At USA Baseball, gold is the standard, and no program accepts that reality more than the 12U National Team. Heading into the 13th year of the program with an abundance of history, the 12U National Team has kept that gold medal standard alive and well, having taken home a combined nine gold medals. The program currently holds a five-year gold medal streak, continuously dominating the international stage.

This year at USA Baseball’s 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP), a handful of players from the 2025 12U National Team are suiting up once again within the USA Baseball pipeline, though this time for Team Navy.

Christopher Chikodroff, Russell McGee, and Duncan Mount are reunited and fully prepared to soak in all they can from ADP.

These three USA Baseball alum’s journeys all start somewhere, and for this group, their first taste was at 12U National Team Training Camp. A process of intrasquad scrimmages, position-specific instruction, and development days helped determine who had the right characteristics to put the U-S-A letters across their chest.

For Chikodroff, 12U National Team Training Camp was an opportunity of a lifetime in his young baseball career. Fueling his drive to perform was knowing that the competition amongst him was the best 12-and-under age players.

“It was an amazing experience, playing with all the top kids in the country. I was just blessed to be able to have the opportunity to try out for Team USA,” said Chikodroff.

With Training Camp totaling a roster size of 36 players, playing time can be hard to come by. McGee admitted that it was difficult for him knowing that limited playing time could affect his chances – although that didn’t stop him from being a great teammate.

“For me, it was difficult because I didn’t get a lot of playing time at Training Camp, but I just had to learn to be a good teammate and pick everybody up. I wanted to cheer on my teammates so that they felt like they had a good chance too,” said McGee.

Something different that these young athletes have potentially never experienced before is having a roommate. For Mount, it was something he had to get used to, and after adjusting, he and his roommate got to know each other. It was something Mount recognized as a cool part of his Training Camp experience.

“The roommate thing was different; Jameson Wilhite was my roommate, and we didn’t know each other, which was kind of weird and a little awkward. At the same time, it was fun because we got to know each other and we started being goofy at the hotel, so that was pretty cool. All the workouts and games, you had to be on point because you knew it was a big team to make, so it was difficult,” said Mount.

From competing against the top players in the country for Chikodroff, to McGee not getting a lot of playing time and Mount making a new friend at the hotel, each player had their own standout experience from Training Camp. Though their experiences were different, the end result was the same, as all three athletes went on to make the 2025 12U National Team.

It was an incredible moment for Chikodroff; something that meant a lot to him, even staying up every night to pray.

“It was a dream come true. I prayed every single night hoping that I would make the team, and to get to represent your country is a huge deal,” said Chikodroff.

The nervousness of waiting around to unveil his fate is surely something McGee won't ever forget, but McGee didn’t have to be anxious very long, as he was one of the first few names called out of the hotel meeting room.

“It was such a big deep breath of relief; my hands were soaking wet because I was so nervous. When they said my name, it was so good; the best part was that I was at the beginning, so I didn't have to do all the waiting,” said McGee.

When Mount found out that he made the team, he had a lot of excitement built up, and he had to wait until he could let it out. He was able to celebrate with his mother and all the rest of his brand-new teammates on the feat after leaving the room.

“We couldn’t get up and celebrate, but it was a sigh of relief; it made my mom and everybody happy. When I got to go to the back and celebrate with everybody, I just started screaming because it was a huge accomplishment,” said Mount.

Proceeding to compete internationally in Tainan, Taiwan, the global dominance of the 12U National Team continued. The team went on to amass a record of 8-1 in the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup, outscoring opponents 81-15. In the final game of the tournament, Team USA took down Japan 7-1 and upheld the gold medal standard.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Chikodroff had heavy words to describe the feeling of winning a gold medal for his country.

“It is the best experience ever. I was crying after the game; the whole team was crying; the coaches were crying tears of joy. Just to win it for your country is a huge deal to me,” said Chikodroff.

Specifically recalling the golden moment in which the team won, McGee described when he knew it was over and that he was now officially a gold medal winner.

“There’s nothing better than it. We won on a strikeout, and when everybody just starts celebrating the win, I wish I could live in that moment all the time,” said McGee.

With confidence as strong as a bull, Mount was certain that before he left for Taiwan, he was coming home with a gold medal. Going on to describe the winning feeling and the events after as an emotional moment.

“I knew we were going to get it [gold medal]. That was a great feeling, after getting the medal and getting to hold the trophy and hear our anthem play; that’s a really emotional moment because you know you've done what you needed to for your country,” said Mount.

The young athletes created plenty of memorable times, each leaving with a different favorite memory.

“I would say the final strike three call to win the game; that’s the most amazing experience I’ve ever had,” said Chikodroff.

“Against Chinese Taipei, when Chiko [Chikodroff] hit a walk-off. That was really cool because we had our backs against the wall because, if we lost, it was basically over,” said McGee.

“Coach Bryan Madsen gave us a great talk about how we deserved to be here, and we’ve got the weapons to win this. We just got to stick together and be a team, and we eventually came back and won the game,” said Mount.

Each player had their own separate experiences during their time with the 12U National Team, but that doesn’t make any of their experiences less valuable than the other. These young athletes will forever have a brotherhood with their teammates as USA Baseball alumni, along with making memories they will carry for the rest of their careers.