The Most Memorable Coaching Moment

Cooper Geyer’s Clutch Double Wins the League

Baseball season is kicking into full swing, and I’m back to coaching my kid’s Little League in Fort Myers. I just realized that I never told my readers about the best coaching moment I’ve ever had in my life. Last year, when we were down to the wire, one of my players made a clutch play that sent the entire team reeling, straight-up delivering us the championship trophy for our local minor league.

For the entire season, the Minor Reds were lucky to have a good group of dedicated kids who did the best they could every time they played. We had an incredible run, ending up with 16-2-2 as our total record, including county tournaments. I was just happy to be able to steer the team through such a stellar season, but obviously, they put in all the work.

Amid all that success, there was one kid named Cooper Geyer who showed constant improvement. Though he struggled at the plate and hadn’t managed to get a hit in all season, he never let it get to him, never got bummed out or discouraged. Most importantly, he put in the work. By the time I’d made it to the diamond for practice, he and his dad, Chad, would usually already be out there working together to brush up his skills. This was a kid with an unstoppable spirit and relentless work ethic, constantly striving to do all he could for himself and the team. From start to finish, he was inspiring to watch — but no one expected what would happen in our final game.

It was the league championship against the Red Sox, a solid team who we’d bested once earlier in the season. Despite our previous victory, they surprised us and opened up the game with a steep 4-1 lead on us. Things were looking grim, but over the next few innings, we slowly inched our way up to the point where, by the final batter, we were only losing 5-4. The bases were loaded with two outs. It was the last inning, and the stakes could not have been higher. It seemed like everyone was practically holding their breath. And guess who walks up to bat? My man, Cooper, who, surprisingly, didn’t look nervous at all.

At first, it seemed like the game was already over. The count got to three balls and two strikes for Cooper in no time at all. But then, in a scene I can replay perfectly in my mind like a slow-motion moment straight out of a sports movie, the final pitch came in … and Cooper knocked a rope deep into right field. “Go! Go! Go!” we all howled as everybody went absolutely insane. We scored the two runs we needed to clinch the championship, then added on another for good measure just because the kid on first was so hyped up that he never stopped booking it. Game over. We won!

It was one of the most bonkers moments I’ve ever experienced in my life. Seriously, it gives me genuine chills just thinking about it. As I was waving these kids to run home, I just felt like I was floating 10 feet off the ground. In the chaos after the game, I made eye contact with Cooper’s dad, Chad, and I guess someone must have been cutting onions on the field because we were both tearing up with pride. Just an incredible, incredible thing to be a part of, and everyone in the stands — and all the kids — knew it.

Honestly, after a moment like that, I’m pretty sure I’ve peaked as a coach. But hey, this season’s been going great so far, and as always, I’m thrilled to be out there on the diamond with the kids, striving to be the best team we cawn be. Some people can’t see past the trophy when they’re involved in youth sports, but for me, it’s all about those times when the kids accomplish things they never thought possible. You can’t put that in some dusty old case.

If you want to watch the legendary moment yourself, Coach Robert got the whole thing on video. Check it out on our YouTube page at https://bit.ly/2spc6ad to witness the whole thing.