Some weekends stay with you, and our first HC Baseball team retreat was one of those weekends. In March 2025, the Angels were given the opportunity to spend a weekend together at Trinity Free Will Baptist Camp, and it became something much more meaningful than simply getting away for a couple of days.
It gave this team time to play baseball, laugh, eat together, hang out, compete, relax, talk, and simply enjoy being around one another away from the normal rush of practices and games. For a team that had already walked through so much together, that time mattered.
The 2025 Angels were carrying the loss of Coach Clay while trying to move forward through a new season. They were learning how to continue, how to lead one another, how to welcome new teammates, and how to keep building the kind of team he had spent years shaping. The retreat gave them room to do that.
There were baseballs and gloves, of course, but there were also conversations, meals, inside jokes, laughter, downtime, and the kind of ordinary moments that quietly turn teammates into friends. That is what made the weekend so special.
A Gift We Will Never Forget
None of this would have been possible without the kindness and generosity of Mr. Ashley Culp and Trinity Free Will Baptist Camp. Mr. Culp welcomed our HC Angels so warmly and gave our team the opportunity to enjoy an incredible weekend at a beautiful facility. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel welcome.
His willingness to open Trinity to our team gave these young men a place to step away from everything else for a little while and simply be together. That was a gift, and I do not use that word lightly.
This was our very first team retreat. We did not yet know it would become something we would want to continue in the years ahead. We simply knew our boys needed time together, and Mr. Culp helped make that possible. What came from that weekend was exactly what we hoped for and more: the team came home closer, the friendships were stronger, the memories were real, and a new HC Baseball tradition had begun.
More Than Baseball
One of the things I love most about HC Baseball is that baseball is never the only thing being built. We want our players to become better athletes, but we also want them to learn how to be good teammates — how to encourage, how to lead, how to include, how to compete hard without losing grace, and how to be the kind of person other people are better for having known.
A weekend like this gives those things room to grow. The boys were able to spend time together without a scoreboard constantly defining the moment. They got to simply enjoy being teammates, and sometimes those are the moments that build the strongest bonds of all.
Thank You, Mr. Culp
Mr. Culp, thank you for believing in what we were trying to do. Thank you for welcoming our Angels so generously and for providing a place where this team could laugh, play, connect, and grow closer together.
Thank you for helping us create memories these young men will carry with them long after the season ends, and thank you for helping make the very first HC Baseball retreat something we will always remember. We truly could not have asked for a better experience.
Learn More About Trinity
We are incredibly grateful to Trinity Free Will Baptist Camp for welcoming our team and helping make this weekend possible. Learn more about Trinity and the work they do at their website.
Visit Trinity Free Will Baptist Camp
The Beginning of a Tradition
This weekend reminded us that some of the most important parts of a season never show up in a record book. They show up in friendships, laughter, trust, and the memories teammates make together. Our first retreat was a success in every way that mattered — and it became the beginning of something we hope will remain part of HC Baseball for many years to come.
Building HERITAGE
Honor • Effort • Respect • Integrity • Trust • Accountability • Growth • Excellence