Just Call Me Coach

For years, Ron Standard dedicated his life to being a volunteer coach for high school baseball. In fact, he drove a bread truck in the early mornings in order to be there for the kids after school. In his role as coach, he devised a foolproof, statistics-based system that enabled the team to thrive. His system featured the best players in games while still enabling many more children to enjoy the fun of being part of a baseball team. At first, Ron and his coaching system enjoyed incredible support from the community, but in the early 2000’s, American parenting styles changed. This new breed of highly competitive parents turned against him. Finally, Ron had to quit the coaching position he held so dear. Ron’s story reveals a lot about American society and its ever-shifting attitude toward children, achievement, and the meaning of sports in our lives.