Ball Jr. struggling to hit his stride
It seemed that nothing was going to stop the young forward as he made his way to the top. Sebastian Ball Jr. had it all, a plethora of untapped talent, a great hockey I.Q, and the will to become one of the greatest players to ever lace up their skates. He was the best player on the ice at all times throughout his high school and college careers. He was always bigger, faster, and more talented than anyone opposing teams put on the ice. In his senior year of high school, Ball Jr. was already being scouted by both the NHL and the KHL. “The kid out-shined everyone on the ice,” said Mike Browner, a former scout for the NHL’s Montreal Canadians. “Even when you knew he wasn't giving it his all, he flat outplayed the competition. I remember seeing scouts watching him for the first time and their jaws would hit the floor. There was a lot of potential in the young forward and everyone was trying to get their hands on him.” But, Ball decided to go a different route with his professional career, enrolling in the VHL and the upcoming VHL Entry Draft.
Upon entering the S33 VHL Entry Draft, Ball Jr. had a lot of questions surrounding him. While he was a promising young prospect, Ball Jr. had shown a very poor work ethic throughout his school years, due to the fact he believed he was better than everyone else. At 6’ 4”, Ball Jr. did not possess high end speed on the ice, but rarely used his size and strength to his advantage. But Ball Jr. silenced all of the critics his first season in the VHLM, helping lead the Vasteras Baby Eagle to the European Conference Finals. Still, VHL general managers had doubts in the young winger despite rumors that Ball Jr. would be taken early in the first round. “From what I was hearing from my agent, I was projected to go as early as six but wouldn't fall past 10,” said Ball Jr. “I thought I proved to everyone that I was no joke. I was better than everyone they put in front of me. I mean did you see our offense in S32? We were the most dynamic offense the VHLM has seen in years.” Despite the rumors, Ball Jr. fell out of the first round, but was picked up by the Seattle Bears with the first pick in the second round. Though he didn’t let him affect him off the ice, Ball Jr. didn't look the same on the ice. An early favorite to win the VHLM MVP award in his second season, Ball Jr. had a subpar year, racking up only 86 points which was good for third on his team. “Yeah I was disappointed in my play that season, but it took a back seat to losing the Founder’s Cup,” stated Ball Jr. “I always said I could go that season without scoring a point if only we could have taken home the cup.”
The struggles would continue when Ball Jr. finally made his way to the big leagues. Again Ball Jr. was one of the favorites, this time to win the rookie of the year trophy. But, yet again, he performed poorly on a bad Seattle Bears squad and only managed 39 points in 72 games. Becoming more and more frustrated in his play, Ball Jr. would spend the off-season working out with friend and NHL star Pavel Datsyuk, honing his offensive skills and learning to be a smart player rather than a flashy one. So far the hard work has paid off in S35, as the young forward has already accumulated 23 points in 30 games. But for Ball Jr., it just isn't enough. “Every time we lose a game, I feel it is because I haven’t played well enough to get these victories,” stated Ball Jr. earlier in the season. “I feel like if we lose by one, I didn't score enough goals. If we lose by two, maybe I didn't set up my teammates with enough scoring chances. I know it’s not all on me, but if I’m on the ice, I feel that I am solely responsible for that loss.” A fiery competitor, Ball Jr. has stated on multiple occasions that he will become an elite player in the VHL in the foreseeable future. And with each passing day, once again, it looks like nothing will get in his way as he makes his way to the top.
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