Athletes have many ways of getting motivated before they play. Some listen to music, some brood and others stretch or train.
The members of the Indiana Legion baseball team have a special way of getting pumped up.
Ben Strong, 18, started a pregame tradition of belting out the national anthem at his team’s first home game. And due to good reactions, it has become part of the team’s routine at each home game. The anthem isn’t ordinarily sung before legion games.
Prior to the game, members of each team line up along the foul lines on either side of the diamond and recite the American Legion baseball pledge. Prior to that, Strong stands on the mound and impresses players and fans alike with his rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“My teammates get pretty excited every time,” Strong said. “I never thought my coach was real empathetic, but he gets excited every time he hears me do it.”
The idea to sing the anthem came as a challenge from his coach, Joe Weckoski. Strong said he suggested to his coach that the anthem needed to be sung before games, prompting Weckoski to ask Strong if he was willing to do it.
“A lot of people were really surprised,” Strong said. “Unless you are involved in the musical world, you don’t know what people can do. A lot of fans say it’s their favorite part of the game.”
Strong shows no signs of being nervous when he steps to the mound to sing, perhaps due to his history with all things musical. Strong filled his time in high school with an array of extracurricular activities, including baseball, football, wrestling, track and field and marching band. But he’s been singing since he was young, and his bloodline is filled with people that are musically talented.
“There’s a book written about my family called ‘The Musical Hayes Family,’” Strong said. “We’ve found out that everyone in my family is musically gifted. Some people from my family were on the “Lawrence Welk Show,” my grandfather was a piano tuner and I always sang in church.”
Singing at church turned into taking singing lessons and eventually into making appearances in school plays and musicals. And now that he’s been singing at baseball games, Strong might have found his niche.
“I’d really like to keep singing the national anthem for sporting events,” Strong said. “I’ve done the anthem at an Altoona Curve game. I’ve always wanted to do it at a Pirates game, but you have to sell a certain number of tickets to be able to do that.”
Perhaps one of the most tantalizing parts of Strong’s pregame performances is his singing style. Strong doesn’t use a microphone, but he sings loud enough for everyone to hear his opera-style rendition of the anthem.
“I chose opera because I think it’s the highest form of singing,” Strong said. “With musicals, more people are able to do that.”
Strong’s singing career will stretch beyond his time spent crooning for ballplayers and fans. In the fall, Strong will begin his pursuit of a college degree. He’ll attend IUP, where he will major in vocal performance.
“I know I’ll probably get into the shows at IUP,” Strong said. “I would like to try to get into weddings or funerals. People always need singers.”
And once he has his degree, Strong plans to hit the big stage.
“There are many different theaters in every major city,” Strong said. “I’d like to go to Chicago, New York at the Met or the Sydney Opera House in Australia.”
But for now, Strong will continue to entertain his teammates and fans.
