I am a baseball fan. I have been a baseball player. But of all the ways baseball has been a part of my life, I have found the most rewarding way has been as a high school baseball coach.

Make an adjustment. That lesson, learned from baseball, is one that I live daily. If the pitcher cannot see the catcher, then they must adjust. If our design is not pushing the limit or inspiring our client, then we must adjust. The only constant is change, and coaches and designers need to adjust to keep improving, learning, and molding better solutions to keep up.

A coach guides a team to victory, teaching fundamentals, strategy, and teamwork along the way. Think of a team like you would a well-oiled machine - all the parts must be well maintained and in good working order. Every now and again you need to adjust the mechanics to better the outcome.

The greatest quality of any coach is their ability to build and inspire a cohesive team, one with chemistry and drive. Leading and motivating young athletes is a challenge, so it takes more than understanding the game to create a successful team. The drive to be flexible, adaptable, and lead the team in the right direction is essential to being a great coach. Our high school baseball and softball coaches spend hours training and building relationships with our future leaders. These coaches are capable of shaping young students lives, both on and off the field. They support them through their hardest challenges and most special moments of their young lives. Besides baseball skills, they are teaching discipline and routine, all while growing young leaders out on the pitch.

Coaches often go the extra mile for their teams and often the work they put in outside those nine innings on game night go unseen. It is for that reason, in collaboration of the Cincinnati Reds, that MSA Sport created the Coach of the Year award. This award honors high school baseball and softball coaches that exhibit excellence and inspire young athletes throughout Reds Country.

Nominate your coach who has gone above and beyond the expectations of their position. Share with us the ways that they have elevated the sports of baseball and softball and created positive change in the students they coach. Help us celebrate the good that baseball brings to our schools, our students, and our lives. Help us find our 2023 Coach of the Year!