“My dad coached my brother’s baseball teams for years while also working full-time as a prosecutor. And no matter how busy he was, he showed up. I can still picture him getting to the field straight from work, still dressed in his work clothes, ready to coach. But what stayed with me most wasn’t just how much he showed up for my brother. It was how much he showed up for all the kids.

There were boys on those teams whose families didn’t always have transportation to practice. Some of them didn’t have fathers actively present in their lives. And my dad became more than just a coach to many of them. He became a mentor. A role model. A safe adult. And watching that shaped the way I view sports completely. Because sports are about so much more than winning.

They’re where kids build confidence, learn teamwork, and learn resilience. And sometimes they’re the first place a child feels like they truly belong.”