Philosophy on what it takes to be a championship team
Most would say great athletes, powerful hitting, great pitching and excellent
coaches. All those things help but Hinds goes a little further. Rives: “Character.
Character above anything else. Everybody has talent. You have to have character
not only on the field but off the field, the things done academically, the things you
do when you think no one is watching. What you do off the field can creep into the
team chemistry. One bad mistake has the potential to ruin everything for the
individual player and possibly the team. Yes, we look for pitchers with velocity and
command on the mound. Yes we look for guys who are athletic that can swing the
bat and play defense. Those are easy to see. We also look at the young men who
have been raise the right way that take care of their work on and off the field.”
Character is a good way to describe the program both Coach Temple and Rives have
developed in the Hinds baseball program. Being there for ten years now, it also
speaks to the athletic department for recognizing this and keeping them on staff.