School just comes easily for some students. Ryan Chatman, a 5’11”, 170-pound, right-handed pitcher for the Colquitt County Packers, is one of those students. He takes the most difficult classes Colquitt County High offers and he manages to get out of them relatively unscathed. He coasts through science and math classes as if he is doing little more than watering plants and balancing a checkbook. If he has any struggles at all, they come in literature and English. That shouldn’t pose too many problems for Chatman – he doesn’t plan on making his living in anything related to those two fields.
Chatman doesn’t want to read or write for a living. He would rather cut open and sew up others in the future. “I want to be a surgeon. I like working with my hands and I like helping others. I’ve always been interested in medicine,” he says. Last summer, Chatman shadowed Dr. Robert Brown, teammate Clayton Brown’s father, and spent a lot of time in the operating room. “I saw a little bit of everything. I loved it,” Chatman says. How is he going to get there? By attending the University of Georgia and majoring in microbiology with a minor in organic chemistry. That kind of degree track won’t leave time to do much else. Which is why he has no plans whatsoever of trying to do anything with his first love, baseball, beyond high school.
For the last two seasons, Chatman has been a pitching specialist for the Packers. He used to play some outfield and hit a little bit but not anymore. “I’m okay with it. I do kind of miss hitting sometimes. But pitching is my favorite part of the game. I’d rather be out there than anywhere else,” he says.
His velocity hovers around 80 mph and he utilizes four pitches: fastball, curve ball, change-up, and a cutter. Chatman likes controlling the game. The pitcher puts the game in motion. Every player on the field – the hitter and the eight defensive players around the pitcher – react to what the pitcher initiates. “You’re out there by yourself. Everyone reacts to you. You either perform or you don’t. You’re in the spotlight,” he says.
During his career with the Packers, Chatman has performed pretty well. Among his accomplishments is a throwing a no-hitter against Thomas County Central in the ninth grade. One of the most difficult aspects of a no-hitter is remaining calm when you realize you’ve got one in progress. For Chatman, it was about staying calm and not overthinking or overthrowing. “I looked at each batter individually and tried to get him out. I just tried to let it ride,” he says. It rode pretty well. At one point, his second baseman made a tremendous diving play to preserve the no-hitter. Chatman’s arm did the rest. “That was my one and only no-hitter. They don’t come around very often,” he laughs.
Baseball has been very good to Chatman. Over the years, he has learned valuable lessons while playing what is essentially a game for kids. “I’ve learned not to let my emotions and my mind get in the way of my goals. You can’t overthink and you have to trust in your abilities,” he says.
Heading into his senior season, Ryan Chatman wanted to finish his baseball career on a high note. He wanted to have a winning season, win the region championship, and be in a position to make a strong playoff run. His personal goals were to help the team win, throw strikes, and play with confidence. As of press time, the Packers were fourth in the region and very much in the playoff picture. Chatman may not get his region title but he and the Packers still have the chance to make a lot of noise come the postseason.
Favorites:
• Team: Atlanta Braves
• Player: John Smoltz
• Subject: Science
• Sport you wish you could play: Basketball
• Last book: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
• Coke or Pepsi? Coke
• Superpower: Fly
Academic Athlete/South Georgia/May 2014
Ryan Chatman
Colquitt County High School
Moultrie, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
Future physician dissects opposing batters for the Packers
