Jamie Nye: A good coaching story, for a change

Coaching and doing it successfully is difficult. I think doing so with children is even more so.

At the Little League World Series, Canada’s coach Lucky Pawa is showing why he’s helped a team from Surrey all the way to the final games at the biggest youth baseball tournament on the planet.

A few times he’s been mic’d up, heard with words of encouragement, positive re-enforcement and a simplicity that, as a parent, I have to appreciate.

Here is one exchange during the final inning, with the team facing elimination, up 6-4 and the bases loaded. No panic, no pressure on his young pitcher.

“We don’t have a choice, do we? Trust your defence, trust your boys, trust your stuff and trust yourself. That’s why you’re here. No one better for this right now. Let’s go!”

That’s a guy, I’d love to coach my kids. I thought I’d share a good coach, doing great things as opposed to stories we too often hear about raging, ref bashing and overall bad behaviour from the people that are supposed to be an example for our kids.

Lucky Pawa is one of the good ones. By the way, the pitcher caught a line drive for the final out as Canada advanced.