Rob DeWeese: The impact of a coach lasts a lifetime

When I attended Columbus East High School in the early 1990’s, (Yes, I am dating myself), one of the biggest fundraisers for the baseball team was an event called the “100 Inning Softball Game.” The baseball players collected donations and then went and played 100 innings of softball in a single day.

Of course, the game was divided up so that no one player actually played 100 innings, but all of us played around 50 or so. It was during this game of my sophomore year that I met one of the most influential people of my life.

This particular person saw in me what I had never seen in myself. As a 16-year old, I was barely five feet tall and weighed about 110 pounds. However, I could run fairly well, and I could catch the ball consistently. He noticed this and gave me the opportunity to join the varsity team in the spring. I did not play a lot of varsity that year, but what I did gain was the opportunity to learn from one of the best.

Lou Giovanini is a well-known name throughout this area, and for good reason. Not only did he start the baseball program at East but also turned it into a consistent winner throughout his career. His tenacity, competitiveness, and drive to be successful were like nothing I had ever seen in my young life. His attention to detail in everything that we did, whether in practice or in a game would make have us shaking our head, (or in one particular instance, running after a game until well after dark for a player not having his stirrup inside of his shoe) wondering how in the world he noticed such a small thing.

By the way, that player was Scott Andrews, who I know has ties to the Hope community! Coach Giovanini’s memory of an at bat, a specific pitch, or a game situation was nearly photographic. There is a reason he is in the IHSAA Baseball Hall of Fame. He was incredibly good at what he did.

However, he was also a rather polarizing figure. Speaking from personal experience, he could be rather creative, or colorful, if you will, with his use of the English language. More than once, I was on the receiving end of these poetic ensembles. I was not the only lucky one. He also seemed to have a collection of said ensembles for certain umpires. (Generally, the ones assigned to our games.)

Coach Giovanini was the type of coach that you loved if he was on your team and disliked if he was not. He did not tolerate mediocrity, disrespect, or laziness. He was not afraid to hurt your feelings or hold you accountable. He did things his way and made no apologies about it. In the world we live in today, this is almost unheard of. To put it simply: it was his way or no way.

More importantly than baseball however, Lou Giovanini’s influence on me extended to life. I knew that he wanted the best for me. I knew that he was confident in me, not only as a player but also as a person. On the baseball field, he made us feel like we were going to win every game. Of course, we did not win them all, but we did win the vast majority. In life, he gave me confidence in myself. He believed in me. He not only made me a better ball player, but he made me a more confident, better person.

I do not write this to give you a history of Columbus East baseball. I do not write this to tell you about my history as a baseball player. I definitely do not write this to advocate for Coach Giovanini, as his success does that for him. I write this to explain the powerful influence that a coach, director, or any other type of leader can have over young people. I sit here at 44 years old and still feel Giovanini’s influence today.

Whether you are the leader of an athletic team, academic team, band, or any other club that involves our youth, your influence reaches far beyond the years that you are directly involved with them. You have the power to give them confidence in themselves. You have the power to show them how to hold themselves accountable. You have the power to prove that there is a right way to win and lose. Use this power wisely. There might be an undersized kid lacking confidence that is capable of doing great things who just needs someone to believe in him.