The North Lamar Panthers baseball team has a new alternate uniform.
Head Coach Bric Steed, recently held a media day where athletes modeled the full selection of uniforms, as well as, gave the players an opportunity to talk to the press.
“The program I am building is much more than just the game,” Steed said. “The program is aimed to give these players the correct foundation at the high school level to help them excel not just on the ball field, but in their education and life.”
“When you feel sharp, you play sharp,” said Steed.
Meaning that baseball and becoming a great all-around athlete comes from more than running the plays. It is developing that ownership of how your team presents themselves on and off the field.
“My players have a thirst to be better, to be more well rounded. And to allow them to have more ownership and pride in the team, I was proud to have them apart of the design of the new alternate uniforms,” he said.
The new classic style black shirt uniform boasts the North Lamar colors, and the Texas State flag on the left sleeve.
Last season, Steed began designing several options for his program. When he settled on a few, he took them to the team to get their input on what they wanted.
“They really got excited to be apart fo the process,” he said. “That’s what’s great about these new uniforms, they are versatile, stylish, and the players chose them.”
He continued to say that generally, schools will purchase new uniforms every three years and rotate them down through the lower levels.
With this new addition, Steed said that he wanted to make sure that his players received the best quality they could get.
“I purposely got my player’s high-quality uniforms, and with the steak dinner fundraisers we hold each year, it allowed us to have the money to purchase college-level material,” he said.
Pitchers will have the option of wearing any jersey on game day. White uniforms will remain home game attire, and blue for away games.
For now, Steed is continuing to build his program with the help of his players and giving them a taste of what it takes to play in the big leagues and forging their mental game while building them to be great people.
This year’s team mission is to develop champions of character who succeed on and off the field. That includes continuing the creation of good habits, producing a good attitude, and commitment to the right mindset.
“No matter how the season plays out, these players are on track to have a great season, and I know they will represent the town, the school, and the great state of Texas no matter where they are,” said Steed.