Mike Stoner’s Centerville Baseball League Resume
Coach (head coach and assistant coach)
Coach Pitch Commissioner
Rookie Commissioner
League Director – Baseball
Vice President
Treasurer
CENTERVILLE – Keeping busy is not a problem for Mike Stoner.
There was the summer he coached more than 90 games for three of his children’s teams. And there was the spring he spent recruiting coaches and creating rosters all while managing the challenging parental duties that come with having a newborn in the house.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t give a lot of credit to my wife, especially when Matt was born,” Stoner said, smiling. “We both took turns sleeping, tending to the baby and making phone calls.”
The long hours in the dugout, on the phone and in meetings was recognized when Stoner received the Gerry Hall Service Award on Jan. 11 at the Centerville Elks basketball game. The award honors individuals who have made a long-term positive, significant, and voluntary contribution to a specific athletic program in the Centerville community.
Stoner fit the bill perfectly.
“Mike is an outstanding guy who has really helped make this school district what it is today,” said Duane Pullins, Centerville City Schools assistant athletic director. “If we ever paid him for the time he has put in, we’d go broke.”
But Stoner’s motivation has nothing to do with dollars and cents.
“Watching the youth I have coached grow, both in their ability to play the game but also as people, that is the best part for me,” he said. “I get energy from that.”
Stoner’s involvement with community sports started when a colleague asked him to play softball on the NCR team in 1985. Not long afterward, he was asked to help coach for the Washington Baseball League. Stoner’s answer was “sure.” That would be his response for years to come, as the 47-year-old has been a coach, commissioner, director, vice president and treasurer of the Centerville Baseball League for the past 13 years. The Centerville resident was also one of the founding members of an all-star summer softball program for girls.
Sports are a family affair in the Stoner household as Anthony, 19, Liz, 18, Sarah, 14, and Matt, 12, have all played baseball or softball, frequently with their dad as one of their coaches. Stoner’s wife, Diane, has handled league registration for the past 12 years.
“I have to laugh when I think back to when this all started,” Stoner said. “We were expecting our fourth child and we still took on this responsibility.
“Looking back, it might have seemed like we were nuts but, once we commit to something, we follow through.”
That’s not to say there weren’t a few bumps in the road. Stoner, like other youth coaches, has had his share of challenges with parents.
“But I’ve been fortunate that when we had some incidents we were always able to work them out,” he said. “And that blip was always eclipsed by so many other positives.”
Stoner’s coaching principle has always been to praise in public and correct or encourage in private and that one-on-one technique has helped him be successful with players and parents, alike.
“It may sound clichÈ but there are some life lessons to be learned by playing sports and getting along with people is one of the big ones,” he said.
The service award was accompanied by a $1,000 check that Stoner could donate to the program of his choosing. He designated that money toward building a hitting facility at Oak Grove Park.
While Stoner was both honored and humbled by the recognition, the rewards of coaching are enough to bring him back to the dugout year after year.
“I would strongly encourage anyone who has the opportunity to coach youth sports to do so,” he said. “It’s truly remarkable to watch the players grow.”
Contact this writer with story ideas at djunie@aol.com.
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