybody gets. If I can teach you life lessons through the game of baseball, with failure, with the ups and the downs, that if you don't make it in the game of baseball, or whatever sport, or whatever you choose, that these life lessons will take you into life itself,” said Victorino.

“Whether it be that day you want to become a CEO, and you don't get it there for the first time, in that moment it’s like ‘hey, I failed this time’, but baseball taught me at 12 years old that you can never give up. You keep trying multiple times. Just because you get knocked down once doesn't mean you don't try again.”

After a 12-year Major League career with two World Series championships along the way, Victorino recalled a distinct moment at his son’s game that showed him the game he loves was calling him back to serve a new purpose as a coach.

“I watched two coaches fight in the middle of the field while my son was playing a baseball game, and it made me realize what was really going on out there sometimes. I wanted to be the dad that sat in the outfield, and I was at that moment – but when I saw that happen in front of my own eyes, with my son being on the field, I went home that night and said to my wife, ‘I think it's time for me to start coaching these kids and be a part of it again,” said Victorino.

That moment led to the creation of the Flyin’ Hawaiian program, where Victorino has been able to pay it forward to the next generation of those who get to grow up loving the game.

“I’m lucky enough to be a part of it again. I started with 12U and went through some of the greatest journeys that I didn't get to go on as a baseball player. I got to take them to Cooperstown and then eventually take them to Omaha and enjoy the College World Series. I never got to do those kinds of things when I was growing up. So, the greatest part about this as a coach is that they're allowing me to mentor them, but I’m also able to go on a journey and do things that I never got to do, but more importantly, I get to do it with them.”

The current journey for Victorino and the Flyin’ Hawaiian has led them to competing under the desert skies at USA Baseball’s 15U National Team Championships Arizona, where the team awaits bracket play in the round of 32.

“This is a great opportunity. You see teams and players from all over the country all in one place to play baseball and compete,” Victorino added.

“Regardless, it's not about the wins and losses – and I'm a big believer in that. I didn't win everything growing up. I actually lost a lot more than I won. When my opportunity came down the road, I understood that you’re meant to fail, but I was lucky to come out on the good side, to win two World Series, to be a champion, to do those kinds of things in baseball.”

“It's about where it starts, and I’m trying to teach my kids and mold them that way. Nothing's ever given, you have to earn it. This tournament and environment has been so fun. It's been fun to walk around, to look at the talent and to enjoy USA Baseball in a new way,” said Victorino.

Now seeing it through a new lens, Victorino is well aware of the stakes and opportunities that lie at premiere USA Baseball events such as Champs Arizona.

“I always tell people putting the stars and stripes, or wearing that USA across your chest, means so much more than a normal baseball uniform. You're playing for your country, you're playing for your pride, you're playing against the world, and you want to show that we're the greatest baseball team in the world. To say that I wore USA across my chest, I'll always be honored that I did get those opportunities. It never gets old to say that I was able to be a part of three special teams with USA Baseball.”

As Victorino’s baseball journey was written in red, white, and blue with the addition of a few championships, his path now continues in a different route, while it’s just the beginning for his players.

Whether it’s a potential first-round draft pick, a Division III college player, a varsity standout or someone who will one day go on to coach himself, the foundation Victorino has laid is set to propel players into the best version of themselves on whatever lies ahead.

“I tell my kids, there's two things I always want you to remember: respect and work ethic. If you don't have those two things in life, it's hard to succeed. If you do have those things, I think you’re set up for success in anything you do. This is not an easy road. I have this platform because I got to do it in baseball, which I still think is the hardest thing to do in the world. But, ultimately, those two things in life will take you a long, long way and that’s what matters most to me.”