Baseball 10/4/2023 11:55:00 AM Zaina Razek

Noah Falkenberg: It's never too late for baseball

Student-athlete Noah Falkenberg takes great pride in his position on the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) baseball team, being a psychology major, and a trainer at a development group, but getting to where he is today was not easy. As a young child, Falkenberg played every sport on the list, but the one that stuck was baseball.

Growing up learning to play and to love the sport, he found himself at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. Playing second-year baseball and being in the program he cared for, it was all taken away in a second when he realized he would barely touch the field.

A conversation with his coach made him come to terms that he wouldn't get time on the field, compared to the more experienced and older players. He was tasked with making a difficult decision, whether he should stay in Ohio or return to his home in Toronto.

Falkenberg now comes with an understanding of how his career has shifted and that returning home to attend TMU was the best choice. The pitcher was in the United States for three semesters and he dealt with multiple arm injuries which could have been detrimental to his journey in baseball.

"I got recommended a chiropractor and if that never happened, I don't think I'd be the person I am today," said Falkenberg. Soon after in 2021, he was recruited by then-president and founder of the TMU program, Ben Rich, after trying out for the team.

A TMU baseball player works with kids at his development camp.

A TMU baseball player works with kids at his development camp.

Building his life up again in Canada wasn't easy. Still, Stephen Osterer, the founder of the Baseball Development Group in Toronto, brought Falkenberg into the team to train and become an instructor. He now spends his time focusing on training young baseball players ranging from ages 12 to 16, which takes up to 25 hours of his week.

He loves helping people, and combining that with his favourite sport has been extremely rewarding. Regarding his years of training, Falkenberg said, "I've gone through all the processes for years, and I feel like one of the best guys to instill that into other athletes."

Working with pitchers so young, he feels the responsibility of not only training their physicality but also their minds. By teaching ideologies and expanding their knowledge, he believes that it helps prepare them for a higher level of baseball.

His first official year with the TMU men's baseball team was 2021, and with any transfer, fear was an instant feeling. He was starting fresh. "It was just about building that relationship with those new teammates, but I would call all of them my brothers," said Falkenberg.

It didn't take long for him to connect with the other players. From playing nine innings under the beating sun to wearing mitts on a cold October day, these players continue to bond, whether that's on or off the field, and Falkenberg couldn't ask for a better team.

Three TMU baseball players pose in front of a white back drop. — ^{Falkenberg, middle, with two teammates. Photo by Curtis Martin.}

As a student-athlete, Falkenberg is determined to strive as a student too, but with baseball, work, and school, a little chaos is always involved. "It's definitely hard because I don't really have a lot of time in between especially if I want to do well at everything, like coach, work, play baseball, and school," said Falkenberg. For him, to check everything off the to-do list is all about time management.

He found his passion for psychology early on. Yet to understand why that came to be, it all starts on the baseball field. In an unpredictable sport, as a pitcher, he's always on standby. and trying to understand what needs to be done to help his team. He can see the type of pitch he's going to give, where the ball's going, and where he needs to look. And this has become routine.

As goes with any sport, things can get out of hand quickly. Meditation has been an excellent way of coping for Falkenberg, and with so much happening, he constantly reminds himself, saying, "I've had to adapt those coping mechanisms, it's just slowing it down and understanding how to be in the present moment, instead of thinking about the next pitch or the pitch I've done before."

As an athlete, finding a way to deal with the stress was a saving factor in his journey - and also what propelled him to pursue a career in professional sports as a psychotherapist. He wants to focus on helping athletes develop processes for dealing with mental struggles and performance on and off the field.

Falkenberg is aware of the stigma that follows male athletes and mental health. He hopes to show people otherwise.

"In baseball, like the best players fail, especially as hitters they fail 70% of the time. It's a game of failure," said Falkenberg. Without a doubt, that process can cause a lot of doubt and anxiety for any player, regardless of their stats, physicality, and confidence.

Falkenberg is expected to be in many places at once, and always being on the move can be challenging to manage for anyone. As an athlete, teammate, coach, and student he reminds himself and other student-athletes, that it is okay and necessary to take a break and enjoy the present moment.

At the end of the day, his love for baseball will never fail.

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Players Mentioned

#45 Noah Falkenberg: P; 6' 0"; 3

Players Mentioned

#45 Noah Falkenberg
: 6' 0"; 3
: P

Players Mentioned

#45 Noah Falkenberg

Players Mentioned

#45 Noah Falkenberg