Kentucky Little League Coaches Agree To Right A Wrong With Teaching The Game They Love

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Two Kentucky Little League coaches have shown us once again why pencils have erasers and just how the love of the game and the gift to teach cannot be denied.  Last year the national media took hold of a story that truly should have never been when a cell phone camera caught a heated argument between T-Ball coaches Steve Randall and Jimmy Smith. Both of which were honorable men who got caught up in the heat of the moment.

Sadly, the argument escalated to the point of fans and parents jumping in and things getting completely out of control to the point where the championship game had to be stopped. I had coach Steve Randall on the show the following week along with parent and fan Shannon Rose who talked about the incident and how everyone could learn and grow from it.

Well, I’m thrilled to say that all fences appear to be mended, and the two men are now working together on a camp to teach young children the values of the game and teamwork.  Coach Jimmy Smith revealed details on the camp ealier this week via Facebook.  An exact date will be set in the coming weeks.

Here is what coach Jimmy had to say via Facebook,

“Steve Randall and I would like to announce some exciting news. Together, we have decided to host a free 4-week baseball clinic for all boys and girls! We will post the official dates and times later. Steve and I cherish our time with the youth of our county, and we would like to put that above all else and continue to serve them.

We both feel this could be a huge teaching moment for young athletes and demonstrate the need to move forward after disagreements. This lesson is more important than winning a game but showing them how to grow from a mistake and resolve problems. One incident should never define you or destroy the good you’ve done.

Steve and I coach these children to help provide them with options later in life, on and off the field! The object of any game is to win, but we don’t coach for recognition or a plastic trophy. We know that sports and a positive role model can help guide children in the right direction in a world full of different avenues filled with temptations and hurt. This foundation can be life-changing in this world our youth are growing up in, so helping them succeed is our priority and winning a game is just a bonus.

We have learned many lessons from our incident last summer. We have shaken hands, reconciled our differences, and we want to right our wrongs. We feel that the athletes seeing us back on the field working together will help ease their minds and help close the wound we brought to our community.

Last night, we met with the Stanton Parks and Rec board and appealed for them to reverse their decision of not allowing us to coach this upcoming season. They accepted our plea and will put it forth with a vote sometime next week. They have asked those who support our appeal to email them at Parks@StantonKY.gov by Monday, February 14th at 6 p.m.

If we have made a positive impact in your child’s life on or off the field, please share your experience with the board. Ultimately, this is about the children, and when it’s already challenging to find devoted coaches like we are, we don’t want them to suffer anymore!

Thank You!”

 Interview with Parent Shannon Rose on the matter – https://keeonsports.podbean.com/e/qa-with-little-league-parent-shannon-rose-of-stanton-kentucky/

Interview with coach Steve Randall shortly after the incident –  https://keeonsports.podbean.com/e/steve-randall-issues-public-apology-for-role-in-near-t-ball-brawl/