By arriving early for games, baseball fans can sometimes get a chance to watch their favorite players take infield or even batting practice.
At Florida State's Dick Howser Stadium, fans get a different treat. They can watch the Seminoles get their kicks with a friendly game of Hacky Sack.
About 20 minutes before each game -- such as today's 4 p.m. series opener against visiting Oakland -- a group of Seminoles will gather in foul territory to show off some of their fancy footwork.
"We started doing it a little bit in the locker room before each game and then decided let's go show it off outside and see if the fans react to it," said senior second baseman Matt Henderson. "I think a lot of people on the team are just trying to be engaged with something before the game. A lot of guys started doing it and practicing and got kind of good at it."
So where and how did this whole thing start?
Junior relief pitcher Ed Voyles, one of the team's elder statesmen, said he first was introduced to Hacky Sack while playing summer ball after his freshman season. Shortly after that, he said, former FSU outfielder Nick Graganella started sharing it with the other Seminoles.
It caught on quickly.
"I think just because it gets you loose and you've gotta really be focused," Voyles said. "It loosens your legs up for sure, but really, I think it's just being focused and it's something to do before a game to get your mind going. It's fun to do."
Over the last couple of seasons, it has become a staple of the Seminoles' pregame routine. The circle always has at least four players in it, but it has grown to as many as 10.
The coaching staff stays out of it, but there have been times when the son of FSU pitching coach Mike Bell will join the game.
"We've gotta communicate to be good at it," Henderson said. "We're aiming for a goal of everyone touches it once, for what we call a 'hack.' So we're pushing each other, and I think that carries onto the field."
Henderson, Voyles and junior relief pitcher Steven Wells Jr., are three players most adept at the game. Reliever Alec Byrd, infielder Dylan Busby and shortstop Taylor Walls jump into it occasionally. Even new players like freshmen J.C. Flowers and Drew Mendoza have played a few times this season.
The Seminoles aren't taking Hacky Sack as seriously as some people. The Guinness World Record for most kicks with a footbag, if you're wondering, is 63,326 kicks. It took close to nine straight hours.
Nobody at FSU is shooting for that kind of acclaim. But they say it has its benefits.
"Part of that is growing up with my dad, we played all the time," Henderson said. "He loved playing sports and getting engaged with other people. I think that it's a family thing, which brought us closer together, and it's brought us closer together as a team out here too."
------------------------------
Talk about this story with other FSU Baseball fans on the FSU Baseball Forum
