FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Believe it or not Cameron Foster wasn’t the best player on his little league team at MARA (Matthews Area Recreation Association.)  In fact, he wasn’t the second or even third best player.  Those days seem like many years ago now when Cameron takes the baseball field for Charlotte Latin.  The 16 year old son of Russell and Ann Foster has developed into one of the top young high school players in the area. 

Only a sophomore, Cameron has stepped into a leadership role for Charlotte Latin and is looking to improve even more over the next two seasons.  With a goal of earning a college baseball scholarship, this Charlotte native works on his game nearly every day of the week.

As a Pitcher and First Baseman for Latin, Cameron helps the Hawks in many different ways.  His fastball clocks in just over 80mph, so he isn’t a Roger Clemens type of pitcher that will overpower hitters, instead he relies on a wide variety of pitches to keep the batters off balance.  Cameron throws a fastball. Curveball, circle changeup and mixes in a knuckleball at times.  He is a self described “control pitcher.”

“I love to pitch, when I am out there on the mound, I feel in control.  I can have a real influence on the game and that’s what I like the most.”

The love of baseball runs in the family.  Cameron’s Grandfather, Jim Luck played and coached baseball at Georgia Tech. Coach Luck led the Ramblin Wreck baseball team from 1962-1983.

Cameron is also a strong hitter, carrying a batting average close to .500 at midseason.  Over the last year, Cameron credits a change in hitting philosophy for the improvement. His coaches at On Deck Baseball Academy convinced Cameron to make the change.

“Before, I wanted to hit everything out of the ballpark, if I hit a home run, everything was great.  The coaches at On Deck worked hard with me on my swing and helped me to make better contact with the ball. Now I work on my swing as much as possible. If I make one bad swing, I am not happy about it.”

That same hard work on the baseball field carries over in the classroom.  Cameron admits he has to work very hard in school to keep up with some of his peers at Charlotte Latin.

“Academics have always been a challenge for me.  I work real hard in school and always give it my best.  I want to work even harder my last two years of high school to get ready for college.”

In addition to baseball, Cameron plays varsity basketball for Latin and Coach Jerry Faulkner. He hopes to continue playing basketball and help lead the Hawks to a State Championship.  With “Super Sophomore” David Chadwick at Latin, a State Championship could easily be in the works.

Cameron also enjoys working with kids and delivering a “never give up message.”

“I think it’s so important for kids to play sports and not give up because they may not be the best player on the team. If you love the game, you should always play and work hard every day.  Don’t worry if you aren’t the best player, things change as you grow older.”

Cameron is a great example of hard work delivering positive results.  As he moves into his final two seasons of high school baseball, keep an eye out for this young man.  He is determined to work harder than anyone else and achieve his dream of one day playing baseball for The Clemson Tigers.  Good Luck Cameron!