Meet Oscar De La Cruz | baseball instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Oscar De La Cruz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Oscar, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started giving softball and baseball lessons by coincidence. I had just recently moved to Rosenberg. In fact it was right across the street from Extreme Sport which is an indoor training facility and batting cages. At the time I wanted my daughter to be involved in extracurricular activities and thought what better sport than softball since she was already familiar with the sport. One afternoon I decided to go check out Extreme Sport and get a feel for it. I liked the environment and inquired about the batting cage rentals. While there I realized they also had instructors , which I also inquired about. Before you knew it I myself started giving lessons as well. I never imagined making this my everyday job, but with the help of Pascual (the owner) my clientele started growing. I started getting more and more clients by word of mouth and also by the parents that would take their kids to the batting cages. They then would approach me about lessons. Although Extreme Sport is not my personal business I take pride in my job. In order to fill my position and succeed I have to always give my best to teach the kids and help master their skills.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
the passion that the players put into each swing. It can be very frustrating at times to the point of crying when things don’t go well for them. Many are oblivious to how difficult it can be to hit a baseball or softball. There’s so much behind it like getting the perfect form and force when batting. The player has to make contact with the ball and at the same time try to hit it as hard as they can in less than 1 second before it makes it to the catcher. This is something that the outsiders regard as nothing, or of little value. I regularly hear people question why professional players, especially baseball players, earn so much, but they don’t realize the great sacrifice they make in their lifetime to get where they are and that only a small group is capable of achieving it. Every day I am learning, there is always something new to discover. I believe that things are not difficult when you do what you like, I like what I do and I try to make each lesson a new experience for me and the children.
I would say one of my greatest factors is my way of being.I try to connect to each one of my clients and above all the dedication that I give to each one of them. I have the ability to adapt and adjust each baseball drill according to their capabilities. Not every player is at the same level and this requires adjusting drills to their level.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The first thing I would do is get tickets to go to the stadium to see one of the Houston Astros games, it’s the best experience I’ve ever had. Another place to go would be the Cockrell Butterfly Center, it’s a nice experience, and something not very common for my friends and I to do. I wouldn’t have a fixed place to eat, there are quite a few in Houston, and one that I haven’t tried yet, Doña Juana’s, is a Dominican restaurant that I’ve heard good reviews about, with the drinks I prefer to prepare at home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Firstly to God above all things, my family and the owner of Extreme Sport Pascual Mata without the opportunity or his help from the beginning I would not have seen anything of this, and of course to each of my clients who trust my work and recommend it to keep growing every day. Although my uncle Frank is no longer with me in life, he gave me every piece of advice to make things right. Thanks Rosenberg for taking me in as his son.

Instagram: Coach_Oscar

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