Powerballers Coaches "WHY"
Why Do I Coach?
"I have been coaching for more than half of my adult life. I coach because my father and mother and coaches that I had, JK, Ez, Flo, Cass, Chili, Noce, Rich Waters instilled in me the drive and work ethic to play at the next level. Baseball will teach you about failure and Life. Playing at a high level in High School and College is hard. Failure is tough and you have to know how to handle it on the field and in life. Baseball comes to an end for everyone at some point. The lessons I learned from those coaches have helped me in my life. I try to honor that by the way I coach and teach these young men not only the game but the game of life. I try to instill the work ethic and drive in these young men so they can have the same opportunities that my coaches gave me. I was fortunate enough to have a great family and great coaches in my life and I want to give that same level of work ethic back to the players that I am able to come in contact with. It is not always pretty and sometimes it is hard work on the players part, but I try to be honest with players because that is what they want and need. Sometimes we have to be tough on them to get them to see the big picture. At the end of the day the lesson is hard work and helping them to create their own opportunities in this game and in life. Life is hard and nobody is going to give you anything you have to work for it. I was given this and I coach to give it back. If we make them better players and better men then we have done our job"
"I have been coaching and playing baseball for 45 years. The reason I coach is to see these kids succeed in life both on the field and off the field. As playing sports is a lifetime of friendships both on and off the field."
"I have to. Baseball has given everything to me; this is my way of giving back to the game the has given me so much"
"My WHY is to help others. Help others find Jesus. Help others find their purpose. Help others grow personally. Help others find their WHY. Help others HIT."
"First and foremost, my "why" for why I coach baseball is because of my love of the game. As long as I can remember there was something about baseball that lured me to it. After experiencing all of the memories, and life lessons the game has taught me, I felt it was my passion to continue being able to pass those lessons along to others. After my time playing had ended, I immediately knew I wanted to be a coach, and looked for a job as quickly as I could. Now having been coaching for 7 full years, the lessons and life experiences I am able to share with ballplayers continues to grow. At the end of the day baseball is just a game, but our goal as coaches should be to develop young men to be contributing members to society. Once you are able to make the players believe in themselves and their capabilities, they begin to become winners both on and off the field."
"My "why" is to give back to the coaches that I have had in the past. These individuals have instilled the values of hard work and teamwork in me that I am now able to teach to the players I coach. My coaches have been and continue to be great resources to me, even today. I hope to build similar relationships with the players that I coach."
"What a wonderful question. I had to give this some reflection. When we had our recruiting seminar in the winter of 2022. I think I told the story this story to the audience. It was a baseball off-season working at a physical therapy clinic that a friend owned. I was working one on one with a kid who is about, 11 or 12 years old and he had some medial elbow pain from throwing a baseball. As we know, this is quite common when we overuse our arm. For a multitude of reasons. During the rehab process, I learned this kid had already seen orthopedic doctor had an x-ray and a bone scan that showed a growth plate fracture right where his ligament would be soon developed. The kid was in quite a bit of pain. Mom was fairly understanding and concerned about his long term health, but father didn’t quite get it. All he could think about is he has a pitching lesson with his pitching coach that he needs to get to the in next couple weeks. I explained to both parents after one session on how their son got here in this painful situation where one of the sports he enjoys has been taken away for a period of time and that that their son was unlikely to be picking up a baseball for the next 3-4 months. The silence of the parents was deafening. I will never forget that moment and to this day this remains “one of the worst injuries I have ever seen” and it had nothing to do with an acute presentation of an injury. So my why: to Help, Aid, Serve, Coach, and Educate players and parents around me helping keep them safe, healthy, and informed about long term athletic development in the beautiful game of baseball."
"Why I coach – I coach because some of the most influential people in my life outside of my parents were my coaches. I learned so many life lessons from sports and my coaches that have shaped the person I am today. One of my players gave me a gift at the end of the first season that I was coaching. It was a plaque that read… ‘A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.' I want to make a difference for those I coach just as my coaches did for me. I truly enjoy teaching the fundamentals of the game and watching the young men progress from season to season but that is just a small part of it. What is more rewarding for me is watching these young men grow over time to be able to represent themselves, how they show up in good and tough situations, how they handle adversity and how they learn to compete at a high level is just awesome. The last point for me is probably one of the most important. I built so many memories with my dad as he helped coach me over the years and I love building those memories with my kids."
"I coach to have a positive impact on young athletes. To teach them basic fundamentals and work together to improve in all facets of the game - both physically, mentally and emotionally. I enjoy the process of each season and working through problems that inevitably arise - individually and as a team - and working to make the corrections/improvements. To me, I love being part of a team and the bond that is formed with the players and other coaches. We are creating relationships and memories that last a lifetime. There is nothing like reconnecting with players I’ve coached 20-30 years ago and we share stories and reminisce on moments that occurred. The bond that is formed between player and coach is strong and lasting - if done right. When certain connections are made, they are hard to be broken. My greatest joy in my coaching career is seeing the players I coach become great husbands and fathers and COACHES. If a player I coached becomes a coach, I’ve done my job and have been successful in what I set out to do."