Date: Fri 02-Aug-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Tom-Wyatt-On-Sports-Coaching

Full Text:

Back To Coaching - Tom Wyatt Column

It's my inherent nature, I guess, but when I'm reporting on a baseball or

football or basketball game I want to get out there and play myself.

By that same token, when I cover a Little League or Babe Ruth Baseball game I

want to get out there and coach it.

Having coached for ten years in Newtown, from 1984-93, I roll my eyes at poor

coaching decisions I'm forced to witness; cringe at mental errors on the

ballfield; and just shake my head when I see a player who just needs a

confident nudge in the right direction and doesn't get it.

All of those things have been pet peeves of mine for years, but because of the

extreme time constraints of coaching a ball team, I had to give it up.

But two weeks ago I grabbed an opportunity that was just too much to pass up.

Joining Larry Isler to coach a baseball team for the Nutmeg Games would only

take up one week of my summer and it would give me the chance to work closely

with some of the exceptional local athletes I've had the pleasure of covering

for the paper.

Only a week.

That's what I told this unlikely bunch of strangers after our first practice

one Sunday afternoon. " We only have one week to get to know one another and

become a family. "

As we lectured the team about being unselfish and explained how all 17 men

would share playing time in our quest to win the gold medal, I didn't think

for a minute that I would develop one of those special coach/player

relationships with the members of this team, in only one week, or even be able

to memorize all of their names, for that matter.

But I was wrong.

What I discovered in one short week was that it doesn't take an entire season

to create that special bond that only a coach and an athlete know, it comes

from the sharing and emotion that is involved in the common pursuit of a goal

- in this case the gold medal.

Not only was I able to learn the names of every player on our team, but I can

easily pick out highlights of how each team member contributed to the cause

and the smile on each of those faces as we won four games and captured our

gold. I like to think that I, somehow, made a positive impact on the lives of

some of the players on that baseball team during the course of our week

together. That used to be my overall goal for an entire season, years ago.

I know I've grown closer with the Newtown players from the squad and will look

forward to dropping them morsels of baseball advice as I watch them star at

the high school level in the years to come.

As for the out-of-town players on the team, I may never see them again. But

I'll keep my eye on the area newspapers during baseball season and will surely

smile when I read any of their names.

All 17 members of that gold medal team will live forever in my memory when I

reflect back on the 1996 Nutmeg Games.

Together, we created a dynasty . . . if only for a week.