Slicer selected as TS Player of the Year

TS: Cam, you were selected by coaches and fellow players who train at TS to be the TS Player of the Year. It was a deep candidate pool, yet you were selected. What does that mean to you?

CS: Its a great honor to have been selected. I am grateful to have been able to train at TruStrength for multiple years to better myself as an athlete and a person.

TS: The "Player of the Year" is based on sports performance but even more on leadership in training and strength of character. Can you give us a sense of what character values you use as a leader?

CS:I value focus and teamwork most of all. Regardless if its just a winter workout with my team for football, baseball or any sport, focus helps to bring out the best in me and helps to prepare for a game situation where these skills can be put to the test. Teamwork is huge in my eyes because it helps to gain trust within the team. I think teamwork is the main reason we had success in both football and baseball this year.

TS: What did you gain at TruStrength that impacted your performance on the field?

CS: Many things are taught at TruStrength. Life lessons are a huge part of that teaching but the biggest thing that stands out to me is preparation. When a person prepares the most they possibly can it leads to confidence on the field which ultimately leads to success. Without preparation their is a lot of questioning on the field which can lead to failure.

TS: Outside of the physical aspect, how did your time at TruStrength help you prepare?

CS: I learned how to handle pain along with pressure and overcome adversity. After every team lift throughout the last year we would do a competition to keep us competitive and to make us overcome adversity when we are faced with it.

TS: You’ve been playing multiple sports your whole life, how do you stay motivated to go to practice or to the weight room almost every single day?

CS: The biggest motivation to continually make myself better is the uncertainty on whether or not other teams are working as hard as I am. With that being said, working as hard as I can every chance I get makes me comfortable on the field when the team calls on me.

TS: You are committed to USM to play Baseball. What influenced your choice of Baseball over Football?

CS: I based my choice to continue playing baseball over football in college on the amount of baseball I can play compared to football. I love football but baseball is something I can play basically year round so it seems like the fun never stops. It seems like I am more comfortable on the baseball field so the game slowed down a lot for me the last couple years and I think thats why I started to appreciate it more.

TS: As a former 3 sport athlete you’ve seen your share of big important games. You must have some great memories. Can you share one of your favorites with us?

CS: My favorite memory came last summer in our legion state tournament. We were put into a win-or-go-home situation early in the tournament where we had to win every game for the rest of the contest. Our ace pitcher and head coach were ejected for the remainder of the tournament over a pitch count controversy and it sparked our team to knock off the three-time state champion Bangor.

TS: Let's talk about some hard stuff. You were arguably a key component of this year's football program. You broke your leg in practice early in the season. What was your first thought?

CS: My first thought when I went down wasn't that I had broken my leg. When I walked off the field Coach Soehren came up to me and said "dont worry, take three weeks off, we need you against Bonney Eagle and in the playoffs." This kept me focused on returning for the remainder of the football season.

TS: Injury was unfortunately part of your journey. Accepting that burden and moving on is incredibly tough. At TS we teach "Journey before Destination." What does that mean to you?

CS: When I found out a couple days later that I wouldn't be returning to play the rest of my senior year in football it took some time to set in. Even now its hard to think I'll never play again. It was extremely tough when I had to watch my entire team put in more and more work everyday. I felt guilty not being able to do everything with the rest of the team. It was hard not to focus on if I’d be able to help the team out or not. I think having to remain strong for the guys helped to make me a better teammate in the long run.

TS: Losing a key player can be detrimental to a championship run. I know your teammates and coaches confidence had to waiver when you went down. How did you dig down and find the strength to help lead your team while being on the sidelines?

CS: It was early in the season when I found out I wasn't coming back. My first thought was if I can't help the team on the field then maybe I can help certain players learn the position that I played and hopefully bring sideline energy to the team.

TS: That seems like a huge lesson to learn moving into the rest of life. How will it serve you moving ahead?

CS: Some things in life you can't control. That being said, you can only focus on what you can control. I think it gave me more motivation going into baseball knowing that I missed out on a great season with my teammates.

TS: Did any of the way football ended feed you or the team moving into baseball?

CS: I think when football ended and I got cleared to play again it ate away at me deep inside to play as hard as I can regardless of the situation. I think it gave me an edge to want to win more and want to have success with my team.

TS: The baseball team was unreal this year, rolling Undefeated into the State Title game. Tell us a little about what the clubhouse energy was like and how you approach this [and other] game[s].

CS: When everything is going the way you want it to it makes everyone confident on the field and feel great inside. When you're winning a lot it makes going to the field something that we all look forward to.

TS: The team was on the ropes late in the State game. You came thru several times in that game. Some athletes flail under pressure while others rise. How do you handle high pressure situations?

CS: I think when I step up in a high pressure situation it calms me down because I know I have prepared for this sort of moment and I tell myself that the pressure isn't on me it's on the pitcher or whomever I may be facing.

TS: We have some more hard stuff to discuss. Ultimately the team came up short in the title game. The team held the State Title as "North Star" ever before their eyes. Can you compare that to your football injury?

CS: I think the injury just motivated me in a game like that. I knew regardless of the outcome it was the last high school game I would ever play in so going out and competing was the only option.

TS: After the game you still had a smile on your face [and a great mullet btw]. The loss stings but I know it wont last. What remains for you in the long run?

CS: Its hard to smile after losing the game that I worked so hard for all year. Its a feeling that I will never forget. Today I feel just as bad as when the game ended but the more I think about the successes of the season the more it sinks in that I’m just happy to have been apart of that.

TS: Good luck at USM! What can we expect to hear about you out of that camp?

CS: The future hopefully holds a legion state championship this summer and I have high hopes to play for a national championship for USM.