Mom's sports lessons key to Kwan's success

This story was excerpted from Tim Stebbins’ Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CLEVELAND -- The competitive spirit and fire of Steven Kwan that’s on display every night for the Guardians can be traced, at least in part, to the lessons his mother, Jane, instilled in him at an early age.

Jane played college volleyball at San Jose State University, and her own athletic experience afforded her a unique perspective as Kwan made his way up the youth baseball ranks.

“She was more on the, ‘If you ever feel any kind of pain, if you feel any struggle, work through it,’” Kwan said. “She was definitely a tender mom. But in sports, I think she applied the way that she saw sports, in that you’ve just got to flip a switch and then go into a different mode.”

One memory that stands out to Kwan perfectly encapsulates that mentality. Kwan played first base at times as a kid, and he recalled one game where he had to dive to receive a pickoff throw. The baserunner slid back into first, and when he got up accidentally kicked Kwan in the stomach. While on the ground in pain, Kwan heard his mom in the stands encouraging him to get up.

“It’s a little embarrassing to hear your mom yell ‘get up,’” Kwan said. “So, it was like, ‘OK, I guess I’ve got to get up,’ then I ended up being fine after. I think it's one of those things where it's like, she knew. It hurt in the moment, but you just tough it out and will be just fine.”

Mom always knows best, and Jane has been a constant advocate for Kwan in his journey from youth first baseman to Gold Glove left fielder and All-Star for the Guardians. He recalled the nerves he felt at times ahead of playing in baseball showcases as a kid, as he often was younger than other players.

“She was like, ‘You belong here. This is where you're meant to be,’" Kwan said.

Each year, when Kwan’s dad would check with him to make sure he wanted to play baseball, it was no question to his mom.

“My mom was like, ‘No, you're going to play. You're good at it. This is what you want to do,’ that kind of thing,” Kwan said. “I think that kept me laser-focused into giving myself credit. Like, ‘Yeah, I am pretty good at this. She believes in me. Then I should believe in myself.’”

Kwan didn’t play a lot of volleyball growing up, but his baseball game bears some resemblance to how his mom played volleyball. She was a libero (before the NCAA officially introduced it as a position) and enjoyed digging a tough spike, or chasing after a ball that deflected off somebody.

“She found a lot of pleasure in corralling the ball and long rallies, just handling the ball,” Kwan said. “I feel like that's kind of the same thing [with me in baseball]. I like doing the dirty work, just playing fundamental baseball, not going for the big play. Maybe that's the resemblance there.”

Kwan’s mom has continued to be a constant positive presence for him as he’s ascended from fifth-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft to one of the most elite hitters in the Major Leagues.

“I think just keeping me humble, keeping me sane through all of it,” Kwan said. “She obviously has known me since I was as young as can be, and I think kind of always bouncing stuff off of her, like different scenarios and different dynamics. She keeps me humble through all that. Not let me get too big and help me make decisions with that.”