Coaches
In my previous series I was pretty blunt about coaches who put young arms at risk. In fact just the other day another story of this happening came to my attention. It honestly makes me sick. However, there are good coaches out there, taking the time to not just teach a game but to impact young lives for the better.
I’m lucky because I get to cover the NWAC baseball championships each year and each year I get to talk with some of the most amazing coaches that you can find in baseball. I get to see coaches that want to win baseball games, but put teaching boys how to be men at the top of their priorities as well.
I still remember to this day watching an amazing Everett Community College lose in the championship game and heartbroken players going to their head coach, Levi Lacey, and embracing him with love. He was their coach, but he meant so much more to these players. He had taught them the game of baseball, but at the same time was teaching them about life.
This summer at a legion game I was watching, an entire team was only playing for themselves. The coach pulled the team to the side and had them look at the legion patch on their uniforms and told them about the brave men and women who risked their lives and in many cases gave their lives for others. He then asked if they would be willing to make even little sacrifices for their teammates. Sacrificing an at bat to lay down a bunt to move a runner over.
He wasn’t comparing playing a game to war but was using it as a chance to teach boys about helping others. Putting others needs ahead of their own.
Baseball is filled with amazing coaches like this. You see it at high schools, club teams, college, and even in professional baseball. There are coaches out there that get ‘it’. They know the game and teach it but they don’t limit what they teach to just the game.