Jr. Dixie Boys prepare for Dothan

Published 11:23 pm Monday, July 26, 2010

Since the Junior Dixie Boys claimed the State Championship in Scottsboro last week, it has been business as usual.

The team has been practicing, just like it has for the past two months, however this time, the team is gearing up for the biggest stage of the tournament season – the World Series.

With that in mind, the team will be doing something a bit different in an effort to make it even more prepared for what is to come Saturday in Dothan.

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Today, head coach Gary Fox is hoping to build upon, what he calls, the team’s greatest strength.

“We have a great team,” Fox said. “They get along great with one another both on and off the field.

“But my coaches and I feel like this is a great way to make us even better and even closer together – which is going to be important when we start playing in the World Series,” the coach said.

The entire team will be making a visit to Camp Butter and Egg to participate in a team building session that is focused on showcasing a group’s strengths and working on any weakness there may be, according to Susan Pierce, who will be working with the team.

There is just one catch – most of the session will not be taking place on the ground. The team will be on a ropes course, figuring out how to solve different problems by working together.

“There are different initiatives involved,” Pierce said. “But this is a really good way to bring people closer together.”

The session is used for all different kinds of groups, both big and small, according to Pierce.

“The team will be asked to perform as a complete group as it goes through the course, which is a good way to help the players know each other in a different way then they do on the baseball field,” Pierce said.

Even though hanging from wires and solving problems does not seem like it has much to do with what the team is looking to accomplish in Dothan, Fox said this is a great way to prepare for players for what is about to come.

“We are going to the World Series,” Fox said. “And I expect a higher level of competition then we have seen so far – and along with that will come adversity.

“By working at something like this, I believe we will be better prepared mentally,” he said.

The team will begin its quest for a World Series Championship this Saturday afternoon in Dothan.