NCSA caught up with rising baseball star John Bourque about his high school career and the opportunity to compete at the next level.
NCSA: What motivates you before a big game?
Bourque: Knowing that we can compete with any team at any classification and come out on top.
NCSA: What are you looking forward to if and when you get the opportunity to play at the collegiate level?
Bourque: Just showing that I was good enough to be there even though I wasn't the strongest or fastest.
NCSA: Why did you get involved in baseball?
Bourque: My dad used to umpire and I loved being at the ballpark watching games. As soon as I was old enough I wanted to start playing.
NCSA: Tell us about your interactions with college coaches so far.
Bourque: Most of the letters I am getting are from places I have never heard of. These colleges are also in states I never had thought of considered going to. Most of the colleges are D-III colleges in Missouri and Iowa.
NCSA: How did your team look this season?
Bourque: Our baseball team finished the season ending up 20 and 13. We lost to the eventual state champs in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Our biggest challenge this year was moving up to a higher classification into a very tough district.
NCSA: What are your goals athletically, academically and in your community for the rest of the school year?
Bourque: My goals are to win our district and get back to the state championship game. Also during every game my goal is to stick to a game plan, whether that is going the other way, hitting line drives every at bat, laying down a sac bunt, or hitting a sac fly. I am willing to do anything I can to help out the team. I also am looking to maintain a 4.0 GPA and looking for a 32 on the ACT. I also try to be a good role model to kids younger than me. I want to act in a way that when kids watch me and repeat what I do they can have a positive effect on others.
NCSA: Tell us about what you've learned since being with NCSA.
Bourque: I have mostly learned the process of getting recruited. I have learned what coaches look for when they talk with a student-athlete. The biggest thing I will take away from this experience is learning to talk with people who are in a position to make an impact on my future. I am a very quiet person and it is hard for me to have a conversation with someone who I am unfamiliar with.
