There’s a lot to more to coaching than the sport and no one can back this up better than our own Coach Roc Murray.

Mr. Murray has been coaching baseball for 33 years and, in the May of last year, he received the Double Goal Coach Award during an event at Stanford hosted by the Positive Coaching Alliance.

“The Positive Coaching Alliance works to create positive [resolve] between coaches and players,” said Mr. Murray. “They try to give support to all youth sports coaches and try to give skills to help work in a positive manner.”

Nationwide, there were 250 nominees and, ultimately, 50 winners for the Double Goal Coach Award, an award that honors the coaches that are just as concerned with the growth of players as humans, as they are about the game.

“[Coaching] is about developing relationships,” said Mr. Murray. “It’s about providing young people with the skills and support they need to grow and to get out on their own, and to be self sufficient.”

And these relationships are evident as soon as one steps into Mr. Murray’s classroom. The walls are ordained with numerous posters of teams he’s coached, even the very first from Westminster of 1983.

“Where’s Corey?” he mused while in front of the yellowed 1983 poster.

The strength and longevity of these connections are incredible. If the fact that he remembered the name of a player from 33 years ago doesn’t display that, then a story behind his team from 1997 will.

He pointed to one kid on the poster. “When he passed away,” here Mr. Murray directed a finger at another boy, “he called up to tell me.” Mr. Murray went on to say how he had dinner with the former player’s family and how his old player even redid his bathroom for him.

Not only that, but Mr. Murray’s current business partner resulted from the connections he made with his teams.

“The guy I was talking on the phone with when you walked in was good friends with one of the players. Now he’s my business partner,” said Mr. Murray.

Overall, the most important tie shared between a coach and their players is the bond they develop.

“These relationships are incredible,” said Mr. Murray, “and they don’t end.”