This is his fourth season playing baseball for FC and feels this is the strongest team they have had by far.

“My favorite part of baseball is the camaraderie that comes along with it,” Dooman said. “I am really excited for how good our team is. I think we will have a good run in the playoffs. I have been on many different sports teams and none of them compare to experience you get with your baseball teammates.”

Fellow teammate, Taylor Cowger, ’17, enjoys playing alongside Dooman on the diamond and having him as a friend as well.

“John is a great friend because he’s very motivated and our diamond inspiration out on the baseball field,” Cowger said. “He is an excellent baseball player and one of the best hitters on our team. He always motivates us to do our best and never give up.”

Dooman is not all sports jock either. He often spends time with the video production team, creating short comic Feather videos called 5 minutes with Dooman. They were originally a part of a series called “The Show” with Christopher Grossman and other co-hosts. One of his latest was called 60 seconds with Dooman returns.

“They are just goofy stunts that a few of us dream up and I am dumb enough to do them with a couple of other guys,” Dooman said. “We’ve been doing them off and on all four years of high school.”

Dooman enjoys watching as well as playing football. He played football for FC for two years, but had to quit because of a torn ACL, a testament of how accident prone he is. Though he likes playing football, he enjoys watching it better.

“I am the least excited for how accident prone I am,” Dooman said. “Every sport I play I always manage to hurt myself in some way. I have missed three of our first four game this season already with a pulled hamstring.”

There are a variety of sports that people enjoy to watch and or play but for this individual baseball has beat them all.

“Baseball is by far my favorite sport,” Dooman said. “I enjoy every aspect of it, from hitting to fielding to watching it on tv. There is just something about being on the diamond that is relaxing to me. My favorite team will always be the Dodgers. I grew up watching them with my brother-in-laws, so I guess I joined the bandwagon somewhere along the way.”

I consider every teammate on my team to be my friend. If there is one thing about baseball that sets it apart from other sports, it is the friends you make and characters you meet. Baseball brings out the best in people and I think that is why it is so much fun. My team always has my back. If I mess up on a play, I know that one of my teammates is going to be right there to back me up. –Senior John Dooman

Last year Dooman played the whole season at the catcher, a position he had never played before.

“My greatest strength I would say is my willingness to play wherever I need to go,” Dooman said. My greatest weakness is probably how easily I can get distracted. When I get myself into a bad hitting slump, it is pretty hard to get myself out of it.”

Dooman acknowledges his coach for everything he knows about the sport and helping through tough times.

“My coach has helped me a lot throughout high school,” Dooman said. “My first season back after I hurt my knee; he helped me regain my skills and physical abilities on the field. I have him to owe for my knowledge I have gained these past four years.”

Dooman started playing baseball in the first grade, all throughout elementary, junior high, and now high school. He has also played with Yosemite Colts Travel Team in the eighth grade, but has not played on any club teams in high school. Dooman does not plan on playing college baseball.

“If I had taken it more seriously and played on club teams and went to camps, then I would have considered playing in college,” Dooman said. “I plan to focus on my academics in college.”

“I hope to improve myself in every part of the sport,” Dooman said. “There is always room to improve in every department. I am constantly motivated to do better than the season before. If don’t perform better than the year before than I know what I need to work on and continue to try harder.”

Throughout the year of playing baseball at FC, Dooman has made good relationships with his teammates and coach. He has learned many things from not only his coach, but also his team members.

“I consider every teammate on my team to be my friend,” Dooman said. “If there is one thing about baseball that sets it apart from other sports, it is the friends you make and characters you meet. Baseball brings out the best in people and I think that is why it is so much fun. My team always has my back. If I mess up on a play, I know that one of my teammates is going to be right there to back me up.”

Baseball has created many memories for the player. One of his favorite memories in the sport was in junior high when his team made playoffs and they got to play a game at the Grizzly’s Stadium.

“My advice is to treat every practice like it’s a game. If you go hard on every play and put your best effort into it, then you will succeed in the game.”

Follow The Feather via Twitter @thefeather, Instagram @thefeatheronline and Facebook @thefeatheronline.