Friday, October 30, 2009
Quitting baseball a tough call for Hiner
Radford University freshman and Christiansburg High School graduate Nate Hiner
Ray Cox covers recreational, high school and college sports in the New River Valley. If you have information you’d like featured,
e-mail ray.cox@roanoke.com or call 381-1672
Ray Cox
Recent columns
When it came to baseball, Nate Hiner went out on a high note. At the time, he didn't realize he was going.
A freshman at Radford University and a June graduate of Christiansburg High School, Hiner thought he'd be able to do it all. In his case, "all" turned out to be too much of a good thing.
What's not good about going to school on an ROTC scholarship to further long-held hopes of a military career, taking on a challenging major in nursing, and playing baseball as a walk-on for the Highlanders varsity nine?
It's all good, of course. Not so good was the scheduling, though.
"After three weeks, I was wondering how I was doing it," he said. "I wondered what it would be like three weeks later, a year later."
No problem. It's the military right? Just forgo some luxuries. Sleep would be one.
It didn't look good, the multitasking.
Hiner then had some heart-to-hearts. One was with his parents. The other was with Radford baseball coach Joe Raccuia. These conversations covered all the details. Then, after extensive private deliberations, the young man made his decision.
"I told coach Raccuia that baseball would always be my first love," Hiner said.
The Army was footing the bill, though. And that was that.
Tough decision, adult approach. Just what you'd expect from somebody who was thinking career when he was still in high school.
How many high school students do you know who do that? How about college freshmen?
Naturally, his parents are proud of him. Like many before them, they're also sad to say goodbye to a major part of their lives for so many years. Baseball's hold can be a powerful one, including for those outside the outfield fence.
"I understand and respect his decision, and it was his decision," said Steve Hiner, his father. "At the same time, I'm disappointed not to be able to see him play baseball again."
Good, then, to have some terrific memories of the last go-round. Nate Hiner was part of the New River Valley Post 68 team that was the first ever from that post to go to the state American Legion tournament.
Hiner, who also played for Christiansburg's team when the high school season was in session, had a nice last Legion tournament this summer, hit with some power and contributed ably.
Once one competition ends, another occasionally arises to take its place, though. It so happened that Hiner had ROTC to thank for that. He tried out for and made Radford's nine-man team that will go to the Sandhurst competition, a series of military skills and fitness tests that takes place next month at Fort Knox, Ky. Teams from ROTC units throughout the land will be on hand.
The training has been grueling and time-consuming. He's having a ball, and there's not a bat or diamond anywhere in sight.
As for the base, forget the ball. But they do say Fort Knox is a nice place, especially if you have a thing about bricks of pure gold.
But that's a topic for a different day.
In any event, all of this fits in the plan for Hiner. The plan involves qualifying for Ranger School after college before moving on to the join the Army Nurse Corps. Sandhurst also will be a good foundation for Ranger training, Hiner thinks.
He chose nursing because he's interested in medicine and he likes the idea of being able to work more closely with individual patients than busy doctors are able to do.
"Being a people person, I think nursing would suit me better than being a doctor," he said. "I've had medical school in the back of my mind, and I still haven't made a final decision, but I'm sticking with nursing for now."
Options, options. It helps focus the decision-making process that the Army is hurting for nurses. Hiner's done the research.
He has a four-year commitment after college. That won't do for him.
"I'll probably stay in the Medical Corps 25 years, maybe 30," he said. "After that, I'll have a civilian job pretty much guaranteed anywhere in the nation."
Now that he mentions it, no wonder the baseball looked iffy.
