The FOS Story
A message from FOS Founder/CEO Michael Ferry
As a kid coming through the Long Valley Baseball Program, I dreamed of the day I could take the field as a member of the West Morris Central Wolfpack. I idolized the standout varsity players as if they were the star player on my favorite professional sports team. When it finally came my time to don the Wolfpack Blue, I never forgot that feeling I had as a kid myself. In hindsight, these “idols” were just regular kids trying to make a name for themselves as high school athletes.
Following the conclusion of my WMC Baseball career in June 2024, I thought it would be mutually beneficial for me to offer affordable lessons to a handful of youth Long Valley baseball players. After a successful summer of giving lessons, I set off to Athens, Georgia, to begin my freshman year at the University of Georgia.
Fast forward seven months to March 2025—that’s where FOS was officially born. 789 miles away, I knew I could not continue working with my existing clients yet was determined to keep helping them improve as baseball players. With this in mind, I turned to two former teammates who were, at the time, seniors at West Morris, and they began giving lessons in my absence. The business was now officially branded as “FOS (Fill Our Shoes) Baseball Academy,” with a mission of giving back to the youth baseball community through extremely affordable one-on-one instruction with some of their favorite current or former West Morris athletes. Focusing on affordable pricing (~50% less than competitors) and dedicated efforts to providing a personal yet professional lesson to each client, demand for our services grew exponentially, leading to the expansion of our FOS Baseball staff to eight coaches, now serving over 25 players per week.
The FOS Baseball model had been such a success that it was time for a change!. As of June 29th, 2025, the company now operates under the name FOS Sports Academy, a more accurate representation of FOS’s expanded commitment to providing youth athletes lessons in various sports, not just baseball. As of 6/29/25, FOS Sports Academy consists of a vast network of extremely qualified, knowledgeable, and professional coaches who are either current or former WMC standouts in their respective sport. No matter the sport, no matter the coach, no matter the time, our collective mission is simple: train the next generation of youth athletes to “Fill Our Shoes” and so much more.
On a personal note:
The West Morris and Long Valley athletic programs have made such a profound impact on my life that FOS is so much more than a learning experience about how to run a business—it feels like the ultimate way for me to give back to a community that has given me so much. Thank you for choosing FOS, and if you have absolutely any questions at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.