Relationship Matters

Relationships are one of the core parts of life. Whether with friends, co-workers, teachers, or family members, they can either have a negative impact on your life or a positive one. As a child, you are instantly granted relationships with family members that shape your personality and perspective on life. As you age, you begin to opt into relationships that can have lasting impacts.

As an athlete, the relationship with your coach can make or break a season. A coach can be a determining factor in whether a team succeeds or not. I view coaches as mentors I can learn from and depend on. Coaches should challenge their athletes to strive for improvement, work harder, and perform as a cohesive team.

I played Little League baseball and for a local travel team in Tacoma before I switched to New Level Baseball out of Puyallup in 2019. During my first season on one of the 12-and-under teams, I always felt like I was walking on eggshells around my coach. I never knew what to expect from him, and every practice and game felt like an unknown. Nothing was consistent, and I struggled with the unpredictable coaching. I stayed with the same organization for 13u baseball but switched to an established team. I was hopeful and thought the new coach would be a good fit for me and my personality. I was wrong. He prioritized the development of certain players and locked others into certain positions. I began to dread every practice and game, and I was doubting my love for the sport.

After the first two seasons at New Level seemed like a borderline disaster, the next season would turn out to be different. I didn’t have much hope going into 14u. When Jim Swofford, affectionately known as Swoff, was named the coach of my team, all I knew about him was that he had been coaching a long time and that he had a reputation for being knowledgeable, tough, demanding, and direct.

Swoff has coached for decades, and his style demands a lot from his athletes. Swoff is direct and straight to the point when coaching. I excelled under that style. He is what I needed from a coach.

Once, when one of my teammates made an error at first base, Swoff didn’t yell at him, but rather declared, “Well, way to go, guys. You just made it worse,” with a smile on his face. This is the epitome of his coaching style. He acknowledged the error, reinforced what to do differently, and moved on. And every time we succeeded, he celebrated us with a fist punch in the air. He showed us that even when you screwed up, he was still our biggest supporter.

Playing for Swoff ultimately rekindled my love for baseball and gave me the confidence to transition to high school baseball at Peninsula. I knew I could do it because he had believed in me and showed me how to have confidence in myself. The one season I got to play for Swoff proved how much of an impact a coach can have on their players. Even after my playing days are through, the relationship that I had with Swoff will continue to benefit me in all aspects of my life. I will be able to apply the lessons I learned from him to my future endeavors. I am grateful for his coaching and the impact it had on me, not only as a player but also as a person.

John Browand is a senior at Peninsula High School and a pitcher for the Seahawks.