NPAR | 27
Byrne selected to play on SACSN National Team
Written by : Megan Hart NPAR Correspondent
James Byrne , a freshman from Imagine School North Port , is no stranger to winning awards . He may be just 14 years old , but he has already been selected for both All-Florida and All-American baseball teams . Recently , he added another accomplishment to the list . Byrne was named to the Student Athlete Community Service Network ( SACSN ) National Team .
Byrne was selected not only for his baseball skills , but also for his performance in the classroom and in the community .
“ Not many kids get this kind of opportunity , especially at my age ,” Byrne said . “ It ’ s an honor .”
Byrne , who has been playing baseball since he was 7 years old , will don the SACSN National Team uniform at four tournaments this year . The first will be the Torre Invitational , which will take place in Jupiter , Florida , in May . Throughout the year , Byrne will have the opportunity to play in front of scouts from USA Baseball , professional teams and college programs .
In addition to being a standout middle infielder , Byrne is also an excellent student His best subjects are math and science , and he is currently collecting used baseball equipment to send to children in Cuba .
As if school and baseball do not keep Byrne busy enough , he also played both varsity soccer and basketball for Imagine this year . Byrne said that playing three varsity sports as a freshman is a challenge , but that he is focused on doing his best .
In fact , he earned recognition as most improved player on the soccer team , and he received a Scholar Athlete Award from the basketball team for maintaining a 3.75 GPA .
At 5-foot-6-inches , Byrne admits that he is not the tallest player on Imagine ’ s basketball team , but he has a strategy for overcoming the disadvantage .
“ My saying is ‘ If you ’ re small , just play tall ,’” Byrne said .
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It isn ’ t always the easiest ,” Byrne said . “ Sometimes you have to stay up a little late at night to get your work in .”
Given his impressive performance in both athletics and academics , it is clear that Byrne has found an effective formula for balancing school and sports .
“ It isn ’ t always the easiest ,” Byrne said . “ Sometimes you have to stay up a little late at night to get your work in .”
So far , the effort appears to have paid off for Byrne . Ultimately , he hopes to become a professional athlete . In which sport , he has not decided .