The Bingham family has had its fair share of trips to the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, with the three sons, Nolan, Lucas, and Henry, all making stops this summer for USA Baseball programming. Between the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP), 12U National Team Training Camp, 15U National Team Training Camp, and the National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup, the Binghams have seen it all.
This week, Henry took on the 11U NTIS Champions Cup for the South Stars in a week full of competition. With two older brothers who have paved the way into the USA Baseball pipeline, Henry had plenty of knowledge to draw on from his own family.
“I learned to play hard; they taught me the game, and I’ve always had a brother to go out there and play catch. They always want to do that with me. I train with them, and I have to keep up with them,” said Henry.
Henry described making his region team as exciting because he’s doing it a year early.
“It was pretty exciting to make the team and be here to represent the South Stars. It's cool because I'm doing this a year early and going to rep Stars and Stripes for the Bingham family as the third NTIS player,” said Henry.
Having a family lineage of USA Baseball programming participants, Henry knows the organization is special and has feelings attached to what USA Baseball means to him.
“It means a lot to me; I have a lot of respect for the organization, and it means a lot to me just to be out here,” said Henry.
With plenty of excitement to play this week, Henry was amped up and ready to go. Looking to have a good time with his new teammates and have a great experience.
“I’m really excited. I’m just hoping for a good time, and whether I get the next step or not, it's still going to be a great experience. I’m just looking to be comfortable if I get the chance to come back next year,” said Henry.
Jeremy Bingham, Henry's father, has had plenty of experience with USA Baseball, helping to support all three of his sons. Things that stand out to Jeremy within USA Baseball are the fact that you represent more than yourself; you represent your country.
“It’s first and foremost – an opportunity to represent a country. I think that's probably the number one thing for us with how prevalent select baseball is. Anyone can go play select baseball tournaments if you have a checkbook, but the opportunity to get to compete for your country is just completely separate from any other experience out there,” said Jeremy.
With just Henry in action at the complex this week, it was easy for Jeremy to come support. At times it can be hard to support all three sons at different age ranges and locations, but Jeremy tries his best to support all of them equally amidst the chaotic summer schedule.
“We’ve been lucky that my older two, Nolan and Lucas, had a NTIS year that lined up. Last year they were 11U and 13U, and we were able to come back the same weekend. But it’s hard. We just kind of take it one week at a time and try to circle opportunities for them and make sure that everybody's getting what they need,” said Jeremy.
With his sons participating in a variety of USA Baseball programming, they have been exposed to some of the best coaches in the country. The goal is teaching players to play the right way, and Jeremy notices that. The environment is different when it comes to playing in USA Baseball events compared to select.
“The best thing about it is that they know who they hang out with and who they train with. One thing that impresses me is that baseball people run this from top to bottom. If you respect the game and you play the game the right way, people are going to notice that,” said Jeremy.
Jeremy is so incredibly proud of his boys that he can’t even put it into words, going on to say that he’s been back to Cary several times this summer.
“It’s been amazing. I couldn’t be prouder; we started with Nolan, and he started through NTIS, and from there he's been to 12U National Team Training Camp; he’s been at 13U/14U ADP and even on to 15U National Team Training Camp. We’ve been here for the Futures Invitational; we've been here for Champs NC. It’s a special experience.
For Jeremy, USA Baseball is more than a one-stop shop – it’s tradition. With already a handful of events attended, Jeremy hopes that his boys can continue to cement their legacy with USA Baseball, looking forward to more trips to Cary.
