By the time Dave Huff retired from professional baseball, he had pitched for five Major League organizations, played internationally in Korea, Japan, Mexico, Australia, and Dubai, and spent more than two decades chasing a dream that began before he was old enough to tie his shoes.
Literally.
One of his earliest memories involves standing in a diaper on a baseball field, watching his older brother throw bullpen sessions with their father.
When his brother finished, Dave wanted a turn.
His father raised the glove.
Dave fired.
The ball hit the target.
His father moved the glove.
Dave hit it again.
And again. And again.
A lightbulb went off.
"We've got something here," his father thought.
What followed was a baseball journey that carried the Huntington Beach native from youth fields to the bright lights of Major League Baseball. Over the course of his career, Dave pitched for Cleveland, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Anaheim, while building a reputation as a reliable left handed pitcher who simply refused to stop competing.
His goal was always the same: pitch until 40.
He missed it by three days.
Today, the competition looks different.
Instead of navigating Major League lineups, Dave spends his days coaching young athletes, helping them navigate pressure, failure, confidence, and the mental side of sports.
Because if there is one lesson baseball taught him, it is that talent alone is never enough.
"Everybody is physically good enough," Huff says. "The difference is mental. The mindset is what separates people."
It is a lesson he learned firsthand.
In 2010, after years of focusing on statistics, results, and outcomes, Huff found himself at a crossroads.
"I focused too much on the negative," he says. "It almost cost me my career."
A shift in perspective changed everything.
He began focusing on growth rather than outcomes, process rather than perfection.
Years later, those same lessons would become foundational in a completely different venture.
One created not on a baseball field, but around one.
The idea came from his wife, Lisa.
Like many sports parents, she found herself standing on the sidelines with a simple question: What exactly are we giving our kids?
As she assembled snack bags for youth sports teams, she found herself frustrated by the choices available. The products either tasted good and contained ingredients she did not love, or contained better ingredients and were rejected by kids.
There seemed to be no middle ground.
"I thought there has to be a better option," she says.
Most people would stop there… but not Lisa.
What started as a conversation with another sports mom became a four year journey involving formulators, physicians, trademark challenges, investor conversations, product pivots, manufacturing hurdles, and more than a few tears.
"There were days I wanted to quit," Lisa admits. "I'd call my dad and tell him I was done."
His response never changed.
"Pilgrims don't quit."
Pilgrim is Lisa's maiden name.
The phrase became her mantra, and the result is now LIIKE, a hydration brand designed specifically for active kids.
The name comes from the Finnish word for movement, a fitting choice for a family whose life has revolved around athletics, travel, resilience, and constant motion.
The electrolyte ratios were developed with children in mind. The ingredients were carefully selected. The formulas were tested repeatedly by the people who mattered most: their sons.
"We wanted something parents could feel good about and kids would actually want to drink," Lisa says.
For Dave, watching his wife build the company has been every bit as impressive as anything he experienced in professional sports.
"She's an absolute wonder woman," he says. "The things she's learned, the obstacles she's worked through, the way she's kept going. It's incredible."
The business may be new, but the mission feels familiar.
Both Dave and Lisa believe success is built the same way.
One day at a time, one challenge at a time, and one small win at a time.
It is the same philosophy Dave teaches the athletes he coaches today: focus on effort, growth, and the next pitch.
The same mindset that carried him from a Little League field to the Major Leagues is now helping shape the next chapter of their family's story.
Because LIIKE is not really about hydration; it is about movement… moving through setbacks, uncertainty and toward something bigger.
And if the Huff family has learned anything through baseball, business, marriage, and parenthood, it is this:
The people who succeed are rarely the ones who avoid obstacles.
They are the ones who keep moving through them.
Ready to move? Follow Liike for launch dates, product updates, and availability: @drinkliike
From the Mound to the Dugout
Today, Coach Huff spends much of his time coaching young athletes, including his two boys, Ethan and Dylan. While his playing career took him around the world, he now finds purpose in helping the next generation navigate competition, adversity, and the mental side of sports.
Here are Coach Huff's two cents for sideline parents.
Let Kids Own the Dream
Parents can provide opportunities, encouragement, and support, but the desire to play has to come from the child.
"The athletes who last the longest are the ones who genuinely love what they're doing."
Focus on the Little Wins
Winning is great. Development is better.
Coach Huff encourages parents to celebrate the moments that often go unnoticed: a quality at bat, a smart defensive play, moving a runner over, or bouncing back after a mistake.
"We can lose a game 16-0 and still have wins."
The Car Ride Home Matters
Young athletes usually know when they did not play their best.
Instead of turning the drive home into another practice or postgame breakdown, Coach Huff believes it should be a safe place where kids feel supported regardless of the outcome.
Mindset is the Difference Maker
Physical talent can only take an athlete so far.
According to Coach Huff, confidence, resilience, and the ability to move forward after failure are what separate good players from great ones.
"The game is probably 80-90% mental."
Find Coaches Who Build Character
The coaches who had the biggest impact on Huff's career did far more than teach mechanics.
They taught discipline, accountability, grit, and how to handle adversity.
Those lessons lasted far longer than any stat line.
Failure is Part of the Process
Baseball is built on failure. Even Hall of Fame players get out far more often than they get hits.
Coach Huff reminds players and parents alike that mistakes are not setbacks. They are opportunities to learn.
One Voice in the Dugout
Parents naturally want to help, but Coach Huff encourages families to trust the coaching process during games.
Save the instruction for before or after. During competition, consistency matters.
"When the umpire says, 'Play ball,' let the coaches coach."
Remember Why They Started
Before rankings, travel teams, and tournament schedules, there was simply a kid who loved the game. Protect that joy.
Because long after the trophies are forgotten, the memories and life lessons remain.
instagram.com/dave.huff45