 |
| Windham's Stephen Napolitano has been honored as 'Coach of the Week' by The Windham Eagle. He has coached both baseball and softball and is currently coaching his daughter's softball team. PHOTO BY GINA KOSTOPOULOUS |
Little League has always been a part of Coach Stephen
Napolitano’s life. He played it as a child and when he had children of his own,
he jumped in and coached their baseball or softball teams. Napolitano is now in
his 15th year as a coach. Aside from coaching his daughter’s
softball team, he is just finishing his first year coaching travel softball
with the Southern Maine River Rats.
His mother passed away when he was 7 and during that
difficult time, Little League was there for him and became a source of some of
his fondest childhood memories. When he was an adult with children of his own,
he wanted to be there to grow along with his kids and serve others as former Little
League parents had done for him when he was younger.
A graduate of Windham High School and the University
of Maine at Orono, Napolitano’s family has run the Dairy Queen in North Windham
for 42 years. During these years, Dairy Queen has sponsored many youth programs
and Little
League teams. As a coach, he
has made so many incredible friendships within the community that will last a
lifetime. Napolitano wants everyone to know that all types of volunteers matter.
In 2006, he offered to help as an assistant coach for his
oldest daughter, Abby’s team. During his season as the head coach for his son
Brady’s Little League baseball team, his youngest daughter, Kaylee’s softball
team lost their head coach after the first game. So, Napolitano volunteered to
coach on her softball team too. He started
coaching softball exclusively in 2017.
This year has been an adjustment. Napolitano has had to remind
players to use hand sanitizer between innings and maintain the appropriate
social distance. He said he misses giving high fives and shaking his opponents’
hands.
“After the three
months of lockdown, it was a huge blessing for our girls to be around each
other again. I witnessed much needed smiles and joy,” he said.
It’s very
important for his young players to see themselves improve their skills and gain
confidence in themselves and their teammates. Napolitano’s goal is to have a
group of players who commit to improving from game one to the final game of the
season.
Last year, his 9-
and 10-year-old girls All Star team reached the district finals. He was an
assistant coach on that team with Nick Caiazzo and Ronnie Higgins. He says it
was an incredible experience for his girls and coaches alike. Look out for that
same group of girls to make a solid run next year.
“Teaching kids
work ethic and fun can go together,” said Napolitano. “It is especially
gratifying to witness those players get a hit off a tough pitcher, squeeze in a
stolen base or catch a hard hit ball. Once they smile, it is all worth it! It’s
not about winning, it’s about achieving.”
He grew up in
Raymond and started his family there. That’s also where he began coaching. He
relocated to Windham in 2012 and lives here with his son Brady and daughter,
Kaylee. <
No comments:
Post a Comment