In and Out of Season – Be Prepared

by Ryan Krzykowski

In chapter 4 of his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul encourages his apprentice to be prepared, both in and out of season.  Basically, letting young Timothy know that he ought to be ready for anything that comes his way, both the expected and the unexpected.  So while the story we share here obviously happened within the framework of a baseball season, it undoubtedly falls into the “out of season” category as it relates to what a coach and a team expect from game day.

Last week the Olathe West High School baseball team experienced one of the most frightening situations imaginable for a team.  In the middle of a game, their pitcher, 10th grader Brennan Connell, collapsed on the mound in the middle of his delivery.  Due to the quick thinking and actions of OW Coaches and a couple medically trained spectators who got involved immediately, Brennan made it to the hospital alive.

Coaches, the rules of your league, state or school district may or may not require it, but please be trained in CPR.  Please know the location of the nearest AED device and how to use it.  And while it is never something we would want to have to deal with, be prepared to shepherd your team through adversity unrelated to the game itself.  Far too many teams will walk through something like this together: the health of a player, family member or some other kind of shared tragic experience.  While we would love to avoid these altogether, they happen, and when they do we are given an opportunity to show young athletes that they are loved and valued beyond the scope of our sport.

Let’s Coach With Purpose.