Crack of the Bat

By Blaine Clemmens

Positive Talk About High School Coaches

As I stated in a previous column, it seems that the negative comments about high school coaches outweigh the positive comments.  Though that is probably more a reflection of how our society just does not seem to want to focus on the positive much… see today’s newspaper or tonight’s local news.

However, there are many many wonderful high school baseball coaches.  I played for two of them, one my freshman year and one my senior year.  Frankly, I will never forget my freshman year high school coach, Jerry Engelhardt at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, IL .  His dedication to coaching the lives of young men who happened to play baseball was a blessing for all of us who were fortunate enough to play for him during his career. 

In addition to his character and the life lessons he taught, Coach Engelhardt was a tremendous baseball coach.  Though he had many opportunities to coach at the varsity level he chose to stay at the freshman level, where he felt he could have greater impact on the lives of the players he coached.  He was right.

Coaches like Coach Engelhardt make positive lasting impressions that go well beyond the playing field.  There are many different ways a high school coach can positively impact the lives of his players. 

Some are great coaches and teachers of the game.  Some are great motivators and push their players to achieve on and off the field, in the classroom and in life.  Some are there as counselors for their players.  Some help open doors to college baseball for their players.  Some instill a sense of work ethic and discipline that lasts a lifetime. Some simply provide a relaxed atmosphere and make sure their players have fun playing and practicing the game (sounds obvious, but not many do it these days).

So, without any further ado, I want to share a couple of positive focused emails with you.  Feel free to send me your positive stories, your negative stories, or any thoughts on any subject you would like to see discussed in this forum.  My email address is bclemmens@perfectgame.org.

From a parent in California … 3/26/07

Blaine , hope all is good with you.  I enjoy reading your "Crack of the
Bat" articles. Lucas's year is off to a good start and he hopes it gets better.  Lucas was out for 2 or so games due to the flu and a bleeding wart on his pitching finger.  He has not been able to pitch as much due to the finger. 

We made a decision to have the wart cut-out tomorrow (3/28) so he could be ready and healthy to pitch in 2 weeks and beyond.  His coach (Mike Groves) encourages and supports this decision although he realizes it may affect the outcome of some upcoming key games.  He wants what is best for Lucas (BC note – Lucas is now pitching and competing again, even as his finger is healing).

I want to give you some positive feedback on Lucas's high school coach. From day one when Lucas hit the field in his freshman year, Mike Groves has been nothing but supportive with Lucas's goals and dreams to play college ball. 

Mike has been the head baseball coach at Monterey High for 26 years and obviously is doing something right (over 510 wins).  Mike is the type of coach that will speak to each individual player before the start of each season letting them know what their role is for the year.  This allows each player to know exactly where he stands and what his role will be for the year.  This creates a positive and team focused atmosphere.  To date Mike has let Lucas know what games he will be pitching, enabling him to effectively prepare mentally and physically for each start.

At times Mike has and will call Lucas to ensure he has signed up for key showcases or any key baseball events that could help his exposure to college coaches.  Over the past two years Lucas has been the #1 pitcher on his team and he has Mike and his pitching coach (Vince Herring) to thank. Mike believes in each player he coaches and uses them to their best abilities.  Lucas is very fortunate to have such a supportive coach to play for. 

Sincerely,
Mark Herbst

From a player in Florida … 3/24/07

Personally, I have experienced the best and the worst that high school has to offer in my two years of varsity baseball.  My first coach was clueless, not only as far as recruiting goes but also on the field.  Luckily he left after last season and this year the turnaround has been amazing.  My new coach not only organizes and coaches on a much higher level than I had ever expected, but often spends time thinking of ways to break the ice to scouts he doesn't even know and calls them up to talk about me and a couple other D-1 prospects on our team. 

Just the ones that I know about include him contacting a Phillies scout by going on-line and finding his contact info and having an hour long talk with him about coming to see me pitch; calling the Wake Forest coaches and talking to them; spending two hours after a practice on the phone with Georgia, and another three hours talking to the Braves.  These are just the few he did for me that I know about.

It's like coming up for air after almost drowning last year under our old coach.  So yes, I do have a good high school coach, finally.

From a parent in Virginia … 3/26/07

Blaine , I have read your ongoing articles regarding parents complaining
about their son's high school coach, and I have to say I just don't see it at our school.  Our HS Coach isn't out there recommending various showcases, or anything, but he does provide the boys with the kind of leadership and adult guidance I believe they need. 

For example our state rules require a student to pass 5 of 7 classes to be considered academically eligible to play.  Now that means a player can have 5-Ds and 2-Fs and still be eligible. To me that is just not right, especially when if you go to ask a college coach what is the number one thing you look at in a player and he says his GPA and SAT score.

Our HS Coach tells the parents and players they are students first and athletes second, and I believe that is the most important thing a HS coach can teach.  He pushes kids to attend college whether as a student athlete or just as a student.  So far only one player that has graduated from the program since the school opened in 1999 has not
attended college, and that was because the player just didn't want to
attend. 

For the parents who are concerned whether their son gets seen by a college scout, I would say before you concern yourself with that concern yourself with his grades.  This past year our neighbor’s son graduated HS and was being scouted since he was a junior by pro scouts.  He threw 93-94 as a junior, was scouted by an ACC program, but they told him they couldn't offer him a scholarship because he didn't have 3 years of a language. 

The parents blamed the HS Coach, but they never took the interest in their own son’s grades.  Bottom line is the HS Coach is not the person responsible for making sure a kid is prepared for life after HS, but rather it is the parents.  I believe this coach deserves recognition for what he has accomplished and what he instills in his players.  The coach’s name is Shawn Szakelyhidi and the school is Colonial Forge High School in Stafford, VA.

So there you have it… three different emails, three different stories about how a high school coach has made a positive impact for his players.  Thank you to the people that sent me the emails.  Again, if you have something you would like to share with me for discussion in this forum, my email address is bclemmens@perfectgame.org.