CHRIS PEDOTA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Waldwick pitcher/outfielder John Apgar has excelled since he grasped the mental aspect of the game.
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It took John Apgar some time to realize that baseball is a mental sport.
An incoming senior at Waldwick, he was forced to deal with a frustrating sophomore campaign.
A concussion sidelined Apgar for two weeks that year. Nagging ankle and arm injuries kept flaring up. When he returned, he lost his job as the team’s designated hitter and backup third baseman. His coach, Frank Clark, didn’t want to rush him back.
“Coach didn’t want me to go in the lineup right after I came back,” Apgar said. “Then I hit a home run against Hawthorne in the state game. I think that’s when I realized injuries weren’t going to set me back anymore.”
Apgar came back with a clean bill of health and a new spot in the outfield – he transitioned between left and right – this past season. He batted .427 with seven home runs and 38 RBI. He also excelled on the mound, going 8-1 with a 2.16 ERA, including a win in the sectional title game. Apgar said he owes his production to a change in mind-set.
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