Leading from the Sidelines: Five Dads Making Every Game Count
Coaches, role models, and biggest fans... these neighborhood fathers are building confidence, character, and lasting memories.
"I’ve spent a lot of days and nights on fields and in gyms with my kids, their friends, and their families. Coaching alongside some great moms and dads through soccer, baseball, basketball, whatever season we’re in. It’s less about the sport and more about having fun, letting them compete, learning and getting better.
Coaching these kids has been a front-row seat to who they’re becoming, how they handle pressure, support each other, and build confidence over time. It’s the kind of time that doesn’t feel important in the moment but adds up to something real when you look back at the years of memories, and a lot of it shared with the same group of kids."
For me, that’s fatherhood, built in the margin of ordinary days…and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
~ Chris Epper
"I coach baseball, a game that meant the world to me as a kid, first and foremost to spend quality time with my son doing something we both love. Beyond that and knowing that baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical, my passion is building confidence in these young boys. I’m often telling them to yell “Yes I can!” in moments when they need a boost or doing silly dances to get them to smile and loosen up. Knowing the hard work, they put in rep after rep and week after week, it’s incredibly rewarding to see them succeed and reap the benefits of that effort. That hard-earned confidence doesn’t stay on the field, it follows them into the classroom, their friendships, and everyday life, making every long night at the field more than worth it."
~ Chris Gracey
"Coaching youth sports is a challenge, but also incredibly rewarding. There’s joy in watching kids (especially your own child and their friends) grow in skill, confidence, and teamwork, and in seeing small breakthroughs that build character. The struggles are real with short attention spans, emotional highs and lows, and uneven progress or plateaus, but they’re all part of the process. As a coach, you’re teaching more than a game; you’re shaping habits like discipline, resilience, and respect. Over time, those lessons hopefully turn boys into young men who understand effort, accountability, and how to handle adversity. My father was my soccer coach in my early youth and he would say the wins are great, but the lasting impact comes from the growth you help inspire both on and off the field."
~ Mason Bonar
"Coaching our neighborhood kids alongside other dads is one of the best parts of living in this community. It really does take a village, and I’m grateful to be surrounded by men and friends who lead by example on and off the field. We get to watch all our kids grow in confidence, learn to support each other, and handle both wins and losses with character. At the end of the day, it’s not just about baseball. “Occasionally,” your own child won’t listen to you as their dad, but they will listen to another adult. Knowing that these guys can step in and do the right thing is very reassuring. As fathers, it’s more important that we teach life lessons like teamwork, accountability, resilience, and what it means to show up for one another. Team sports is a great way to do that, and watching the kids come together and genuinely have fun is what makes it all worth it."
~ Adam Pirttima
I grew up in Houston playing just about every sport you can think of - baseball, basketball, football, and even water polo. Some of my favorite memories come from being coached by my dad and going to games at the Astrodome.
For the past four years, I’ve had the opportunity to coach my son’s baseball and basketball teams, and we’ve been fortunate to win a championship in each. My philosophy is simple: help kids fall in love with the game. I focus on building their skills, growing their confidence, and making sure they’re having fun with their friends along the way.
~ Beau Tanner