Day 181, June 30: Youth Coaching Memories

My Top 10 Favorite

Memories as a Youth Coach

The Little League team I coach - Dairy Queen (above) - won the Minor League Division Consolation bracket championship tonight, 13-2. We finished 11-10; my first winning season since coming out of retirement four years ago. It got me to thinking about my best coaching memories.

1. Southwest Wis. Parochial League title: My first coaching job since moving to Dubuque was at Kieler. Our 5th-6th grade boys basketball team was barely above .500, but we won four straight league tourney games, beating powerful Cuba City in the final.

2. 1st youth soccer team (Jay): The first team I ever coached that had one of my sons on it. This 5-6 year-old team was dominant. From memory, we were 8-1-1, giving up just three total goals all season.

3. Winning Wee NCBT title (Shawn): A youth basketball tournament at Loras during the National Catholic Basketball Tournament, we won three games and a huge wooden trophy with a basketball in it.

4. Cardinals Independent League baseball team (Jay and Shawn): It was so rewarding to coach both sons on the same team. Shawn was pretty young, but spunky enough to not get hurt. We didn't win many, but a wonderful memory.

5. Little League first-year title (Shawn): After moving from the Independent League, our Flextsteel team won the inaugural Major Division league title. I also coached the all-star team with Shawn on it (went 1-3).

6. Holy Trinity-Sacred Heart girls basketball upset win: Once again, our team was just above average, but we went into Holy Ghost against the league leader and pulled out a thrilling victory.

7. Iowa Games basketball (Shawn): Playing in Dubuque, we won the bronze medal after a couple of exciting games, one keyed by Shawn's basket.

8. Cardinals beat the Reds (Jay): We NEVER beat the Reds, Hawks or Brewers. But this one night, the stars were aligned and we knocked them off. Rumor was they later changed the outcome due to our pitcher wearing white sleeves. That's how BAD those three teams wanted to win.

9. Finishing 2nd at East Dubuque tournament (Shawn): Our 5th-6th grade team knocked off a tough rival that included future Univ. of Iowa player Eric May in the semifinals before losing to another rival.

10. Dairy Queen wins consolation title: Ben Kettering tossed 75 pitches and Gavin Guns closed it out as we earned some medals. Not sure if I'll be back next year of if this is it ...