Doing it for the love of the game

    Ganado freshman Luke Alvarez loves baseball, and now he’s in high school the need to turn that love into a career has grown strong. So strong he’s become involved with Under Armour, the popular athletic gear who holds national tryouts and camps for student athletes.
    Luke was referred to the UA Baseball Factory National Training by his high school coach, Kris Cavazos. He connected with UA and they asked to see how he looked and tried out in UA’s National Tryout Tour.
    “I had a contact from Under Armour ask me if there were any kids I thought would be able to play at the next level and was looking for younger talent. I gave him a list of names that I saw had enough potential to play,” Cavazos said. “Luke was contacted and had a tryout for the team. I wasn’t able to make it but talking to Luke and his mother Lorisa it sounded like he had a great tryout. From there the rest is history.”
    Luke was accepted and will be in a Florida and Cape Cod training camp in July and August. He has been raising his own money to attend the camp, and this weekend at the Ganado Farmer’s Market a bake sale will be set up for anyone who would like to help Luke reach one of his dreams with donations.
    “The tryouts and camps help out kids who can’t get to a tryout, and it helps bring scholarships, funds and being drafted into college, Division I, II, III, even professionals out of high school. It’s basically to get you found,” Luke said. “For a couple of days we meet up with professional coaches and they are going to show the ropes of how they practice. Then the kids are grouped into teams and we play tournament-style.”
    Luke also plays in a showcase league, the Victoria Vendettas. He said he’s been playing baseball since he was about four years old. He also played football too, but recently learned he was well-versed in baseball and had the potential to be very good at it.
    “My dad, Andy Alvarez, and grandpa, Ricky Love, had me in a Little League when we lived in Houston. My grandpa was talking to a coach from Shiner because they had a Select team. I tried out and the first team I was ever on was the Brewers, my first Select team,” Luke said. “I play first base, it was the first position my coach from Shiner put me in. I have a good glove and a good arm so I’ve played other positions, but my strong points are pitcher and first base. I’m stronger and my velocity is getting better.”
    “What I like about Luke the most is his passion for the game, and he’s hungry to learn more and is always asking questions to understand the game more. Luke is still very young and has some things to work on like his flexibility and strength, but they will as long as he works at it,” Cavazos said. “Lastly and most importantly in my eyes he know Jesus and he knows that the Lord blessed him with talent and it’s up to him to fulfill that blessing in whatever way God intends on him to use it.”
    “I just wanted to say thank you to God for giving me the ability and the passion for the game. I want to thank my parents, my dad, my mom, my grandpa and my trainers,” Luke said. “I love the game, just being out there playing, I fell in love with it and it was right.”
    He said he also wants to thank everyone who have already donated and bought baked goods to help reach his goal.
    Luke is just starting his athletic journey and is excited to see where it will take him. Aside from being a player on the varsity Ganado Indian baseball team, his work with Under Armour will show him how hard he needs to work for the future, and to show others bigger things can be within their reach too.