When I first arrived at Destrehan High School (my fifth school and sixth job in 22 years), I noticed that some of the coaches were hometown boys. The principal was hard on these guys. They had lived here all of their life. With the exception of college, some have never experienced anywhere else. He knew he could do what ever he wanted to these coaches and they were tied to the community.
By their standards, I was a coaching nomad. No allegiances to anywhere. Growing up, my family lived in three time zones. I called California home. I came to New Orleans from Chicago, where I graduated from high school.
The most asked question in New Orleans is, "Where did you go to school?" And they mean, "What high school?" My answer is "James B. Conant High School in Illinois (note: he was a scientist who helped develop the atom bomb).
St. Charles Parish is a small town, and children stay in small towns. I hope so. My son is now a small town child and coaching at his high school. My high school. Destrehan has made us feel welcome. We are lucky.
As I finished my tenth year at Destrehan (my longest tenure), we finished in the playoffs for the tenth time. The program is feeding off its past, and the players are playing up to our reputation. We have young talent and will make deep runs into the playoffs in the next few years.
Building a successful program is fun. There is little expectation and the reward is high. But as you push the bar higher and higher, it becomes harder to maintain. Everyone expects the best and has become accustomed to the results. Even a season like 2011, (second place in district, an 18-15 record, and a regional loss to the eventual state champion) draws criticism.
Throughout Louisiana their are programs that are starved for a successful season. I know that because one them came calling in July.
After letting their coach go, East Ascension High School came looking for me. Their search committee was headed up by some hard core baseball men, and they were looking for the best.
They didn't start their search with me, but it didn't take them long to call. East Ascension is a program with a distinguished history, state championships and professional players. They have a quality stadium and great community support. Their teams have been competitive the last few years, but never played as a team.
Their offer was nice, with a comparable salary and coaching stipend. Extra funds were available, and involving the community was definitely a must.
New Athletic Director and Football Coach Paul Bourgeois sat with me and we hit it off immediately. Everything was in place to move. They were so excited to get a coach of my pedigree. All that they were waiting for was me to say yes. Just say yes and a new adventure will begin.
I talked about it with my wife, my children. Everyone was supportive and made sure the decision was mine.
Well almost everyone. Not my littlest one (she is 10 years old). All she wanted to know is why I would leave Destrehan. "Dad," she said. "You will need all new clothes."
And, she said, "It's not home".
HOME. I never had a home. I am the nomad.
This is the first time I ever coached and became a part of the community. I love Destrehan High School, and the people and the players and the past players and their families. Wow, why would I leave?
The last few years have been tough. Support and expectations sometimes get in each other's way. When the news leaked out, support from my past players and families poured in.
As one of them said, "You are my coach and that is my school, and you can't go somewhere else. If you do, that won't be my baseball team."
Support from the administration followed, and I knew I couldn't leave. Will the expectations change? No. They will always be high and off the chart. All I know is that only one team can win the state championship, and many programs believe it will be them.
There is a General Douglas MacArthur quote above the tunnel leading to the field at Yankee Stadium that says, "There is no substitute for Victory."
Well, we are not playing for the freedom of the world. We are playing for fun, and each other. I just want to teach young men how to love baseball and hopefully give them life lessons. When the are successful citizens, I will know I succeeded.
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