King Inspires Youths from the Friendly Island

Genesee Community College baseball freshman Junior King returned home at the conclusion of the National Junior College Athletic Association baseball season to St. Maarten/St. Martin to share his experiences with local youth athletes about college life and being a student-athlete.

"You have to work hard to get anywhere in life," King began to a group of children on the Friendly Island.

"You have to have good grades, or the coach won't even let you play," Martin said from the St. Maarten Little League Field about his first-time United States mainland college experience in the classroom just prior to sharing some of the college drills he went through with Cougar head baseball coach Skip Sherman this past season.

Martin also shared how the weather had played a part in the team's potential post-season after being in second place in the final week of the season and having to play a pair of make-up doubleheaders in the team's final two game dates that dropped the team in the standings.

While weather played a part in decimating King's home not too long ago, the Friendly Island in the Caribbean has recovered and like King and the Cougar baseball team is ready for the next challenge that King will more than likely be a big part of next season after finishing in the top-10 in 10 different categories for Genesee.

Although King is officially listed in a tie for fourth in team batting average with .364, of the players that appeared in 20 games or more he was tied-second on the team.

He finished seventh in RBI, and eighth in five categories that included: hits, on-base percentage, home runs, doubles, and stolen bases. He was ninth in slugging percentage and games played, while finishing 10th in runs.

The Friendly Island has a Dutch/French component and is comprised of 37 square miles and goes by either name of St. Maarten/St. Martin and the country is located on the southern part of the more than two dozen Caribbean islands.