Proud Coach Moments!
Is a term I use often to describe the happiness I feel when someone I coach accomplishes something great, or makes an impact on someone else life, or takes a chance and it comes up roses.
This week I experienced a new version of the PCM! It’s now the Proud Hitting Coach Moment! You can say it’s the same thing all you want but I think this deserves a brand new designation.
Berkeley Dunn has been hitting with me for almost two years now. She is a very talented 9-year-old player who has a very bright future ahead of her. She is a great student, kind-hearted and loves to play the game.
Berkely was presented with an assignment in school: Create a service project, market it, develop it and see it through to completion. One thing I know for sure about the Dunn household is that the kids do their own work and they do it well. All the girls are great students and they earn every accolade they receive.
Berkely had many options to choose from. What did she decide to do?
Hitting instructor, of course!!
She created a business card, with the help of her sister, and printed them off. Chose her instructor’s uniform carefully! She created a sign to market her service at school and set off to become the best hitting instructor the third grade has ever seen.
What happened next?
She set up shop and had customers coming to her in droves! Each 10-minute hitting lesson was thorough and included hands-on instruction from the lead instructor herself. The pictures tell you all you need to know about the great job that was done by Homerun Dunn!
When I saw the Facebook posts and pictures from this event it brought a tear to my eye! I’m an easily emotional person to begin with but seeing someone I work with choose the be a hitting instructor was one of the best things that I have experienced in a long and colorful career.
Where will life take Homerun Dunn? Someplace special I’m sure, but she always has a spot working as a hitting instructor with us! If that’s what she wants to do after she is finished with what I know will be a great softball career!
Great Job, Berkeley!!
About the Author: Tory Acheson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fastpitch Prep staff. He has coached at all levels of the game, including the last 25 years at the college level at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Tennessee Tech and Kennesaw State. He began his coaching career at the high school level spending 9 years Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wis. and is now working as a professional softball instructor.
