This summer marked my first foray into coaching as I volunteered as an assistant with my son’s baseball team.
And I must say, what a joy it was to help out with this dedicated group of 13 boys. The Lugnuts ran the table in the regular season with a 9-0 record and then also went undefeated in the playoffs en route to the U10 championship on Saturday at the Barrie Community Sports Complex where we faced a very competitive Lookouts team. I believe we were the only team to run the table in all of Barrie Minor Baseball, so that’s a nice feather in the ball cap.
The Lugnuts' commitment and dedication was really something special. Seeing players improve as the season went on was a sight to behold and made me happy to he involved on some level, even if it was just waving them around third base. (I did get burned a few times and was maybe overzealous, but I learned from my mistakes. Coach Adam just sometimes gave me “the look,” and I sheepishly put my head down.)
Seeing kids try new positions, such as catcher or pitcher, doing great and coming back to the dugout with a massive smile on their face was a something uplifting.
Hearing the other boys cheer them on when they did well, or pump them up if they were down. This was a true team.
Seeing an introverted kid open up with his teammates as the summer went along.
Watching kids who were completely new to baseball shine.
We were down early in the championship game, but an inside-the-park home run picked up our spirits and got us back on track.
Seeing my son, who'd been somewhat snake-bitten at the plate for much of the year, come up with a big double to score a run at a clutch moment on Saturday was also a nice way to end the season.
One of our Lugnut boys also pitched two sparkling innings on Saturday, coming back to the dugout to a chorus of cheers and high-fives from his buddies late in the game.
All special moments, indeed.
I may have played some neighbourhood baseball on the local vacant lot as a kid, but never organized baseball of any kind, so this was new territory for me.
A lot of credit goes to our coach, Adam, who was tough but fair with the little Lugnuts. Certainly a knowledgeable baseball guy and someone I would welcome working alongside again in the coaching ranks.
And, having seen how teams operated in my son’s two previous seasons, it’s amazing how far a little organization can go. Something as simple as names on clothes pins and a bungee cord for the batting order did wonders and avoided any unnecessary confusion or disappointment. Or, having the game plan set out so the boys knew what positions they were playing to bypass any unneeded chaos and sidestep delays in between innings. The boys knew exactly where they were going and few questions were asked. When in doubt, consult the book.
And, beyond anything else, it also meant the kids sat an even number of innings and no one got more at-bats than the other guys. It was as fair as fair could be, right on down the line.
But it’s also the small things. Like a tub of Double Bubble in the dugout for the Lugnuts to chew on, just like the Big League players.
Seeing your kids share their passion with their friends is awesome, feeding off each other.
Adam was always dedicated to the team, even organizing Saturday morning practices at the Barrie Minor Baseball warehouse in the city’s south end so the boys could sharpen their skills, or just let off some steam goofing around with a game of whatever the equivalent is in baseball to shinny in hockey. Trying to catch some of the dads in a pickle, or vice versa, or the old man trying to show the kid he’s still got it. What they didn't see was the Icy Hot coming out later that night.
Adam and his wife also organized a small team get-together at Sunnidale Park late in the season, which was replete with mini baseball-themed gift bags. Many thanks for all of your hard work and dedication. Funny enough, the boys mostly tossed the football around, but any form of physical activity is fine by me. From there, some of us even went out to the Baycats game.
In the end, aside from raising that beautiful championship trophy on Saturday afternoon and getting their medals, it’s probably those little things the boys will remember most, but to say they gelled as a team throughout the summer is an understatement.
It was nice to volunteer alongside some other dads who liked to see their sons excel and improve over the summer, too. Fellow assistant coaches Dan and Dave were always keen to give the boys some tips and work with them on whatever the players wanted to do.
I just wish there was some way to keep this group together, because they loved playing for each other, but I guess that’s unlikely to happen.
In the meantime, we will always have the memories of summer 2022. It’s never a bad night spent at the ballpark, turning off the work phone and getting away from it all for a while, even if it's only for a few hours.
Purple Power forever.
Raymond Bowe is the editor at BarrieToday.