The "Good-Bye Coach Ammon" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Visiting my son Derek to pick up his 6 ft. table and four folding chairs for Thanksgiving at our house.  Well, while at Derek's house he showed me a "YouTube" video of one of his classmates who I taught school with and who coached soccer at the school where we taught.  But, this story goes further back than even high school. Seems that I coached Dave Ammon and Derek when they were 9 years old and playing baseball.  Our family lived hear Nathan C. Schaeffer Elementary School and for years I would take my kids to the ball field behind the school to learn how to throw and hit the baseball.  When Derek, our oldest, became eligible to play Midget-Midget (ages 9-12) baseball I signed him up as well as volunteering myself to coach.  When the teams were picked during that first year I naturally got my own son as well as Dave.  I knew very few of the boys on the team that first day of practice, but it only took me about half an hour to see who were going to be the best on the team.  Derek was a left-hander and I had worked with him for years at pitching and fielding as well as hitting.  Dave was also experienced in the basics of the game and was another good player.  I must admit I don't remember any of the other boys from that first year of coaching, so they must have been just OK.  Dave and Derek kept our team in the running that year with Derek doing most of the pitching as well as playing 1st base and Dave playing shortstop and pitching.  Fun year and we all learned quite a bit about the game and each other.  Dave dropped out of baseball so he could concentrate on summer soccer shortly after that year.  It was a good move for him since he excelled in soccer in high school while Derek excelled in baseball.  All through high school they remained good friends.  This past summer they ended up coaching baseball against each other when their sons played their first year of baseball at age 7.  But baseball wasn't the only thing Dave coached.  He returned to his Alma Mater, Manheim Township High School, where I taught, and eventually became the head soccer coach.  He replaced his former high school coach Ed Journey for whom Township's soccer field is named.  As a high school player he excelled and was on the Lancaster-Lebanon League All-Star Team.  But, as good as he was as a high school player, he was an even better high school coach.  During his 18 years of coaching he won 6 Section Titles, 9 League Titles and 4 District Titles.  He coached numerous high school Allstars, 5 All-State Players and 4 All-American Players.  He was named LL League Coach of the Year 5 times.  And to top all that off he was named 2006 State Coach of the Year.  Quite a feat for this little guy who started his career in organized ball with me as a coach.  I remember him for his big smile and will to succeed.  What a guy!  After announcing his retirement from soccer coaching, his team honored him at a  banquet and made a really neat video titled "Goodbye, Coach Dave Ammon.  You must watch it to see how much his kids loved him.  My guess is he will continue coaching, but this time with his own son.  Good luck Dave.  You are one great guy!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.