Passing It On: Building a Legacy Through Baseball

Discover how my lifelong passion for baseball is shaping my legacy as I coach the next generation and reflect on the lasting impact we leave behind.

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Today, I want to dive into something personal—my legacy. More specifically, I want to share how I’ve been channeling my passion for baseball to make a difference, and some of the impacts I’ve already seen along the way. So, let’s go!

The Love of the Game

I’ve always loved baseball. What captivates me is that it’s not always about being the best athlete—it’s the mental game that truly matters. As Yogi Berra once said,

“Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical.”

The math might not check out, but the sentiment does. Baseball is a game of preparation, confidence, and a deep understanding of its history. And let’s not forget the numbers—for any statisticians out there, baseball is full of large sample sizes and endless stats.

But for me, one of the greatest joys is sharing my love for the game with the next generation. Over 20 years ago, when I graduated from college, I had one of those classic long drives home where I was trying to figure out my next move. I didn’t have a job lined up, so I started thinking about my bucket list—what I really wanted to accomplish in life.

One of those goals? Coaching baseball for 30 years.

The Early Days of Coaching

Not long after college, I had the chance to coach a 14U team with a couple of friends. We were young and clueless, but we had a blast. A few years later, I became an assistant coach for a 14U travel ball team. Sure, my weekends were spent traveling to tournaments with a bunch of kids, but at 26 or 27, it kept me out of trouble, and it was much cheaper than what I could have been doing.

At that time, I knew I had a lot to learn. I had the opportunity to work with Coach Ray, a local legend, and for two seasons, I soaked up as much knowledge as I could. From keeping the scorebook to coaching first base, I was learning just as much as the kids—about the fundamentals of the game, how to teach it, and how to instill a true love for baseball.

A Full Circle Moment

Fast forward to a few years ago. I was at the dentist, getting my teeth cleaned, when I heard a voice say, “Hey, Coach Kyle!” To my surprise, one of the players from that 14U team was now working for my dentist. Over 15 years had passed, and here he was—a successful and contributing member of society, and still calling me “Coach Kyle.”

It was a proud moment. Knowing that someone I’d thrown buckets of balls to so many years ago was now thriving as an adult—and that they still thought of me as their coach—was an amazing feeling.

My wife and I go to the same dentist at the same time to knock it out together, and he ended up checking her teeth too. He told her all about how much I loved baseball back then, sharing memories from those days before I had even met her. It was a cool moment for me—a reminder of how the love for baseball transcends time and impacts others.

Coaching the Next Generation

This week is opening week for 8U fall ball, and I think this is my 10th season coaching. Eight of those seasons have been spent coaching youth teams, with a couple of company softball teams thrown in from back in the day (shout out to HubSpot softball, for anyone who remembers). I’m only a third of the way to my bucket list goal of coaching for 30 years, but I can’t help but wonder: What will these 8-year-olds, my son included, be like in 15 years? What kind of impact will I have on their lives? How will they remember me?

This is what I love. Being able to pass on my passion for baseball, to teach the game to a new generation. This is how legacies are built. We live on through the things we teach, share, and pass down to others. That’s what I want my legacy to be.

What’s Your Legacy?

I wrote this on Tuesday (9/10), and tonight is the first game of the season. I’m excited to see these kids take the field, to help them learn, and to keep passing on what I love.

So, I want to ask you: What are you passionate about? How are you paying it forward? What’s on your bucket list, and what are you passing on to future generations? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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