14U Bourne

Sterling Bourne

Baseball has been a huge part of life since I was about 8 years old. But my path has changed from player to coach. I believe early on I knew I would be a coach just due to the impact my coaches had on me, and how they shaped my life and knowledge of the game. 

Firstly, my dad had a significant impact as a former minor league player for the Tennessee Smokies an (affiliate of the Chicago Cubs). He also assisted in coaching my travel ball teams in the summer. But most importantly guided me and provided me numerous opportunities, paying for hitting and fielding lessons with Shane Larkin brother of Barry Larkin, carting teammates and myself all over Ohio for tournaments and eventually enrolled me in Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati Ohio. A well-known baseball powerhouse in the state of Ohio.   

Which led me to Mike Cameron one of the greatest coaches I’ve ever encountered. Coach Cameron was influential in my development, but he was prominent in quite a few players development over 130 of Coach Cameron’s players at Moeller High School went to play college baseball, and 28 singed professional contracts most notably Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin. As a young freshman I rode his coat tails, spent endless hours in the cage with Cameron, and taking any extra work I could get. Even though I had success at Moeller in the classroom getting on the field all the time was my goal.  

I eventually transferred to Princeton High School in Sharonville Ohio where I had my most success a two-year starter on varsity and assisted the team to one Greater Miami Conference championship eventually to be defeated by State Champion Lakota West High School.  

Princeton and its coaching staff led by Vince Harrison former Florida Marlins draft pick in ’98 and current manager of the Kane County Cougars (Baltimore Orioles affiliate), and current Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Josh Harrison gave me the coaching spark pushing me out of my comfort zone, with conditioning and endless footwork drills, but they have always been more to me than coaches. The Harrison brothers assisted me in my journey to continue baseball after high school getting me tryouts for junior and community colleges in the Cincinnati area, eventually I earned a spot at Miami of Ohio (Hamilton) where my journey would end. After several injuries and moving to the state of Texas I found my love for the game again as a player coach in the DFW Adult Baseball League. And thus, leading me to discover my true passion coaching, teaching the game, boding with the youth, and sharing my knowledge passed down to me from all the great players and coaches that helped me in my baseball journey.