USA Baseball’s National Team Championships have seen many high-profile athletes and their families attend the National Training Camp over the years, and this year’s 2024 16U NC Champs are no different.
The San Diego Padres scout team entered the tournament pool with a roster that included starting catcher Cody Gauff. Gauff comes from a long line of athletes in his family, including his older sister, professional tennis player Coco Gauff.
Her father, Cory Gauff, has been with the pair since they began their athletic careers, crediting him as Coco’s first tennis coach, while he has also helped Cody with his baseball endeavors.
“It’s been great to watch them grow up and compete in the sports they love, while also prioritizing their academics. I love that they still want to learn and get better every day,” Cory said.
Corey is proud of both their athletic accomplishments, but he admits the siblings had different upbringings in terms of their athletic careers. Coco had her heart set on tennis, while Cody tried out a few different sports before deciding to play baseball.
“Coco decided very early on what he wanted to do. Cody played football and basketball for a short time, baseball came a little later after Coco played tennis, but they both worked very hard growing up,” Cory said. “They both have unique skills in their respective sports. It’s been great to watch them grow.”
With constant practices, meetings, and games, an athlete’s life can be quite hectic, and this presents some challenges for parents, especially when there are multiple athletes in the household.
“It’s hard for us, the parents, sometimes because we’re not at every game for them. Coco is actually playing right now while Cody’s playing,” Cory said.
Although being a parent to many athletes is very difficult, Corey enjoys every moment of the process, watching his children grow in life and in each of their sports. He hopes they will continue to improve every day, both inside and outside of their sport.
“The main thing they need to do consistently is focus on their skills and always keep working hard to get better. They need to understand what they need to improve on and keep doing what they do well,” Corey said. “I want them to really have fun during this time, because they’re going to live their lives longer without the sport than they are with it.”
