Brothers Robert and Bryce Foster are used to change. The only thing that has remained constant throughout their lives has been baseball, a sport that they’ve played together whenever possible.
Until this summer, that is.
Both boys, who live in Plant City and play for Kathleen High School, in Lakeland, were invited to participate in the Omaha National Tournament in June. But, the invitation doesn’t come cheap: at $3,500 per player, getting both brothers to Nebraska is not doable for the family at this time.
“Scouts gave me feedback on the boys, and both of them were invited to the Omaha tournament,” mother Angela Foster says. “But, we can only afford Bryce right now.”
It’s a bump in the road for a family that needs no more of those. In May, Sherman Foster, Bryce and Robert’s father, died.
ALWAYS ON THE MOVE
Sherman and Angela Foster lived for a while in Michigan, which is where Robert and Bryce were born. But they didn’t stay in the same place for long.
“I was born in Ann Arbor, but we’ve lived all around Michigan,” Bryce says. “We came to Florida only four years ago.”
While in Michigan, Sherman got his boys started in the game he loved. Robert started in T-ball at 4 years old, and Bryce got started two years later, at age 5. The boys grew to love the game, too, and Sherman taught them much of what they know.
“He was their biggest supporter and loved to watch them play baseball,” Angela says.
After moving around Michigan, the Foster family decided to make a radical change by moving to Florida. In addition to enabling the two boys to play baseball year-round, the move to a warmer climate would also make life easier for their younger brother, Conlin, who has cerebral palsy.
SETTLING DOWN
After a brief stay in Lithia, the Fosters moved four years ago to Plant City. They were looking for somewhere a little bigger, and they found that place in the winter strawberry capital. The switch also made it easier for Robert and Bryce to pursue their academic interests.
In his sophomore year, Robert enrolled at Plant City High School and immediately joined the baseball team. He took on the role of the team’s utility player and saw action both on the pitcher’s mound and throughout the infield. He played for the Raiders through his junior year, but he left the team after an opportunity arose in Lakeland.
Robert is interested in sports medicine and hopes to one day become a trainer or physical therapist. He jumped at the chance to enroll in Kathleen High School’s Sports Medicine Academy. He also was able to continue to play baseball, joining the Red Devils’ squad of 14.
“It’s well-structured — there are rigorous practices,” Robert says. “It’s a different culture — smaller team, closer together. I feel more comfortable.”
Bryce is also enrolled at one of Kathleen’s academies but, unlike Robert, he got started in the ninth grade. The younger brother is a sophomore at the Central Florida Aerospace Academy, which is off campus, and he already has his post-baseball hopes figured out.
“I want to do accident recovery for the FAA,” Bryce says. “That’s where you inspect plane crashes. I saw something on TV about plane crashes, and my teacher, Mr. Houghton, encouraged me to do it.”
He is studying in the academy’s engineering track during the school day and playing catcher for the Red Devils afterward.
The brothers competed at a national Under Armour baseball tryout at the University of Tampa in November and performed well enough to earn invites to Omaha. This, they both say, would have made their father proud.
A ROUGH YEAR
Sherman Foster was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a disease associated with lymphoma, at the beginning of 2013. It had formed in his liver, and his health deteriorated within months. After experiencing liver failure, Sherman spent five weeks recovering at Florida Hospital. He was transferred in May to Tampa General Hospital, and he died a few days later.
“It took awhile to get used to him not being around,” Bryce says. “He helped us for most of our baseball careers.”
Luckily for the Fosters, they did not have to go through the loss alone. Neighbors Andy and Tina Fritsch were there to console the family and, according to the boys, treated them like family.
“Mr. Fritsch accepted us as another family,” Bryce says. “If we needed help with anything, he helped us.”
Taking over for Sherman’s role on the baseball field was the boys’ coach, Will Smith. Off the field, Angela assumed her late husband’s duties of helping the boys get noticed by college scouts — a process she says she’s been “figuring out.” She’s received help from Dave Packer, of the Baseball Factory, who created a Web page for Robert that college coaches can access.
“Dad was a big part of this,” Angela says. “He was engineering their future.”
ONE OR THE OTHER
When the family learned how much it costs to send each player to Nebraska, a problem arose.
“It costs $3,500 to get just one of them there,” Angela Foster says. “That includes the hotel, food, tryouts and the College World Series game the kids get to go to.”
So, when the time came to decide which brother would be making the trip, it was decided that Bryce would go. He has the benefit of being a sophomore, which automatically gives him a shot at drawing interest from college scouts, provided that he performs well.
Although it looks like only Bryce may be able to make the trip, Angela Foster is still proud of her boys.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for them,” she says, “and (it) came at a time when they could have given up.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
HOW TO HELP
Through various fundraisers, the Fosters have raised $400 towards Robert’s trip. Including the $100 raised through their GoFundMe website, their total currently sits at $500. That still leaves $3,000 to raise, but there is still time. To make a donation towards Robert’s trip, visit gofundme.com/thefosterboys.