After posting one of the greatest seasons in Florida high school baseball history, much can be said about Westminster Christian (Miami) junior shortstop
David Thompson. Despite his statistics, it is the intangible traits that he possesses which define him.
Thompson, who was named the
MaxPreps National Sophomore Baseball Player of the Year last season, led the Warriors to a 27-6 record and a second-straight Class 2A state title, their 10th overall. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound slugger also set a single-season Miami-Dade County record with 19 home runs, tying the state record, to go along with an outstanding .486 batting average and 54 RBIs.
When asked how he felt about being recognized by MaxPreps as the top player in the country, within his respective class, Thompson quickly replied, "I had a smile on my face for about two weeks after that, but it also pushes me to work harder."
Despite his amazing achievements, Thompson, who verbally committed to the University of Miami's baseball team last July, understands that, through his faith, consistency and hard work, he can only get better.
"Speed, arm strength, more steals and increasing my batting average are areas that I'd like to focus on but at the end of the day, I'd like to get better everywhere," he said.
The work that Thompson has put in thus far has propelled him to the top of the Westminster's history books, surpassing another Warrior great, current New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
Rodriguez had a stellar career for the Warriors in which he hit 17 career home runs while being named USA Today's 1993 National Baseball Player of the Year. Despite doing in two years what A-Rod did in four, Thompson's focus speaks volumes about his character. Most kids would be thrilled to even be mentioned in the same breath as one of baseball's all-time greats, but Thompson doesn't let that get to his head.
"I don't even really take that into account," he said. "A-Rod is the best of the best and has been for a while. Hopefully I can be as talented as him some day."
Thompson's maturity is aiding the development of his legend throughout the Sunshine State. As a result of his stellar sophomore season, the Miami Herald named him the Class 4A-1A Athlete of the Year, while also earning the 2010 Florida Dairy Farmers 2A Player of the Year award.
Despite the recognition, his achievements and accolades are things that he is not concerned with this season. Although appreciated, he understands that he has two more years left at Westminster and wants to leave a legacy that has not yet been written.
"Right now I'm focused on representing Jesus Christ and helping our team three-peat," he said. "I'm thankful for what I've accomplished but this year brings a new chapter in my life."
His focus and dedication are a few things that his mother, Jenn Thompson, is extremely proud of.
"If you take away baseball and football, knowing that his foundation is set in God is something that we are proud of the most," said Mrs. Thompson. "For a young kid that has accomplished as much as he has, he still manages to keeps his head on straight and doesn't lose focus."
When asked about what his commitment to the University of Miami's baseball team meant to him and their family, his mother replied, "It's interesting."
"As a family, we went to Canes games since he was about 6 or 7 years old," she added. "Since then, he began setting goals for himself, one of which included playing for the Hurricanes. Now he is that much closer to accomplishing it."
If for some odd reason baseball was taken away, Thompson would still suit up for the Hurricanes in two years as the standout shortstop, who also plays quarterback for the Warriors, verbally committed to their football program last week.
"We respect the coaches at Miami," his mother said. "I don't think he has lost a smile since he chose them on Sunday."
Thompson's efforts on the baseball field are among the nation's best, while what he does on the football field hardly goes unnoticed throughout south Florida.
Last fall, Thompson led the Warriors football team to a 7-4 record after completing 132 of 224 passes for 1,719 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions, while also rushing for 962 yards and 16 touchdowns.
In an article recently posted by MaxPreps senior writer David Krider, Thompson's dad, Ed Thompson, told us "He was one of two QBs they selected from the Class of 2012. New coach Al Golden said he has worked things out with the baseball head coach, Jim Morris, to enable David to do both — a rare occurrence at UM from what I understand," he added.
At the end of the day, Thompson, who is halfway through his junior year of high school, wants to enjoy every minute of his last days at Westminster Christian. Although he is extremely mature for his age, Thompson is still an adolescent and enjoys doing what many teens his age do. When asked what he does when he's not in the classroom or on the field, Thompson replied, "I love to sleep, eat and play XBOX."
Thompson loves Westminster Christian and wants to help the school achieve all that it can, both in the classroom and in athletics.
"I've been at this school my whole life," he said. "Since kindergarten the teachers have shown me how much they care. When I started playing sports, the coaches also showed the same thing, especially through the whole recruiting thing. Coach Mira and Coach Castellanos have been huge throughout this process and I appreciate that."
Thompson's appreciation is defined through what he does as a student-athlete. Despite his achievements on the baseball and football field, Thompson also has a 4.7 weighted GPA and is currently averaging 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Warriors basketball team.
Based off his past experiences, Thompson is pretty consistent with accomplishing the goals he sets for himself. If he helps the Warriors baseball team three-peat this season, they would be tied with Key West for the most state championships in Florida history. Key West leads the pack with 11.
Currently, the Warriors baseball program is 4-0 and has outscored its opponents 12-2.
