On a recent episode of our On Deck travel baseball podcast here at ITG Next, we had the opportunity to speak with Mark Guthrie of the Florida Burn.
The Florida Burn are based in Sarasota, FL, where they were founded about a decade ago. They’re comprised of players from the Tampa/Fort Myers area, but Guthrie has seen the organization grow and attract players from other areas of Florida, and even bring a few from out of state, in recent years.
A big reason for this growth and success? The foundation that was set by the original group of players nearly 10 years ago.
That group, which featured 14 future Division 1 players, essentially was a high school team that continued to develop over the years into one of the area’s top squads. A team full of gritty players, the Florida Burn focused early on playing the game the right way through fundamentals and doing the small things right – characteristics Guthrie and the organization still look for today in players.
“We’re always looking for that,” Guthrie said. “We’ll never turn down a kid that is going to be that hard-nosed guy that our players built our reputation on.”
As that original group continued to grow and develop, so did opportunities such as larger tournaments and increased exposure for the players, two goals the Florida Burn pride themselves on today.
With many of the members of that original team now knocking on the door of the big leagues, Guthrie continues to impress on his players the same message, encouraging them to help the next guy the same way someone else paved the way for them.
In addition to a hard-nosed style of play and an emphasis on doing the little things right, Guthrie demands his players focus only on what’s happening on the field of play.
“You’re never going to reach your ceiling until you play the game that way,” Guthrie said. “Play the same whether you’re playing in the backyard with no one looking or playing in the championship at the biggest event you’ve ever been in.”
As the Florida Burn continue to grow today, the formula remains the same: Uphold the standards of the past while paving the way for the future. It’s certainly proven to be a recipe for this travel baseball program’s success.
